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Thanks to Leslie Ter Morshuizen for submitting this discussion.
Over the past few decades millions of Dollars and man-hours have been
allocated to uplift rural communities throughout Africa by means of
subsistence aquaculture projects. Well meaning though these attempts have
been, they have a pervasive common thread of ultimate failure. Does this
mean that community based aquaculture in Africa cannot work? Not at all,
but it does stress the importance of projects being appropriately designed
and executed if they are to succeed into the medium and long term.
It is now widely recognised at national and regional levels that aquaculture
CAN play an important role in food security in this desperately poor
continent; governments are developing aquaculture policies, funding agencies
are looking for projects to back, and technology and skills suppliers are
pushing their wares. However, with such a sad track record we need to
ensure that such projects are sustainable into the future. Aquaculture does
not need its' reputation tarnished with more failed projects, communities
need to be uplifted in a sustainable manner and limited funding should not
be wasted.
The traditional model of a subsistence aquaculture in a community owned
pond, or group of ponds, that is supplied with fish from a state owned
hatchery and supported by state funded extension officers, can only work as
long as the extension and support functions remain present with adequate
capacity. Change in governance or the funding appetite quickly erodes the
sustainability of these projects, which then spiral into dormancy.
What then is an appropriate model for community based aquaculture projects?
Aquaculture needs to be operated as a business. This is the vital first
step towards giving the venture the best possible chance of success. The
size of the venture may be important in certain instances where a critical
mass is required to penetrate selected markets, but there are many instances
where micro and medium sized ventures are appropriate. Every business needs
a market and the venture must be focused on supplying specific markets that
already exist, where the competing products can be expected to be replaced,
at least partially, with cultured fish.
Government has no role to play in the farming of fish, but certainly has the
ability and responsibility to create an enabling environment in which the
aquaculture venture can flourish. Funding will be required by people who
often do not have adequate security to access commercial loans and the state
can perform a vital role by providing risk capital in the form of low
interest loans to suitable candidates. Legislation should promote
aquaculture development.
A specific model that holds much promise for aquaculture development in
Africa is the Satellite Grower concept. These should be designed so that
the technical skills for aquaculture primarily exist within the hub, which
is also the technically competant and experienced commercial partner. The
rearing of the fish requires fair amounts of space and manpower, but is
relatively less demanding in terms of practical skills, making it suitable
for out sourcing to less experienced entities as growers. Once the fish
attain market size they are sold collaboratively, enabling the best prices
to be obtained and maintaining a healthy market share. Furthermore, bulk
buying of supplies means that all benefit from the lower prices obtained
through leverage, and production losses of fish by one Satellite Grower are
carried by the group without affecting the supply to the market.
This is one example where communities can participate sustainably and
profitably in aquaculture.
Events
A reminder of the final aquaculture event taking place this year.
12 - 16 November Practical Aquaculture Course, Aquaculture Academy,
Grahamstown. Contact Jen Groom jen@aquaafrica.co.za
<mailto:jen@aquaafrica.co.za> for more information. Bookings close next
week Wednesday 31.10.07.
Products & Services available from Aquaculture Innovations
Aeration Diffusers These diffusers are efficient and provide large numbers
of small bubbles at a low resistance.
Aquaculture Manuals We offer a range of manuals on various aspects of
aquaculture. These manuals serve as a first introduction to the topics they
cover, to assist new-comers in determining which branch of aquaculture
interests them and how to proceed.
Aquaculture Textbooks are available on a wide range of topics including
Tilapia Farming, Earth Pond Management, Disease Management and Cage
Aquaculture, and can access textbooks on virtually any topic.
Aquaculture Training Course A two-day Course is offered to provide a broad
but detailed overview of the industry, and includes topics such as Global
Aquaculture Production, Infrastructure Options, Species being Farmed, Water
Quality and its' Management, Health Management, Legislation, Environmental
Considerations and the Economics associated with several stylised production
models. This Course is aimed at the entrepreneur who is considering an
investment in the industry and requires additional information on what is
involved and how to proceed. The Course continues to be of benefit to
Extension Officers, Municipal Authorities, Legislative Authorities and staff
on Fish Farms.
Aquaspawn We supply a hormonal compound for the final ripening of fish in
order to get them to spawn successfully.
Artemia We import 454g tins of 85% hatch rate artemia cysts from the Great
Salt Lakes in the USA. These artemia are very small at hatching and
therefore suitable as a first food for marine fish and freshwater fish with
small larvae.
