Banks Urged To Invest In Aquaculture

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From Ghana General News Charles Apenyedu, Asutsuare, on Friday, February 02, 2007

THE Minister of Fisheries, Mrs Gladys Asmah, has urged financial institutions to invest in aquaculture.

She said, aquaculture is a viable economic enterprise in Ghana and the ministry will not relent in its efforts to develop and nurture it.

The minister made the call here on Wednesday when she toured the Tropo Farms, an intensive commercial fish farm with some managing directors from the banking sector.

The tour was to offer decision makers from the three banking and financial institutions the opportunity to acquaint themselves with the progress in aquaculture development in the country.

Mrs Asmah said the ministry had so far trained 329 people throughout the country in mechanised fish farming and added that the Ministry would assist them with capital and equipment to start their own fish farming ventures.

Mr Mark Amakye, managing director of Tropo Farms, said the fish farming industry in Ghana has very great potential.

Noting that the weather and climatic conditions as well as availability of water are perfect, he said such conditions are conducive for large-scale production of tilapia.

Mr Adam Sulley, Head of Corporate and Customer Relations at the Agriculture Development Bank, expressed satisfaction at the tilapia production on the farm.

Source: Charles Apenyedu, Asutsuare

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Marine Aquaculture Task Force Suggests Regulating Aquaculture

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Woods Hole, MA -- Congress should enact legislation to ensure that strong environmental standards are in place to regulate the siting and conduct of offshore marine aquaculture, according to an independent panel of leaders from scientific, policymaking, business, and conservation institutions. At the same time, the Marine Aquaculture Task Force suggests that the federal government should provide funding and incentives for research, development, and deployment of technologies, and techniques for sustainable marine aquaculture.
Aquaculture is the farming of fish, shellfish, and aquatic plants, and it accounts for nearly one half of all seafood consumed in the world today. The industry is growing rapidly as wild fish stocks decline.

The Task Force—-organized by researchers from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), with support from The Pew Charitable Trusts and The Lenfest Foundation—-was charged with examining the risks and benefits of marine aquaculture and developing a set of national policy recommendations to guide future development of our oceans.

Members of the panel have been meeting since the summer of 2005, and they released their findings in a media conference call. View full report -- Sustainable Marine Aquaculture: Fulfilling The Promise; Managing The Risks.

“There is a growing need for seafood to feed a hungry world, but the world’s fisheries can no longer meet the demand,” said task force chairman Rear Adm. (ret.) Richard F. Pittenger, former WHOI vice president for Marine Facilities and Operations and a former Oceanographer of the Navy. “Half of our seafood comes from aquaculture, and that share is only going to grow. The federal government has proposed a fivefold increase in U.S. aquaculture production, and while we certainly agree with an increase, we believe it must be done in an environmentally responsible way.”

Read the rest of this story at Pew Charitable Trusts News Release

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Demand for Seafood Likely to Pressure Aquaculture into New Developments

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Growing Demand for Seafood Likely to Pressure Aquaculture into New Developments

NewswireToday - /newswire/ - Palo Alto, CA, United States, 01/29/2007 - Frost & Sullivan (ti.frost.com) finds that Aquaculture - Global Developments provides a thorough examination of fish farming and aquaculture.

The last three decades have seen the aquaculture industry develop into one of the fastest growing food producing sectors in the world. The industry today is extremely diverse and contains a wide variety of systems ranging from small ponds to large-scale commercial systems. The exponential rate at which the world population is expanding is contributing toward making culture fisheries more important than ever as a reliable source of food and resources.

Frost & Sullivan (ti.frost.com) finds that Aquaculture - Global Developments provides a thorough examination of fish farming and aquaculture.

"The growth of the aquaculture industry is vital for meeting the world's growing appetite for fish and other seafood," says Frost & Sullivan Senior Research Analyst Kasturi Nadkarny. "If the aquaculture industry manages to overcome the environmental concerns and the social and economical challenges plaguing it, it could be instrumental in narrowing the widening gap between the demand and supply of seafood."

A recent report from Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reveals that by 2030, maintaining the present-day consumption levels will require an additional 40 million tons of fish. The wild fish populations will be incapable of meeting this demand, putting an onus on the aquaculture industry to boost its production to compensate for this gap in supply and demand.

