Aquaculture is now one of the primary growing industries in the world and is an important source of protein and income for millions of people. With a growing demand for fish, aquaculture can provide a profitable option to wild fisheries and alleviate the strain on fish stocks. But, as with so many things in life, the key to fish farming success is more than just putting fish in a pond and letting them grow. Good management practices will be used to maximize growth rates, improve survival, and minimise disease outbreaks and create a profitable income.
Several fish farmers experience poor water quality, high mortality rate, less feeding program, etc. that create problems in their production. However, with careful planning and some successful aquaculture management approaches these challenges can be reduced. Every aspect of fish production, from appropriate pond setup, maintenance and use, to feeding, harvesting and selling, is important to pond success.
Seven best practices are discussed in this article which are available to the fish farmer in order to increase fish yields, fish survivability, and to realize sustainable aquaculture growth.
1. Choose the Right pond Cover Material
Good pond preparation is one of the biggest elements to successful fish farming. Farmers need to account for pond conditions that will facilitate good growth and survival prior to the addition of fish. The lack of proper pond maintenance can cause water quality issues, diseases and poor production.
The first step of the preparation process is the complete draining of the pond and the elimination of sediment, weeds and other exotic fish. Too much organic matter can break down and decrease the amount of oxygen available which doesn’t support the fish. Pond embankments should also be carefully looked for back-leaks and mended before filling the pond.
In addition to liming, pond preparation also requires another necessary planting practice which is known as canal cleaning. Lime enhances nutrient availability, stabilizes pH and improves water quality for agricultural production. Organic or inorganic fertilizer application may help to promote development of natural fish food organisms, like plankton, after liming.
Agricultural experts can provide detailed information on pond preparation techniques for farmers to learn about effective pond management and preparation practices. By adequately preparing the environment fish can be grown and management problems that typically occur during the production cycle are significantly removed.
2. Ensure Excellent Water Quality
Water quality management is surely the most important of all factors that can affect fish production and health. Fish cannot survive outside water, and are very sensitive to changes in water quality. An even slight change can cause stress, slow growth or increase mortality.
Regular monitoring of pertinent water quality constituents, including temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, ammonia, nitrite, and turbidity, is important for farmers. Dissolved oxygen is especially significant since fish need sufficient oxygen for their respiration and growth. Mass fish mortality can occur in a few days, when there is low oxygen.
Intensive production systems can be provided with aeration systems that enhance oxygen circulation. Excessive feeding should be avoided as it results in breakdown of the feed and can lead to poor water quality. Frequent water change promotes dilution and rebalancing of harmful chemicals and ensures optimum growing conditions.
Uniform water parameters lessen stress on fish and boost disease resistance. Regular checking can enable farmers to recognise if there is a potential issue before it starts to cause loss.
3. Choose Healthy Fingerlings and Practice Proper Stocking.
Fish quality is thus an important production factor affecting the result of fish-stocking into ponds. Healthy fingerlings have faster growth, better feed use efficiency and are more disease resistant. Therefore, it is crucial to get good quality fingerlings from a good hatchery to grow suitable aquaculture operations.
It is important for flowering farmers to examine fingerlings thoroughly prior to stocking for diseases, deformities, injuries and abnormal behavior. A fish should be responsive, active, alive and have no visible parasites/wounds. Care must be taken to avoid any undue stress when transporting; good packer handling methods and maintaining good O2 levels during transport.
There are other factors to take into account: stocking density. Excessive stocking may cause competition for food, kill off adequate oxygen, cause pollution in the water and allow disease to be passed on more easily. Overstocking is another option but may negatively influence production efficiency and profitability.
Producers know the size and fish species in their ponds, their desired production targets and management abilities, and they can use this information to determine proper stocking rates. Fingerlings are better acclimatized if they are first exposed over a period of time to the water in the pond before releasing. Good stocking densities emphasize that healthy fish require good fish start.
4. Plan a Structured Feeding Program
Feed is one of the major costs in fish production and can comprise more than half of costs. Hence, efficient feeding management is very important to get maximum feeding profit and to achieve desired fish growth.
Balanced diets with appropriate percentages of protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals are necessary for the fish. Requirements vary per species, age and growth stage. The high quality feeds formulated specifically for the species being cultured should be selected by the farmers.