Bead Filters We have developed a range of bead filters which we use in our
own production facility and sell to other aquaculturalists.
Consulting With 9 years Consulting experience in 7 countries, and having
visited aquaculture operations across 17 countries, Leslie Ter Morshuizen is
well positioned to assist entrepreneurs and companies considering investing
in this industry with guidance on how to proceed. In this regard we assist
with Site Selection, Species Selection, Financial & Biological Viability
Analyses, Cash Flow Analysis, Production Protocol and Audits on existing
operations to improve efficiency.
Ram Pumps Ram pumps operate using the kinetic energy in falling water, and
as such require no electricity or fuel for their operation. This combined
with their simple construction and high reliability, make them highly suited
to use in remote situations.
Contact Jen Groom jen@aquaafrica.co.za <mailto:jen@aquaafrica.co.za> for
more information on any of the products or events mentioned in this
eNewsletter. If there are other products or services you require relating
to the aquaculture industry, we would welcome you making contact with us to
discuss your needs.
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Aquaculture has been, and still is, actively promoted by government as an alternate poverty alleviation tool – due to identified unrivalled comparative advantages coupled with its propensity to generate enormous economic returns. In testimony, our government established a dedicated aquaculture department within the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources and introduced a sound legal framework for aquaculture growth. The much-needed growth is, however, far from being attained largely due to the lack of what Lesley refers to as ‘an enabling environment’. For starters, most aquaculture quota-right holders who are operational are struggling for survival more than growth while numerous quota-right holders have remained unsuccessful in start-up attempts due to high start-up/ investment costs required. Government – the prime creator/ facilitator of the ‘enabling environment’ – is failing to source adequate investment funding. In fact, I’m not aware of a single aquaculture business that succeeded in its loan application from our development bank, Development Bank of Namibia.
Unless the missing link - the enabling environment – is urgently addressed, aquaculture is unlikely to serve its purpose of alleviating poverty in Namibia.
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Interesting subject, one that must be closely examined in this region.
Aquaculture, as attractive as it appears at first examination, has some
really profound problems associated with intensive fish farming.
The first real shortcoming is the fact that up to five times the
quantity of wild fish are used to feed farmed fish - putting huge
pressures on already over fished resources.
The second is that the areas where fish farming takes place is often
negatively affected by the farms from high nutrient loads from fish
fecal matter and also suffers from dosing of chemicals and antibiotics
to rid farmed fish of diseases.
The third problem is the destruction of sensitive ecosystems to make
land based fish farms - particularly the destruction of mangroves and
coastal forest to farm shrimp and prawns. However even in less sensitive
environments the salinisation of land based farms has a serious negative
potential.
The fourth problem is the escape of captive bred fish into the wild gene
pool and weakening of this by genetic contamination. This has recently
been shown to be a real, quantifiable problem with farmed salmon,
according to a recent study.
The fifth problem is the capture of wild fish for stock and the impacts
this may have on wild fish stocks.
All the above being said there are some types of fish farming, or more
particularly mariculture that can be carried out with limited impacts
and these include shellfish culture and harvesting of mussels, oysters,
clams, abalone etc in coastal or estuarine farms. As these mainly gain
their food from filter feeding they have limited impacts. Abalone needs
kelp to be fed to the shellfish and other shellfish may need chemical
treatments from time to time to control disease outbreaks. West Coast
deoxgenation problems and red tides can also pose economic hazards to
mariculture.
So this is not an easy issue from either an investment or from an
environmental perspective. It would be great if it was a magic bullet
but unfortunately it is a system that is fraught with problems. I am not
saying that many of them cannot be overcome but the caution that banks
are showing is indicative perhaps of the risk profile of this line of
business!
best
Glenn Ashton
http://www.ekogaia.org |
Good morning Jacob
Sadly, this is true of many situations throughout Africa. Lack of finances, technical knowledge and skills, and market access suppress the development of the Aquaculture industry. However, a vital cog in the process, which is in place in Namibia, is political will. Your Minister of Fisheries has driven the development of the Aquaculture Division within the Ministry of Fisheries, a National Aquaculture Policy and seeks to develop the industry at all levels. Done appropriately, this should have the desired effect of developing the industry in the vital early stages, and once it reaches a level of scale and maturity, it should have sufficient inertia to grow from within. Financing, training and skills, equipment and markets are critical part of this development, and can all be supplied by commercial companies in the appropriate investment environment.