On the flip side, intensive shrimp farming results in several tons of organic waste within a single shrimp-farming crop. Most of these wastes are in the form of stable organic compounds that are difficult to be broken down into simpler forms and cannot be put to use by the phytoplankton through photosynthesis. The oxidation of these compounds results in the depletion of the dissolved oxygen content in the shrimp ponds. Further, the generation of toxic metabolites such as nitrite, ammonia, methane and hydrogen sulphide makes the soil acidic, damages the gills and tails of the fish, affects their metabolism, causes blue shrimp syndrome owing to nutritional deficiency and disrupts the molting process.

"This is mainly responsible for the high mortality rates in aquaculture shrimp farming and to add to this issue, shrimp farms are always located in close proximity of each other, making it easy for diseases to spread from one farm to another and making it difficult to be controlled," explains Nadkarny. "In addition, although most nations have the scope to considerably enhance their aquaculture production for meeting the global demand for seafood, fish farmers lack sufficient technical information that is required to improve practices aimed at higher quality and yield."

Aquaculture - Global Developments is part of the Technical Insights Food and Beverages Subscription, and it gives an overview of emerging trends in the aquaculture landscape that involves key drivers, challenges, restraints, and analysis of adoption trends.

Aquaculture - Global Developments
It is OK to republish and/or LINK any newswire for any legitimate media purpose as long as you name Newswire Today and LINK as the source.
Keywords: Aquaculture, fishing, fish farming, sea food, environmental concerns, Food and Drug Administration, FDA, shrimp farming, organic waste, organic aquaculture, fish stocks, phytoplankton, photosynthesis, toxic metabolites, nitrite, ammonia, methane, hydrogen sulphide

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Tilapia Culture

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*Great news for Culturists. Our instructor stated the following notes I've paraphrased from, were written around five years ago. Since that time in North Carolina alone, many farmers have experienced success with Tilapia culture utilizing indoor recirculating systems.

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Perciformes
Family: Cichlidae
Genera
Oreochromis A. Günther,1889
Sarotherodon W. P. E. S. Rüppell, 1852
Tilapia Smith, 1840 (Tilapia, Wikipedia)

The family Cichlidae is characterized by long dorsal fins, with some varieties being brightly colored. This group includes many popular aquarium fish. Tilapia is native to Africa and Asia, but has been distributed heavily, worldwide. The tilapias are second only to carps in popularity as a finfish culture species worldwide. This group has only very limited production in the US (like carps), though interest in tilapia culture in the US is growing.


Tilapia, photographed at Brunswick Community College Aquaculture facility (North Carolina


Tilapia
Tilapias are a tropical species, which die when exposed to water temps below 55ºF. This, along with regulatory hurdles, has contributed to the lack of commercial culture in the USA.

Despite the lack of domestic production, tilapia is now the second most widely marketed cultured warmwater fish in the USA (behind channel catfish). About 85% of the filets sold in this country originate from foreign aquaculture operations.
American Tilapia Association and Marketing of Tilapia in the USA

Most domestic tilapia are produced in indoor recirculating systems, then sold to live markets. Prices of live tilapia have plummeted to as little as $0.90/lb, due to overproduction for this limited market. This price falls below the break-even price for most US producers. There has been some recovery, but prices of $1.50/lb and higher are probably gone for good.

Some producers have switched to alternative species, while others have tried to enlarge their facilities (economies of scale) utilizing improved technology to lower production cost. Marketing plans for may include processing tilapia into filets to compete with overseas producers, and emphasizing on freshness and quality.

Culture Species
There are three genera under the common name of tilapia.

Tilapia sp.
Tilapia (genus) includes three species that build nests on the substrate. Some of these species are cultured, but this genus does not include the major culture species.

Two others are Sarotherodon sp. and Oreochromis sp.
These are the mouthbrooders, the genera that brood eggs and newly hatched larvae within the mouth after eggs are laid.

Large-scale commercial culture of tilapia is limited almost exclusively to the culture of three species:
1. Oreochromis niloticus
2. Oreochromis aureus
3. Oreochromis mossambica

Of the three tilapia species with recognized aquaculture potential, the Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus, is by far the most commonly used species in fish farming.
From Tilapia Farming

The genus Oreochromis includes the three major culture species:

Nile tilapia (Oreochromis nilotica)

Nile Tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus

The Nile tilapia is a native of the Nile River, North African waters and Middle East. Sometimes called St. Peter's Fish, because it is also a native of the Sea of Galilee, and thought by some to be the fish Jesus multiplied to feed the masses at the Sermon on the Mount.

