Freshwater Aquaculture

A Functional Approach

Biplab Kumar Bandyopadhyay

• Publisher: CRC Press
• Year: 2022
• Print ISBN: 9781032291703
• eBook ISBN: 9781000608304
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Biological Sciences
• Subtopic: Biology
• Index: Biological Sciences

Freshwater Aquaculture – the study of breeding, rearing and commercialization of organisms, fish in particular, which inhabit in fresh water. Even though there remains some fragmentary information regarding the history of development of aquaculture in India but those seem to be far from being complete. In the present communication, the same has been given elaborately. The book concentrates on the culture technology of commercially important fresh water fishes.

Various types of culture techniques including Aquaponics, Bioflocs, Recirculatory Aquaculture Systems (RAS) apart from the conventional Cage culture, Pen culture, Integration of fish culture with other crops viz. paddy, vegetables, dairy, piggery, poultry etc. have been dispensed in detail.

Note: T&F does not sell or distribute the Hardback in India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

CHAPTER 1 AQUACULTURE: TYPES

1. INTRODUCTION

Aquatic farming is one of the oldest farming practices in the world. It is believed that the Egyptians were probably the first in the world to initiate culture practices of the aquatic fauna (Fish) as far back as 2500 B.C. which are available in the pictorial engravings of an Egyptian tomb where in tilapia fish (?) was shown to been fished out from a pond.

In India, the aquaculture practice is perhaps much older than those of the Egyptians since the documentations on the subject are also mentioned in Vedas & Upanishadas which are existed between 4000-2500 BC. There are references to fish culture in Kautilya’s Arthasahastra (321-300 B.C) and king Someswara’s Manasoltara (1127A.D) (Kumar and Sharma, 2012). In the “Kishkinda Khand” section of the Hindu epic “Ramayana” there are interesting references to fish in water in the lines: “Jal Sankoch Bikal Bhai Meena; Abodh Kutambi Jimi Dhanabeena,” (which means, due to paucity of water in the pond, especially in summer, the fishes are in distress like a foolish householder who is in distress for want of money). And further, “Sukhi meena je neer to Agodha Jimi Hari Saran Na Akakum Badha” that means, fish which are in deep waters are as happy as a man under God’s sheltering care, (Jhingran, 1983).

The traditional practice of fish culture in small ponds of eastern India is known to have existed for even more than hundred years.

Fishes are defined to be the first vertebrates in the evolution of animal kingdom. Fishes are cold blooded aquatic vertebrates which breathe by means of pharyngeal gills, propelling and balancing themselves by means of fins (Jhingran, 2000).

Fish is an essential protein rich item in every one’s day to day food dish in majority of the states. The supply of cultured fresh water fish though is at its increasing trend, but the demand perhaps seem to be much more. Aquaculture is the farming of aquatic organisms by intervention in the rearing process to enhance production. Aquaculture has a long history, originating at least in the year 475 B.C. in China, but became important in the late nineteen-forties, since the methods of aquaculture could be used to restock the waters as a complement to natural spawning (Boyd and Tucker, 1998).

Definition of Fisheries: Fisheries may be defined as the culture, capture and conservation of commercially important aquatic organisms. This includes both aquatic animals like fishes, molluscs (clams, oysters etc.), arthropods (crabs, prawn and shrimps etc.), plants (aquatic weeds, macrophytes etc.).

In India, the excessive price of this protein rich item coupled with the gap of demand and supply vis-à-vis comparatively less production, poses a great concern to the state governments. It may be inferred in this context that the less production from the local water bodies West Bengal in particular is subject to two possible reasons:

1. There is a shortage of technological knowledge pertaining to the various management practices involved in culture,
2. Socio-economic and socio-political problems & interventions.

Aquaculture is the fastest growing food-producing sector in the world, with an average annual growth rate of 8.9% since 1970, compared to only 1.2% for capture fisheries and 2.8% for terrestrial farmed meat production systems over the same period. World aquaculture has grown tremendously during the last fifty years from a production of less than a million tonnes in the early 1950s to 59.4 million metric tons (mmt)by 2004. This level of production had a value of US$70.3 billion or more. The diseases and deterioration of environmental conditions often occur and result in serious economic losses.