What needs to happen, and I assume is happening in Namibia, is that external experts be brought in regularly during the early years to audit and direct the developing industry. These/this companies would be responsible to identify constraints to the growth of the industry and make recommendations to the State on how to turn these hurdles into investment promoters.
Regards,
Leslie
----- Original Message -----
From: Jacob Ntintin Orange
To: General Discussion
Sent: Sunday, October 28, 2007 9:20 PM
Subject: Re: [DLIST Discuss] Aquaculture in Africa: Community Based Aquaculture Projects
Aquaculture has been, and still is, actively promoted by government as an alternate poverty alleviation tool - due to identified unrivalled comparative advantages coupled with its propensity to generate enormous economic returns. In testimony, our government established a dedicated aquaculture department within the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources and introduced a sound legal framework for aquaculture growth. The much-needed growth is, however, far from being attained largely due to the lack of what Lesley refers to as 'an enabling environment'. For starters, most aquaculture quota-right holders who are operational are struggling for survival more than growth while numerous quota-right holders have remained unsuccessful in start-up attempts due to high start-up/ investment costs required. Government - the prime creator/ facilitator of the 'enabling environment' - is failing to source adequate investment funding. In fact, I'm not aware of a single aquaculture business that succeeded in its loan application from our development bank, Development Bank of Namibia.
Unless the missing link - the enabling environment - is urgently addressed, aquaculture is unlikely to serve its purpose of alleviating poverty in Namibia.
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Be carefull of the Aquaculture I suspect it maybe ok in moderation . But here in Canada i've seen Aquaculture farms that was full of diseases .One time i visited a Salmon farmer who was digging pits to bury Salmon ,when asking why he told me 70% of the fish in the whole area was diseased .Alot of the Decline in wild fish stocks here most suspect has been from diseases spreading into wild populations .
I'm sure that aquaculture works somewhere but it can also turn into a very bad thing .I just got back from Dominican Republic there they was farming a fish called Cobia It was with surpriseing results as the growth rates was unbeleaveable .Fish growing in less then 1 year and they was bringing 10 dollars a kilo when marketed .Looked like a big money maker . Their goverment was putting in a hatchery as big expansion is being planned . |
I find the discussion on mariculture most useful indeed.
Mariculture/aquaculture is often hailed as the great savious of poor coastal
communities who have little or no livelihood options. Yet, I know very few
cases indeed where mariculture has made a tangible difference. Yet the
hysteria goes on, consultants make lots of money selling the same plans over
and over, with minor modifications, from one area or country to another
country, and governments eagerly lap up the promises which can be recycled
to the communities in all sorts of launches. In some places where we have
been involved for long epridos, I see the years go by and nothing happening.
This does not necessarily mean that nothing can happen. Perhaps we have just
not found the right way to apporach mariculture, and the right scale. One
thing it is not is a quick cure all for economically depressed areas.
-----Original Message-----
From: Dwayne Theriault [mailto:dwaynetheriault8@hotmail.com]
Sent: Tuesday, October 30, 2007 9:40 AM
To: General Discussion
Subject: Re: [DLIST Discuss] Aquaculture in Africa: Community Based
Aquaculture Projects
Be carefull of the Aquaculture I suspect it maybe ok in moderation . But
here in Canada i've seen Aquaculture farms that was full of diseases .One
time i visited a Salmon farmer who was digging pits to bury Salmon ,when
asking why he told me 70% of the fish in the whole area was diseased .Alot
of the Decline in wild fish stocks here most suspect has been from diseases
spreading into wild populations .
I'm sure that aquaculture works somewhere but it can also turn into a very
bad thing .I just got back from Dominican Republic there they was farming a
fish called Cobia It was with surpriseing results as the growth rates was
unbeleaveable .Fish growing in less then 1 year and they was bringing 10
dollars a kilo when marketed .Looked like a big money maker . Their
goverment was putting in a hatchery as big expansion is being planned .
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Most Aquaculture takes alot of money behind you as the feed and labour need to be paid while the fish are growing. So Aquaculture does little to help economically depressed areas. In Dominican Republic I just observed a farm that maybe had the potential of making millions of dollars. The farm was all owned by Canadians and Americans who was already wealthy they was paying 3-5 locals 250 a month. They looked after One man in the local goverment other then that the money left the Country or never came near it.