The Nile tilapia is likely the most widely cultured tilapia species. This species (or a hybrid with the blue tilapia) is most often cultured in recirculating aquaculture systems in the US.

Blue tilapia (Oreochromis aurea)

Blue Tilapia, Oreochromis aurea
Based on an image at Auburn University

Blue tilapia is the second most cultured, hybridized with Oreochromis nilotica. The blue tilapia breeds at a smaller size and earlier age than Nile tilapia (2-3 months vs. 5-6 months) and is more tolerant of high salinity and low temperature than many other species.

Various hybrids of blue tilapia and other tilapia species tend to be intermediate in tolerance of low temperature and high salinity.

Blue tilapia exhibits great skill at seine avoidance. It seeks out low spots and lies on its side during seining operations.

Black tilapia or Java tilapia. (Oreochromis mossambica)

Black Tilapia, Oreochromis mossambica
Based on an image from Zoozipcode
Like blue tilapia... black tilapia spawns at an early age (2-3 months). It is also relatively tolerant of high salinity.

A hybrid between the mossambica female and nilotica male is known to be fast-growing.

Other Notable Hybrids
spirulus x aurea: hardy cross that will live and grow in full-strength seawater.
mossambica x hornorum: cross which produce offspring with red flesh, and may contribute to improved marketing in some areas of the US, such as Florida.

Developing Countries and Tilapia
Tilapia are cultured in ponds in tropical and sub-tropical developing countries throughout the world. Various species and hybrids of tilapia have been widely introduced throughout South America, Africa and Asia by US Peace Corps, US Agency for International Development (USAID), British VSO, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (UNFAO) and a large number of non-government organizations.
Tilapia has become an important source of economical, but high-quality protein in places where it is needed most.

Tilapia are also produced in conjunction with hog and/or duck production in developing countries. Hog or duck pens are constructed alongside or even on stilts directly over the ponds. Waste may move directly into the ponds, providing organic fertilization spurring the production of plankton and benthic invertebrates which are hence eaten by the fish. Some tilapia will consume animal wastes directly.
See Use of organic residues in aquaculture. However, use of animal waste fertilizer is not a popular method in U.S. fish culture. The use of animal waste as a source of fertilizer or food for fish creates marketing problems, and naturally would be a source of public health concern.

Pond Production in the United States
Tilapia and its hybrids are used for forage species in ponds for largemouth bass and sometimes used as forage for catfish broodstock. Pond production of tilapia as food for human consumption is largely limited to the southern states, Florida, Texas and Southern California. Tilapia die when water temperatures fall below 55ºF, so with the exception of a few areas of the US, tilapia will not survive through the winter.

All-male tilapia or sterile hybrids are stocked in ponds to prevent breeding, which would result in overpopulation and stunting. Fingerlings are stocked during the spring in high density, which may range between 5,000-10,000 per acre. Very high production is possible in ponds (up to 10,000 lbs/acre) since tilapia are very tolerant of poor water quality associated with high daily feeding rates.

Disadvantages in Marketing Tilapia
Nearly all of the fish are harvested within a short period in late fall before water temperatures reach lethal levels. Processors and other buyers prefer a steady, year-round supply which creates a major problem with marketing. Tilapia have a tendency to pick up severe off-flavors associated with high feeding levels in ponds which also makes them difficult to market.

Tilapia Cage Culture
Tilapia have been successfully cultured in cages. There is no need for an all male population or sterile hybrids, since tilapia can not reproduce in large-mesh (1/2") cages. Eggs and milt fall through the bottom of the cage and are not picked up by mouth-brooders. In the US, these problems are increasingly being addressed by using tank culture methods in indoor, temperature-controlled water recirculation systems.

Recirculating Aquaculture Systems
"Tank Culture of Tilapia"
There have been substantial attempts to produce tilapia in indoor recirculating aquaculture systems, both in experimental settings and on a commercial scale by private industry. While tilapia production in these systems is technically feasible, most of the attempts at commercial production have been unprofitable and have failed. However, there are some success stories using this technology, and new ventures have arose in lieu of business failures. Many newer enterprises are attempting to avoid the pitfalls discovered during earlier attempts and some show promise, but for the time no established procedures exist for commercial tilapia culture. Eventually, with continued improvements, recirculating aquaculture systems may become a more visible segment in commercial industry.

