Aquaculture systems

Biotic and abiotic components:

1. The fish component

•
• Behavioral/physiological requirements –
must be in normal (optimal) range
1.
2.
3. Dissolved inorganic and organic
compounds
4. pH
 Aquaculture systems
Biotic and abiotic components:

2. The water component

•
•
–

3. Pond or rearing area/container

• Provide spatial requirements for species

•
 Aquaculture systems
Biotic and abiotic components:

4. Nutritional requirements

• Provides energy requirements to meet –

standard metabolic demands
• Components associated with water
quality

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•
 Aquaculture systems
Biotic and abiotic components:

5. Management of the system

• Fish culturist governs how well all
components will be “balanced”
• Management factors:
•
•
• Record-keeping
• Pond cleaning techniques and
frequencies
•
 Aquaculture systems
Management conditions:

1. Extensive culture: Low degree of input on

manager’s part

• Low water exchanges

•
•
• Common in developing regions
• Subsistence production
 Aquaculture systems
Management conditions:

2. Semi-intensive

• Higher degree of management than

extensive
• Common in warmwater foodfish industry
– catfish
• Feed daily
• Assess growth and mortality
 Aquaculture systems
Management conditions:

3. Intensive

•
• Common in salmonid culture
•
•
• Feeding of commercial feeds at high rates
• Continual sampling and monitoring
 Aquaculture
Public aquaculture:

Purpose:
• Mitigation
• Conservation/species recovery
(ESA)
• Management/sport fishing

Mitigation:
•
• Columbia/Snake River systems
 Aquaculture

Conservation:
• Endangered species preservation
•
• Recovery of listed stock
•
•
•
•
 Aquaculture

Management/sportfishing:

• Game fish stocking (non-salmonids)

• Bass
• Pike
• Walleye
• Put and take fisheries
•
•
 Aquaculture
Private aquaculture
Purpose:
• Commercial:
• Food/table fish and other aquatic
species
•
•
• Fee fishing
• Trout/catfish
• Common in Midwest/east
 Aquaculture

• Bait fish – for sportfishing in many states

• Forage fish
•
• Tilapia/carp
• Ornamental species
• Aquarium/hobbyist trade
• Direct or wholesale markets
•
 Aquaculture

Components of private and public

aquaculture:
1. Production:
• All life stages
2.
3. Marketing (important in commercial)
• Sales and distribution
4. Processing waste
• Disposal
5. Value added product
 Aquaculture

Factors to consider in private

aquaculture:

• Feed availability/manufacturing
• Equipment
• Product development/marketing
• Engineering/construction
• Real estate
 Aquaculture
Economics:
• Variable costs
• Eggs/fingerlings
• Feed
• Mortality
• Utilities
• Maintenance
• Fixed costs:
• Labor
• Insurance
• Taxes
• Advertising