Global production of fish from aquaculture, grew more than 30 percent between 2006 and 2011, from 47.3 million tons to 63.6 million tons. It is estimated that by 2012 more than 50 percent of the world’s food fish consumption will come from aquaculture, and is expected to overtake capture fisheries as a source of edible fish. This growth rate may be attributed to several factors:

1. Many fisheries have reached their maximum sustainable exploitation,
2. Consumer concerns about security and safety of their food,
3. The market demand for high-quality, healthy, low-calorie, and high-protein aquatic productsand,
4. Aquatic breeding makes only a minimum contribution to carbon dioxide emission (Cruz et al., 2012).

Indian aquaculture is an important economic enterprise and contributes to about 1.3% of national inland production (GDP) and the annual growth rate is 8%.

In India 2,319 species of fin fish have been recorded of which 838 from freshwater, 113 brackish water and 1,368 from marine environment.

West Bengal contains 239 species belonging to 147 genera, 49 families and 15 orders of freshwater fishes. Since West Bengal is one of the eight maritime states lying on the north eastern coast of our country, some marine or estuarine fishes are also found along with the freshwater fishes in this state.

Definition of Aquaculture: Aquaculture refers to the breeding, rearing, and harvesting of plants and animals in all types of aquatic environments (i.e. aquatic both lotic [flowing] & lentic [standing]) environments including rivers, ocean as well asponds and lakes.

Aquaculture-produces food fish, sport fish, bait fish (Bait fish are small fish caught for use as bait to attract large predatory fish) particularly game fish e.g., marinebait fish are anchovies gudgeon. Freshwater bait fish include any fish of the minnow or carp family (Cyprinid etc.), ornamental fish, crustaceans, mollusks, algae, sea vegetables, and fish eggs.

The principal target of aquaculture is:

1. To produce easily digestible animal protein for the mankind,
2. Economic upliftment of the concerned family, and
3. To keep the aquatic eco-system pollution free.

Social values of Aquaculture

Water farming in contrast to soil farming: To restore the aquatic biodiversity and natural balance, replenishment of underground water, flood prevention, purification of waste water, small irrigation, cooling of environment, disaster management, easily digestible supply of animal protein, economic upliftment, perfect utilization of leisure of house wives and children. Besides oxygen supply, absorption of carbon-di-oxide and atmospheric dust particles, water farming supply enormous pleasure to the farmer members behind the scene. Some of the fishes very often also help in mosquito control.

Importance of Fish

1. Fish is highly nutritious, easily digestible, protein rich food.
2. Besides protein, the fish also contain various other necessary components.
3. Abundant quantity of vitamins, minerals, calcium, and iron are available in fish flesh.
4. There are plentiful marine weed fishes, which the mankind do not consume, are dried and converted to fish meal which is used as major component of the animal feed.
5. There are some larvivorous fish available in fresh waters which are cultured for prevention those are also considered as vectors of various diseases of mosquito larvae of various diseases. These fishes also rectify the water column by controlling various infectious diseases.
6. Fish is an easily digestible mineral and protein enriched aquatic animal. Fish also alleviate mental anxiety and maintain mental peace, entertainment and relief.
7. On average, fish provides only about 33 calories per capita per day. The dietary contribution of fish is more significant in terms of animal proteins, as a portion of 150 g of fish provides about 50–60 percent of the daily protein requirements for an adult.

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Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Half-Title Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication
• Table of Contents
• Preamble
• Acknowledgements
• 1. Aquaculture: Types
• 2. Soil and Water Quality for Aquaculture
• 3. 3 Diversification and Alternatives of Carp Culture
• 4. 4 Management of Nursery, Rearing and Stocking Ponds
• 5. 5 Sewage-Fed Freshwater Aquaculture: (With Special Reference to East Kolkata Wetlands a Ramsar Site)
• 6. 6 Fish Health Management
• References Cited