Stocking rates in recirculating system tanks are planned as to limit the total number of lbs. of fish per gallon of water, thus the total amount of feed added each day. Most commercial systems limit fish to holding capacity (feeding rate of 2% of body weight/day) that ranges from 0.25 lbs/gallon to 0.8 lbs/gallon for tilapia. Tilapia can be stocked at such high density because they are generally tolerant of poor water quality. Attempts to grow other species at such high density, such as hybrid striped bass have shown little success.

Tilapia are able to withstand low DO concentrations coupled with high ammonia levels for varying periods of time (which also depends on temperature, pH, etc.) Generally, tilapia are more tolerant of such conditions than most cultured species. Since such conditions are encountered for short periods of time in recirculating systems, tilapia are an ideal species for this type of production.

Interest has developed in commercial recirculating systems for tilapia due to year-round temperature control, lack of off-flavor problems, and demand for live tilapia in large cities in the Northeast, Midwest and West Coast. For continued growth of tilapia production in recirculating systems, producers must find ways to compete effectively in fresh dressed and frozen tilapia. This places them in direct competition with commercial producers overseas, where production costs with ponds are far lower than production costs of U.S. recirculating systems. Domestic tilapia producers face competition from cheap foreign imports, which are similar to the problems faced by many other domestic manufacturers.

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World's Leading Source of Protein - Fish Products

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This past week it was mentioned during class the world's main source of protein comes from fish products, and a significant percentage of that, comes from Aquaculture. Some interesting Protein, Fish and Aquaculture statistics on Google.

Advancing international cooperation for sustainable fishing, improved livelihoods and fair trade policies
Fish is the fastest growing source of food in developing countries. It is the primary source of animal protein for about one-sixth of the world's population -- and often the only source of protein for millions of the world's poor. Fishers in developing countries are among the poorest of the poor and fishing is often the only way out of poverty and malnutrition for them.
Meanwhile, across the world, demand for fish has doubled in the last 50 years, and production would have to double again in the next 25 years to keep up with population growth. The number of people in the world increases every year by 80-90 million, most of them in developing countries. Demand, which has risen at twice the rate of human population growth since 1961, has greatly exceeded supply and the problem is growing.
However, the world's fisheries are in crisis -- the result of unsustainable fishing practices. The problem is huge. More than 25 per cent of the world's fisheries are overexploited, 50 per cent are being fished to their full capacity and 75 per cent need immediate action to freeze or reduce fishing to ensure future supplies. World fishery production is now more than six times that of 1950.
Continued overfishing threatens global food security, impoverishes coastal communities and degrades ecosystems. It also threatens the economies of developing countries, for many of which fish are one of their few exports and foreign currency earner. Over 70 per cent of all fish exports are sourced from developing countries and this proportion is rising.
worldfishcenter.org

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Protein: Moving Closer to Center Stage
Until recently, protein got little attention. Like a quiet child in a classroom of rowdies, it was often overshadowed by fat, carbohydrates, and vitamins. That's changing. Lately there's been an explosion of interest in protein, largely triggered by high-protein diets for weight loss.

Surprisingly little is known about protein and health. We know that adults need a minimum of 1 gram of protein for every kilogram of body weight per day to keep from slowly breaking down their own tissues. That's about 9 grams of protein for every 20 pounds. Beyond that, there's relatively little solid information on the ideal amount of protein in the diet, a healthy target for calories contributed by protein, or the best kinds of protein.

Around the world, millions of people don't get enough protein. Protein malnutrition leads to the condition known as kwashiorkor. Lack of protein can cause growth failure, loss of muscle mass, decreased immunity, weakening of the heart and respiratory system, and death.
Harvard University

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State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2002
Of the estimated 89 million tonnes of fish produced in 2000 in the world, excluding China, nearly 71 percent (63 million tonnes) was used for direct human consumption.

