Fish Farming For Beginners

Planning A Fish Farm

Land, water and climatic conditions are probably the most important natural factors that need to be assessed. When developing a site for fish farming you should consider the effect it may have on the environment. Important natural areas (e.g. fish nursery grounds like mangrove forests) should not be used for fish farming.

One of the most essential requirements is water availability, in terms of quality and quantity. The type of aquaculture farm and species of animals or plants that you will be able to culture will depend largely on the properties of the site.

The risks involved in fish farming should also be stressed. Fish need protein in order to grow and reproduce. This means they can become competitors for products, which could otherwise be used directly for human consumption. Furthermore, the cost of production is fairly high and therefore fish grown in ponds are not always able to compete financially with fish caught in the wild.

Setting up a fish farm involves high initial investment and high production costs as well as economic risks. Therefore, there are some

very important factors a prospective fish farmer should consider before embarking on a fish farming venture (see figure 24). For example:

1 Gathering information:

Future fish farmers can often get assistance with starting up a fish farming enterprise in the form of technical advice from extension services. In some cases even financial support is provided.

2 Finance:

A cost estimate should include the cost of land as well as capital expenditures for fish stock, pond construction, labour, production and harvesting.

3 Site:

The soil must be able to retain water. Good water quality and sufficient quantity should be available at a reasonable cost. The site should be close to home and potential losses from stealing should be estimated. The ownership of the land, as well as the state or federal permits required, should be known and obtained. The site and roads should be passable and not subject to flooding.

4 Fish stock:

You need to decide whether to breed your own fish stock or purchase it from others. If you plan to buy from others you must have a reliable source of good quality fish stock. If you choose to breed on-site, then you must have adequate space for maintenance of brood stock and production of young fish.

5 Production:

Will the feed available for the selected fish species match this species preferences?

6 Harvesting:

Enough people should be available to harvest the fish. Find out what is the most economical method for harvesting. You may need storage facilities for harvested fish.

7 Consumption:

Will the fish be used for your own consumption or for selling?

Selecting the site and type of fish farm

Site Selection

Proper selection of a site is probably the most important factor for success. However, if the ideal site is not available, you may have to

compromise. There may also be conflicts concerning land and water use that need to be resolved. You should decide on which species to raise, based on the available feeds (e.g. agricultural by-products) and possible fertilisers (e.g. compost or animal manure).

Site selection will depend on the type of fish farm you plan to run. For pond construction you need to consider the following factors: soil type and quality and quantity of the water.

Soil

The quality of soil influences both water quality and productivity in a pond. The soil must also be suitable for dike construction. To determine soil suitability the two most important properties to examine are soil texture (particle size composition), and porosity or permeability (ability to let water pass through). The pond bottom must be able to hold water (have a low porosity, like clay) and the soil should also contribute to the fertility of the water by providing nutrients. The best soil for pond construction should contain a lot of clay.

The three methods one should follow to predict whether the soil will be suitable for pond construction are:

1 The ‘squeeze method’

2 The ground water test

3 The water permeability test

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