Ranching, cages, net pens...

Aquaculture MB-713
Dr. Pirzada Jamal Siddiqui
As traditional aquaculture and fishing practices
have increases, so have the needs for alternatives.
Cage culture, ocean ranching and net pens have come under
intensive development recently.
 Cage Culture

““is
is the
the cultivation
cultivation of
of fish
fish in
in existing
existing
water
water resources
resources such
such asas farm
farm ponds,
ponds,
mining
mining pits
pits or
or barrow
barrow pits
pits using
using small
small
to
to large
large cages
cages or
or net
net pens”
pens”
 Advantages
• One of the only ways to grow fish for sale
in large, deep ponds, or lakes.
• If ponds are owned then relatively low
start-up costs.
• Good way to learn aquaculture at a small
scale.
 Disadvantages
• Water quality may be harder to manage
• Higher potential for disease outbreak
• Vandalism is easier
 Site Selection
• At least one surface acre
• Average depth of 4 ft.
• No more than 10 acre watershed per
acre of water.
• No direct access by livestock
• No chronic problems with weeds.
• No silt or pesticide runoff.
 Cage Considerations
• Investment • Design – Materials
• Management Aid • Harvest
– Observation • Overwintering
– Feeding
– Treatment
 Cage Construction

• Floatation
• Mesh
– 1/8 to 1/4 for Phase I (1-2”)
– 3/4 for Phase II (6-8”)
• Feeding Ring
 Water Quality

• Temperature • Turbidity
– 70ºF+ – Around 24”
• Dissolved Oxygen • Alkalinity
– 4 ppm+ – 40 ppm+
• Nitrites • Ammonia
– <10ppm – <1ppm
• pH 6.5-9.0
Cage
Cage Placement in Pond
Cages should be placed where water
can move freely between cages and
circulate away from immediate area
of cages.
 Stocking Phase
• Stock 1-3 in. fingerlings.

• Stock when water temperature is >55oF.

• Stock around 25-35 fingerlings per ft3.

Stocking Advanced Fingerlings
• In the Midwest need to stock AT LEAST a
6” fingerling with an 8 in. fingerling
preferred.
• Stock when water temperature is >55oF.
• Stock 6-8 fingerlings per ft3.
 Feeds
• Advanced Fingerlings
• Juveniles – Floating pellets
– Non floating – 36% CP acceptable
– Crumble size particle
– 40% CP or greater
 Feeding
• Juveniles
– Feed often and plenty
– Hand feeding or automatic feeders
• Advanced Fingerlings
– Morning and afternoon best
– Hand feeding...
advantageous, but slow
 Management
• Grading of fingerlings
• Predator Control
• Weed Control in Ponds
• Algae Control on Cages
 Diseases
• Columnaris early in the season or from handling
stress.
• Gill Flukes
• Cannibalism among some small fish an issue.
 Harvesting
• If fish are stocked in April,
then should be market size
by late October (for HSB).
• Forewarned is forearmed…
Be prepared!!
• Dropping of nets and other equipment 
smothers organisms and physically alter the
habitat
• Escaped farm-raised fish
 Drive some species to
extinction due to competition for food
and shelter
 Disruption of ecological
process 
Threat to biodiversity
• Salmon and shrimp farming  negative
ecological impact
• Salmon and Shrimp • Mollusk farming:
Farming: Intensive Clams & oysters
aquaculture  filters the water 
overcrowding  poor Cleaner water
water quality
 In August 2000, more than 32,000 Atlantic salmon
escaped from net pens in Johnstone Strait off
northeastern Vancouver Island.

• Net pens are cheaper to operate

• Provides needed year-round employment in coastal
areas hard hit by a downturn in logging
• A money maker (Economy goes up)
• There is no escape prevention (Government standards
do not protect the ocean and marine life)
 In Flour Bluff, Texas, there are 6 mariculture
ponds which are homes to crustaceans. That includes
everything from indoor tanks to greenhouse-enclosed
"raceways" & open-air ponds where large numbers of
juvenile shrimp are placed for their final growth.

• To protect the environment and living organisms

• To achieve sustainability
THE BEST SOLUTION:
• Replace net cages with closed-loop
containment systems
- Complete separation of wild & farm
environments
- No pollution in the local environment
- Zero escapes
- More efficient use of food
OTHER SOLUTIONS:
• Use native salmon only (prohibit the use of
exotic species)
• Educate aquaculture companies and to
raise awareness
• Hype up the mollusk farming (safer)
• Escape prevention programs