Fish consumption
The total food fish supply for the world, excluding China, has been growing at a rate of about 2.4 percent per annum since 1961, while the population has been expanding at 1.8 percent per annum. Since the late 1980s, however, population growth outside China has occasionally outpaced the growth of total food fish supply, resulting in a decrease in per capita fish supply from 14.6 kg in 1987 to 13.1 kg in 2000 (Figure 2). For China, the corresponding annual increases are 6.4 percent for food fish supply since 1961 and 1.7 percent for the population (Figure 9). Annual growth was steady until the mid-1980s (at 3.8 percent from 1961 to 1985) and then suddenly trebled over the following 15 years (10.8 percent from 1985 to 2000).
Source: FAO.org

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Sodium Thiosulphate

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Water companies began adding Chloromites to tap water which is poison to fish. Sodium thiosulphate is used to get rid of Chloromites in tap water.

Sodium thiosulphate
Chloramine==Ammonia?

Use a standard sodium thiosulfate declorinator for both chlorine and chloramine. However, for chloramine use it double strength. Some (and I am being cagey here) products designated to neutralize chloramine are known by their manufacturers to be toxic to fish at concentrations higher than that recommended on the bottle. ie, you have to be fairly precise. The old standard however is very forgiving. No one advertises this as it is likely to hurt sales. Moderate plant growth will take care of any excess ammonia released by the application of sodium thiosulfate to chloramine.
Declorinators (like thiosulfate) will break the chlorine + ammonia bond and set the ammonia free (so as I am told). This replaces toxic choraimine with potentially toxic ammonia. Now, extra thiosulfate will handle the free clorine. So, that leaves the ammonia...

The concentration of the released ammonia will be related to the concentration of the original chloramine. The resultant ammonia concentration is something similar to the chloramine concentration. So, I think we are talking about 1 to 2 ppm (mg/l) of ammonia (to be diluted according to the % water change). For 50 % change you can have 1 ppm of ammonia. The amount of this that is toxic to fish will depend mostly on pH but also on temperature. (There is an equilibrium between toxic NH3 and non-toxic NH4). Worst case is high pH and high temperature. At 8.5 pH and 86 deg, 20 percent would be toxic NH3 (~ 0.2 ppm). This is a lot and roughly corresponds to lethal dose for 1-hr exposure.
• Ideally fish should be diagnosed by an authorised or qualified technician.
• Carefully calculate dose rates according to manufacturers label.
• Remember that some chemicals may not be approved for use with fish that are for human consumption.

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Biological vs Mechanical Filters

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Here's something interesting I learned this week in Aquaculture Practicum, from John (BCC Instructor).

A biological filter contains bacteria which convert ammonia to nitrite and nitrobactor converts nitrite into nitrate. Nitrate is plant fertilizer, which is much less toxic than nitrite.

Ammonia occurs naturally in the environment. A small amount of ammonia is generated when lightning strikes and reaches earth in rainfall. But most ammonia is produced by bacteria in water and soil as an end product of plant and animal waste decomposition. It is found in relatively low nontoxic concentrations in soil, air, and water and provides a source of nitrogen for plants.
In soils and water ammonia will go through many complex biochemical transformations. These transformations constitute what is commonly known as the nitrogen cycle.
Ammonia in Water
Water reacts with ammonia to form ammonium and hydroxide ions. Ammonia is often referred to as “unionized ammonia”. Ammonia is toxic to aquatic organisms but ammonium is non-toxic. There exists an equilibrium in water between the toxic ammonia and the non-toxic ammonium. The equation shifts back and forth depending upon existing or introduced environmental changes.
NH3 (aq) + H2O (l) NH3 · H2O (aq) NH4 + (aq) + OH - (aq)
(Ammonia in water) (ammonia+water) (ammonium + hydroxide ions)
The dynamic equilibrium between NH3 and NH4 + is affected by water temperature and pH (acidity). At a pH of six the ratio of ammonia to ammonium is 1 to 3000 but decreases to 1 to 30 when the pH rises to eight (becomes less acidic). Warm water will contain more toxic ammonia then cooler water. When sampling water for ammonia analysis both the temperature and the pH of the surface water body must be measured at the same time the water samples are collected. (See “Ammonia, pH and Temperature Calculator”)
If ammonia is directly spilled into surface water or if water used by a fire department to depress an ammonia vapor cloud is allowed to reach surface water, aquatic life can be harmed. Even at a concentration of 0.02 mg/L (48 hour LC50) unionized ammonia is lethal to some sensitive freshwater fish. That equates to about ½ a cup of unionized ammonia in one million gallons of water. Ammonia is also highly toxic to freshwater invertebrates having a 48-hour LC50 of 0.66 mg/L for Daphnia magna . Again, water contaminated with fertilizer ammonia should not be allowed to enter any storm drains, rivers, drainage ditches, wetlands or lakes.
From Ecological Effects of Ammonia

A mechanical filter stops all solids.


