FISH FARMING TECHNOLOGY
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Tilapia: Miracle Fish (Part 2)
In the January edition of International Aquafeed, “Tilapia - Miracle Fish (Part 1)” feature on page 26, going into in-depth detail of the global farming of Tilapia. It explained that “Market opportunities for green growth and special quality tilapia produced using using sustainable intensification technologies should be viewed as an opportunity rather than a liability.” These green growth initiatives have been followed up in this article, Tilapia - Miracle Fish (Part 2) - it features an in-depth view in sustainable tilapia farming discussing aquaponic systems, hydraulic water-driven vertical farming systems and cage farming.
by Ramon Kourie, Chief Technical Officer, SustAqua Fish Farms (Pty) Ltd.,
Figure 1: Leading sustainably and responsibly farmed fish certification NGOs.
We all thought the sustainable seafood movement was limited to the EU and North American markets. Not so. The Global Seafood Ratings Alliance (GSRA) brings together 13 non-governmental organisations (NGOs) from around the globe each focused on improving the health of the world’s oceans and the fisheries they support by implementing programs that rate and promote sustainable seafood products.
The sustainable seafood movement is gaining traction outside of North America and the EU markets in South America, the Middle East, Australasia, South Africa and the greater part of Asia among more formal markets, supermarket multiples and restaurant chains. A common theme among seafood rating NGOs is the promotion of seafood consumer guides. These typically provide a list of best or recommended choices, best alternatives or lets “think twice”, and lastly an avoid list of fish species and/or sources guiding consumers away from unsustainable seafood choices. The “Seafood Watch Program” in the US and the “Good Fish Guide”, an initiative of the Marine Conservation Society (MCS) in the UK, have in addition embraced a more holistic approach in their seafood rating guides to include food safety and consumer protection, animal welfare and violations of labour standards through third party sustainably produced and responsibly farmed certification(s). The most prominent certification schemes include the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC), Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) and GLOBALG.A.P. Supplemented by Friend of the Sea add-on labelling. Globalisation and a wave of negative publicity in the net pen salmon farming sector in Canada and Chile, i.e. stock escapes, habitat damage, water pollution and algal blooms, has spilled over affecting the ratings of tilapia cage farming in the tropics. The Good Fish Guides advisory to consumers in the UK for instance is to make sure the tilapia they buy are Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) certified or originate from more sustainable Recirculation Aquaculture Systems (RAS). Sustainably forms the cornerstone of the “Good Fish Guide” guided by production methods which reduce negative environmental impacts (e.g. discharges, escapes, transfer of disease and parasites, habitat damage and water pollution or degradation) associated with other culture systems such as open net pen/cage culture and pond systems. Similarly, farmed tilapias raised in Recirculation Aquaculture Systems (RAS) worldwide have been ranked “Best Choice” by the Seafood Watch, an initiative of the Monterey Bay Aquarium, which aims to help consumers and businesses make ocean-friendly seafood choices using science-based recommendations. Conversely, tilapia originating from net pen or cage farms in pristine lakes whether in Indonesia or Guatemala ranks as “Good Alternatives” by the Seafood Watch Program. Although much of the best quality tilapia originates from net pen farming in pristine tropical lakes where the environmental costs are not counted nor passed onto consumers nor recovered by resident lakeshore communities, nor taxed by regulatory authorities. What is evident is that a well managed cage-farming operation which may acquire BAP or ASC certification subsequently might not score as the best seafood choice by the Good Fish Guide or by Seafood Watch. Clearly, in recent times the globalisation of the sustainability movement has begun to reward more sustainable fish farming operations commanding premiums for greener tilapia derived from more sustainable farming systems. Viewed either as a liability or opportunity, tilapia producers the world over, need to adapt to capture consumer trust and market share to access more rewarding local and international markets, or alternatively suffer relegation to less rewarding local informal markets in the developing world.
Green growth opportunities
To counter the deleterious environmental effects of aquaculture growth, expected to more than double by 2050 from 2012 production levels, the World Resources Institute (WRI) in 2014 issued a plea for aquaculture development to abide by a set of directives in their report entitled, “Improving productivity and environmental performance of aquaculture”. Increased investment in technological innovation and transfer, and the promotion of low-impact production systems, are 38 | February 2018 - International Aquafeed