Aquaculture Aquaculture the controlled production of animals that

Aquaculture

Aquaculture • the controlled production of animals that normally live in water (fish farming) • three thousand year old practice started by the Egyptians and Chinese

Aquaculture • two types of water creatures • freshwater • saltwater

Aquaculture • animals raised for production may include • crustaceans (shrimp and crayfish) • mollusks (clams and oysters) • amphibians (frogs) • reptiles (alligators)

Aquaculture • fish provide a high quality high protein supply of meat • as with other agriculture animals humans soon discovered that by producing their own aquatic animals that the supply available to the consumer would be more dependable and easier to harvest

Aquaculture • commercial growth growing of fish • five million tons a year produced • demands of the consumer has increased

Aquaculture • aquatic animals are produced efficiently and economically • fish account for 12% of the meat consumed in the US

Fish Production • many advantages over other agricultural animals • 9 lbs. Feed for 1 lbs. Of gain for steer • 2 lbs. Feed for 1 lbs. Of gain a fish

Fish Production • fish are ectothermic (coldblooded) • this means less energy goes into maintaining a constant body temp

Fish Production • fish have a higher percentage of edible meat (up to 85%) • up to 6000 pounds fish can be raised on one acre

Fish Production • Problems in fish production • dissolved oxygen level must be maintained • shipping the meat (fish spoils quickly) • operations are labor intensive • operations are high risk

Fish Respiration • breathe oxygen • use gills to take oxygen from the water and put it to use in the bloodstream • gills act just as lungs do

Fish Respiration • The oxygen is put into the water through… • photosynthesis • process in which aquatic plants which releases dissolved oxygen into the water

Fish Respiration • directly from the sun penetrating the oxygen into the waves • aeration by crating waves

Fish Respiration • if the dissolved oxygen level falls below a certain point the fish may suddenly die (suffocate)

Commercially Grown • grouped into two categories • warm water • thrive in temps above 60 degrees • catfish and tilapia most popular in US

Cold Water • thrive in waters that are 70 degrees or less • Trout and Salmon most popular in the US

Catfish Production • most widely grown production fish in the US • smooth skin with no scales

Catfish Production • nearly 100, 000 metric tons produced each year at a value of $380 million • survive on lower levels of dissolved oxygen than most other production fish

Channel Catfish • mose widely used • Mississippi leads in channel cat production • raised in ponds less than 6 feet deep

Egg production • female catfish lay eggs in nests that are provided by the producer • eggs are collected and placed in tanks or jars in the hatchery

Egg production • eggs are moved back and forth by use of paddles in a wave-like action • fish eggs must be turned just as bird eggs are in order to hatch

Egg production • When small fish hatch (called fry) they are placed in tanks until they are about two inches long (then called fingerlings) • fingerlings are transferred into a pond or huge tank until they weigh two pounds

Egg production • fish are fed twice a day • fish are harvested using seines (large nets) • another method of raising production fish is using large submerged cages

Cages • advantages • fish may be inspected more closely • less feed is wasted • predator problems are solved • harvesting is easier

Tilapia Production • native to Africa • resemble our native sunfish • reproduce prolifically • grow rapidly

Tilapia Production • can survive high temp, low oxygen and overcrowded conditions • cannot survive in water below 50 degrees

Trout Production • considered the best tasting fish • high percentage of their body is edible meat • cold water fish

Trout Production • most trout are raised in concrete raceways where the water is constantly moving • moving water keeps the water cooler and keeps the dissolved oxygen level higher

Trout Production • disease control is easier in this environment

Salmon Production • cold water fish • raised in floating net cages that are anchored in bays of oceans • usually takes 18 -24 months to finish out the fish • harvested at 9 -11 pounds

Salmon Production • very meaty fish with a favorable taste • most salmon that is consumed is caught in the ocean rather than raised in captivity

Sport fishing • hatcheries stock lakes and streams • recreational fishing creates other industry • fishing tackle stores • boats

Sport fishing • guide services • restaurant, hotel and other stores near the water

Bullfrog Production • frog legs are considered a gourmet food • most frogs are raised in the wild • demand for frogs far exceed the supply

Bullfrog Production • attempts to raise bullfrogs in captivity have been unsuccessful for many reasons • 1. Animals are territorial • 2. Frogs only eat food that is alive, no processed food

Bullfrog Production • 3. Predators (raccoons and snakes) • research is still being done to find a way to raise bullfrogs for production purposes

Crayfish • Craw Dads, Crawfish, or Mud Bugs • Louisiana leads in crawfish production • 1000 pounds per acre can be produced

Crayfish • raised in large earthen ponds that are less than two feet deep • can be grown along with crops such as rice • crawfish are omnivorous (they eat both plants and animals)

Crayfish • main diet is decaying plants, worms and insect larvae

Alligator Production • alligators were hunted to a point near extinction • hides are very valuable • conservation efforts have brought the population back

Alligator Production • alligators are harvested at the age of 26 months of age and five to six feet long • hides are sold to make bags, boots, shoes and various other leather type goods

Alligator Production • skulls and teeth are also a hot commodity • meat is very tasty and is sold to restaurants

Alligator Production • process of raising alligators • females build nests from vegetation and mud and lay an average of 40 eggs each time

Alligator Production • producers remove the eggs from the nest to limit the loss to predators • eggs are marked so that the proper end will be in the right position to ensure a good hatch

Alligator Production • eggs are wrapped in hay and are kept moist • the hay contains a bacteria that breaks down the shell allowing the babies to break through the shell

Alligator Production • temperature is critical to determining the sex of the newborn alligator • temps above 93 degrees produce all males

Alligator Production • temps below 86 degrees produce all females • temp of 88 degrees produces an even mixture • alligators are fed fish, products from poultry industry

Alligator Production • carcasses of animals that are slaughtered for their fur only