Biological Filters

John explains this is both a biological and mechanical filter

Biological Filter

Mechanical Filter
From What Is A "Biological Filter"?
By Stan and Debbie Hauter
Your Guide to Saltwater Aquariums.
The biological filter in a saltwater aquarium is nothing more than a place for bacteria to grow. Any surface in an aquarium which comes in contact with tank water and the nitrobacter & nitrosomona bacteria species that you created when you cycled the tank is part of your bilogical filter. The velocity of the water passing over the bacteria also affects the efficiency of the biological. The faster the water moves over the bacteria, the more efficient it is, up to the point where the bacteria is being stripped from the filter surface.
The efficiency (strength) of a biological filter is determined by its surface area and the amount of water passing over it. Some filter medium are more efficient than others. Aquarium glass surface area aside, here are the most popular biological filtration methods:

Canister Style Filters come in many different styles and sizes and can also be multifunctional.
Live Rock / Berlin Systems are the filters of choice for many SW aquarium purists.
Live Sand / Jaubert Systems are also very popular with many reef aquarists.
Undergravel Filters are among the first biological filters created for SW aquarium hobbyists.
Wet / Dry Trickle Filters were the next step after the UGF to dramatically improve efficiency.
Biological Filtration Polls show you which biological filters are popular with other habbyists.
Choosing Your Biological Filter Material shows you which materials are more efficient.
Knowing how each biological filter works and what it requires will make Choosing a Filtration System In 5 Easy Steps much easier.

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Lowering pH Levels in Water

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As a follow-up to my earlier post, on pH levels and water

Water samples which indicate a high pH level when tested, could be adjusted by straining water through peat. The instructor at BCC compared it to "tea," which is dark, but safe for fish. Added to the aquarium, the pH level was brought down within a safe range.

Here's John straining the brackish water.

Large debris are removed by hand, then strained through a fine net tightened down with a bungee cord (pulley) on a large bucket.


Brackish water, (low pH solution added to one of the empty tanks). John (instructor of Aquaculture Practicum at BCC) warned it wouldn't be good for fish to be swimming in their tank and suddenly the pH drops an entire point, so the transition is accomplished gradually.

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2007 NC Aquaculture Development Conference

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2007 NC Aquaculture Development Conference
http://www.ncaquaculture.org/2007agenda.html
http://www.ncagr.com/aquacult/
Annual Meeting Planned in conjunction with the 2007 NC Aquaculture Development Conference Feb 9-10 2006.
The North Carolina Aquaculture Association is a private non-profit corporation formed in 1991. Its purposes are to provide support through promotion, marketing, and other beneficial acts to strengthen, expand, and diversify the industries of freshwater and marineaquaculture in North Carolina
Subject to prior approval, the Association may take a position and press an opinion on issues directly and generally affecting the aquaculture industry.
http://www.agr.state.nc.us/aquacult/NCAA.html

Friday Feb. 9, 2007
8:00 Registration and Trade Show open

9:00 Introduction and Welcome
Michael Twiddy, NCSBTDC

9:15 State, National, and International Overview
Dr. Tom Losordo NCSU

9:45 State Aquaculture Research Update.
Dr. Craig Sullivan, Professor, NCSU
Dr. Wade Watanabe, Research Professor UNCW

10:15 Break- Visit our Trade Show

10:45 The Latest Developments in Pond Aquaculture
Dr. Les Torrans-USDA-ARS, Stoneville MS

11:10 Coastal NC Aquaculture Effluent Challenges
Dr. Harry Daniels-NCSU

11:30 The NC Agricultural Cost Share Program and Aquaculture
Natalie Jones

11:45 Break-Visit the Trade Show

12:00 Lunch

1:00 Keynote Speaker: Dick Jones, Seafood Purchaser, HEB "The Future of Aquaculture in the Retail Sector"

