Living in the Agricultural World #9"

1.What are the major cultivated fish species (e.g. salmon, tilapia, shrimp)?

Some of the familiar types of fish produced through aquatic culture include salmon, tilapia shrimp and other fin and shellfish. Fish such as salmon including Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) contains high nutrients and is usually consumed globally. Tilapia as referring to Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) Mozambique tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus) is well consumed all over the world especially in Asian and African countries because it grows fast in different environments and has good taste. Genuine shrimp such as Penaeus monodon and Litopenaeus vannamei have been considered a quality food product with excellent nutritional value and a strong market pull. Culturing of these species has been rampant and different methods of farming each species have been developed although a general tenet is to ensure that the water quality is enhanced in a way that is suitable for the species growth and breeding, feeding habits and minimizing stress all form the pillars of standard fish farming practices.

2. What ways do the species’ needs affect the production systems (e.g., water temperature, feed)?

Each type of fish is unique and requires different type of water temperature, feed and other environmental factors which greatly affect the development of aquaculture business. For instance, salmon are cold water fishes and thus, they have preference to water temperatures of between 10-18°C or 50- 64 °F. This, in effect, restricts their farming mostly to climatically favorable countries or offensive specialized recirculating aquatic feeds. On the other hand, tilapia has got a very high tolerance to water temperatures and can therefore be raised in different climates as are the tropical and subtropical climates.

There is another, quite significant factor among the species requirements, namely feed. Salmon require foods that are rich in protein and fats to supply energy for fast growth and to give them their red muscle colour. On the other hand, tilapia are capable of producing good feed conversion rate to the low cost feeds ingredients for the culture of fish. Feed formulation for different species has to be different due to the differences that exist in terms of nutritional requirements hence it may complicate the operations and be costly .

Nevertheless, other characteristics related uniquely to other species include salinity, pH levels, dissolved oxygen and light intensity that have to be respected in the management of aquaculture systems. For instance, some species need salty water and for such water, ponds or tanks containing sea water or mixture of sea water are needed. It is often difficult to maintain the right fabric in these parameters mainly because it entails a rigorous monitoring and managing of the environment factors, and this factor may consume a lot of resources and time.

3. What impact does culturing non-traditional species such as seaweed and shellfish have, both for the culture entrepreneurs and the environment?

Rearing non-conventional species like Seaweeds and Shellfish, though an advantage and a threat in the over all growth of aquaculture. Searweeds are more challenging when it comes to utilization because of the are made up of different taxonomic groups with require different growth conditions. There are varieties of seaweed some of which include red seaweeds like Nori (Porphyra spp.) brown seaweeds like Kombu (Laminaria japonica) are confined to cooler water and possess their own light and nutrient preferences. Thirdly, other species, such as the green algae Spirulina (Arthrospira spp.), are more adapted to warmer water with high nutrient input. Such differences require different systems of production and management that will enhance production and growth among potato farmers. Further, the post-harvest handling and processing of the seaweed species also differ, they may need special facilities and techniques.

However, in shellfish the requirement of knowledge of the life cycles and spawning activities are normally crucial to maintain stock in aquaculture. Wild stock enhancement programs are widely incorporated into shellfish production for restocking and restablishing productive wild stocks of shellfish. Given the relatively high dependence of shellfish on their environment and given the generally high sensitivity of shellfish to relatively small changes in water quality parameters, it is important to maintain optimal water quality parameters such as salinity, dissolved oxygen levels and so forth as may be appropriate for the particular species of shellfish grown. Shellfish also can also get affected by many diseases, which makes it important to accord them adequate biosecurity measures and health management.

However, culturing non-traditional species also has potential been observed as a way to expand and enrich, as well as bring sustainability into the development of aquaculture. For example, seaweed can be used as fattening agents or in production of fertilisers or it can be harvested for bioproducts such as medicines, creams, or plastics. Shellfish are well demanded and can be regarded as exotic products that can stimulate the economy and involve people into the production of such foods. Furthermore, these species unlike some of the finfish species may record lower feed conversion rates which is ideal in matters relating to resource utilization and the environment. In order to take these opportunities, research cooperation between research community, industrial players and policy makers would be inevitable in improving production methods, broadening the market horizons and filling the existing knowledge gap.
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