Adhering to a set schedule of feeding the piglets improves the efficiency of feed use and better growth rates. Fish can be fed at the same times each day so that they will become used to eating at regular intervals. Frequency of feedings can vary depending on fish size; smaller fish take more frequent feeds than larger fish.
When feed is over fed the water becomes polluted due to breakdown of feed material and should be avoided. However, underfeeding would slow growth rate and hence decreased production. It is important to regularly watch the feeding habits and make necessary changes to the amount of feed. Proper feeding record bookkeeping makes it possible to assess the efficiency of feeding and take timely management decisions.
5. Improve Disease Prevention and Biosecurity Measures
Disease can cause large economic losses in a relatively short time, and an outbreak of disease can ruin fish-farming operations. With prevention, it’s always the better and cheaper option than treating after an illness happens. Biosecurity works to minimize the threat of pathogen introduction, and helps prevent outbreaks.
Access to production facilities should be restricted and strict hygiene measures followed. Properly disinfect and clean all equipment in ponds on a regular basis. Quarantine of new fish stocks before release into existing production units should be performed to ensure the risk of spread of infections is minimised and removed.
Regular fish behaviour has to be observed for early detection. If there are indications of decreased feeding habits, dislocated swimming behavior, skin diseases, color changes or unusual death rates, they will need to be followed at once. The sooner the condition is diagnosed, the more likely it can be treated successfully.
Good water quality and proper nutritional management also boost the immune system of fish and decrease susceptibility to disease. Managing the stress of fish is also important, as stressed fish are more susceptible to infections. A combination of biosecurity, monitoring and prophylactic health measures can contribute effectively to minimising production risks.
6. Keep track of fish growth and maintain records
It is important to ensure that information is accurate and that informed decisions are made for fish farming to be successful. Monitoring fish growth periodically will allow the farmers to check the performance of fish production systems and determine if there are complications to the process before they get serious.
Regular fish sampling can help fish producers to determine the average body weight, growth rates and health conditions of fish stocks. Growth monitoring is used to assess the effectiveness of feeding programs as well as if fish are achieving production targets. When growth rates are unexpectedly poor, the farmer can look at potential problems like nutrition, disease or water quality.
Like efficient farm management, record keeping is important. Farmers should record stocking dates, fingerling source, feed bought, feeding rate, water quality, feeding the medicine, stock and harvest date and records of loss. Remember, detailed record keeping information is valuable to know, and will help determine what may need improvement and where.
Good records also aid in financial management as they will enable farmers to determine the production costs, profitability, and return on investment. Historical data, if analysed over time, can be very useful for optimizing future production cycles and achieving maximum efficiency of operations.
7. Use Proper Harvesting and Post-Harvest Handling Techniques
Harvesting is the last step of production that directly impacts product quality and market value. Injuries can occur due to poor harvesting engagements or stress and loss of income can result after successful rearing of fish.
Farmers need to carefully consider when to harvest the fish as per market demand, fish size and environmental conditions. Best harvest time is in cooler parts of the day when fish are at least low-stress. The pond’s water levels may be lowered, which will allow no problem collection of fish.
Care must be exercised in handling fish to prevent physical damage, especially during the harvesting operation. Rough handling can result in bruising, scaling and the death of animals. Harvesting equipment can be used, if appropriate, but is essential to the efficient capture of fish.
Post harvest management is also important. Chilling must start from the commodities with fish to fresh market immediately after harvest so as to preserve quality and prolong the shelf life. Product freshness and customer satisfaction are maintained with the proper storage and transportation. The quality of fish in the market can play an important role in enhancing the farm profitability through better market prices for high quality fish products.
Conclusion
Aquiculture is a very promising venture for food preparation, employment generation and income generation. But, it is the effective management practice in the whole cycle of production that will promote long-term success. Proper pond preparation, water quality management, careful stocking and feeding practices, establishment of a feasible disease prevention program, effective methods for monitoring fish growth along with efficient methods of harvesting are all means for farmers to have consistent and profitable results.
All of these practices help produce healthier fish, increased survival, accelerated growth and increased production profitability. Aquaculture comes with its challenges, but by planning carefully and implementing best management practices, it is possible to minimize risks and boost return-on-investment.
Fish farmers who implement these successful practices will benefit from a successful aquaculture industry that meets the demand while operating in a sustainable and environmentally-friendly manner. Good management investment now results in fish farming enterprises that are resilient and yield long-term success and profitability.