1:30 Break-Visit the Trade Show

2:00 The Future Role of Sea Grant in Aquaculture- Dr. Michael Voiland

2:30 Update on Prawn Culture
Mike Frinsko- NC Cooperative Extension

2:45 Break-Visit the Trade Show

3:15 National Aquatic Animal Health Update
Dr. Gary Egrie - USDA APHIS

3:35 Cormorants and Bird Control on Fish Farms
Greg Ellis - USDA/APHIS/Wildlife Services

3:55 North Carolina Oyster Hatchery Program
Joanne Harcke- NC Aquarium

4:15 NC Marine Fisheries View of Commercial Aquacutlure
Craig Hardy- NCDMF

4:30 Adjourn

4:45 NC Aquaculture Association Meeting

6:00 Social

6:30-9:30 Aquafood Festival

Saturday Feb. 10, 2007 Concurrent Workshops

Refinements in Pond Aquaculture
9:00-10:30 Dr. Les Torrans
National Warmwater Aquaculture Center
Stoneville, Miss.

Shellfish and Marine Aquaculture
9:00 North Carolina's Oyster Hatchery Program.
Jo Anne Harcke, N.C. Aquarium

9:30 North Carolina's Oyster Gardening Program. John Allison and John Zimmerman, Shellfish Gardeners of North Carolina

10:00 Remote Setting of Oysters.
Jim Swartzenberg, J&B Aquafood

10:30 Developments in Culture of Black Sea Bass in North Carolina.
Troy Rezek. UNCW

11:00 Non-Typical Culture Potential: Bryozoans. Dr. Niels Lindquist, University of North Carolina Institute of Marine Sciences

Startup Guide to Aquaculture
Presented by Mike Frinsko, Steve Gabel, and Matt Parker
8:00 Hybrid Striped Bass Culture

8:45 Catfish Production

9:30 Break

9:45 Freshwater Prawn Production

10:30 Crawfish Production

Saturday Industry Tour*
Tour #1- Circle-G Farms -Tilapia Barn, Saulston NC
- DJ&W Shrimp Farm- Kenly NC
Tour #2- Castle Hayne Fisheries, Hybrid Bass, Aurora, NC
- One Fish Two Fish Catfish Farm. Chocowinity NC

*Maps and more information about the tours will be provided in conference registration packets

Registration
http://www.acteva.com/go/ncaquaculture
Full Conference Registration Late
Price: $125.00 Processing: $0.00 Total: $125.00

Full Student Registration
Includes Aquafood Festival, Must show valid ID
Price: $45.00 Processing: $0.00 Total: $45.00

Preconference Recirc Workshop Only
Price: $225.00 Processing: $0.00 Total: $225.00

Student Preconference Recric Workshop
Price: $125.00 Processing: $0.00 Total: $125.00

Preconference Recirc Workshop AND Full Conference Registration
Price: $250.00 Processing: $0.00 Total: $250.00

Student Preconference Recric Workshop and Full Conference Registration
Price: $170.00 Processing: $0.00 Total: $170.00

Trade Show Booth
Includes One Full Conference Registration
Price: $275.00 Processing: $0.00 Total: $275.00

Conference Presentations Only
Does NOT include Aquafood Festival
Price: $75.00 Processing: $0.00 Total: $75.00

Aquafood Festival Only
Price: $35.00 Processing: $0.00 Total: $35.00

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Pond Construction

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These shots were of the ponds out back of the Brunswick Community College Aquaculture Center, unfortunately none developed too well. Obviously, the settings on my camera were wrong. I use a Canon PowerShot S3 IS Digital Camera which normally captures high resolution, widescreen images with great color, but not this particular day. I'll try in the next days to capture some color corrected shots of the BCC ponds. I felt this is important, regarding my last post on Aquaculture Myths, such as the realities "Running a fish farm requires hard physical work and can be stressful," "Farming is the best background for getting into fish farming. Basic farming skills like operating a tractor, equipment repair, and welding are needed," and soforth.
The size of land to accomodate such ponds and the labor involved is intensive and insight into what's involved with an Aquaculture operation. Dr. Holland (BCC) expressed a bit of humor with the people who presume they'll build (and/or start) a fish farm in their backyard. It simply doesn't work that way as you can see from these shots.







Here are the better photographs, as promised!

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(+/-) 858 K 2816 x 2112 px

(+/-) 572 K 2816 x 2112 px

(+/-) 820 K 2816 x 2112 px

(+/-) 677 K 2816 x 2112 px

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