Nobody local was getting anything accept maybe increased risk of diseases spreading in wild populations as none of them would ever have the money to start their own farms. The farm was illeagal in Florida so they just went too a poor area of Dominican republic and did it there. But 250 dollars a month was all they would ever pay locals even if millions was made.
It takes alot of money to make money at fish farming. Maybe small scale farming ,or shellfish farming can be done by the poor.
If i was in a hot country like there I'd consider farming eels in ponds. Get the elvers from a place such as Canada they grow like hell in hot climates in ponds and can use almost anything for feed, and are high dollar when done. |
Good evening Glenn
Thank you for your detailed email below, raising several concerns you have with aquaculture. Whilst there is truth in your arguments, I feel a reply is required to provide the other side of the coin. Please see my comments between your points below:
Regards,
Leslie
----- Original Message -----
From: ekogaia
To: General Discussion
Sent: Monday, October 29, 2007 10:21 AM
Subject: Re: [DLIST Discuss] Aquaculture in Africa: Community Based Aquaculture Projects
***glen*** Interesting subject, one that must be closely examined in this region.
Aquaculture, as attractive as it appears at first examination, has some
really profound problems associated with intensive fish farming.
The first real shortcoming is the fact that up to five times the
quantity of wild fish are used to feed farmed fish - putting huge
pressures on already over fished resources.
***leslie*** This was true in the past, but the industry has recognised this flaw and is addressing it. Tilapia, catfish, carp and a host of other species have been fed completely fish product free feeds for several years already. Today you get marine predatory fish such as cobia being farmed on fish meal and fish oil free feed ! This is a remarkable achievement and bodes well for the future of aquaculture feeds which are moving towards a diet based primarily on vegetable proteins.
Also bear in mind that the industry is being driven by demand. People require the seafood products and will pay for it. Unfortunately the wild fish stocks have reached a production peak and cannot continue increasing harvests in response to increasing demand. The bulk of the fish needs to come from somewhere and aquaculture is making up this difference. This does not provide a blank environmental cheque for aquaculture to proceed at all costs, but it does emphasise the real pressures this fairly new industry is having to cope with as it expands very rapidly, in the full view of the electronic generation.
Furthermore, wild fish are poor converters of wet fish into somatic growth, and the fish species captured from the wild and turned into fish meal and fish oil result in a better conversion of small fish to large fish as a consequence.
It should also be borne in mind that the broiler and pig industries each consume substantially more fish meal than does aquaculture, and the protein conversions are less efficient than those achieved by fish.
***glen*** The second is that the areas where fish farming takes place is often
negatively affected by the farms from high nutrient loads from fish
fecal matter and also suffers from dosing of chemicals and antibiotics
to rid farmed fish of diseases.
*** leslie*** If the site is properly selected, and the load of fish appropriate for the environment in which the aquauclture occurs, the impact on the environment should be minimal. Fish in an environment is a natural phenominan, it is when the densities are increased beyond the ability of the local environment to assimilate their wastes that a problem occurs. This problem is largely confined to cage culture, although other forms need to bear it in mind as well. Aquaculture, including marine aquauclture, is being successfully undertaken in 100% recirculating systems, where the only discharges are algae and a heavy sludge which are almost free of NaCl and is used as fertiliser for arable crops.
***glen*** The third problem is the destruction of sensitive ecosystems to make
land based fish farms - particularly the destruction of mangroves and
coastal forest to farm shrimp and prawns.
***leslie*** Again, this happened during the 1980s and 1990s during the boom of the shrimp farming industry. It has been recognised that such farming is not sustainable, and with pressure on global shrimp prices, is becoming uncommon. This is certainly not a big issue in the first world or west, and there are many other examples of such problems in the east where environmental considerations are viewed very differently.
However even in less sensitive environments the salinisation of land based farms has a serious negative
potential.
Site selection, combined with appropriate infrastructure usage, are again the key issues.
***glen*** The fourth problem is the escape of captive bred fish into the wild gene
pool and weakening of this by genetic contamination. This has recently
been shown to be a real, quantifiable problem with farmed salmon,
according to a recent study.
***leslie*** Agreed, along with the escape of translocated species and pathogens or parasites. There are again solutions in all cases:
if the fish escaping from the infrastructure is a problem for the environment then either suitable mitigations must be put in place (such as the use of drum filters on the effluent water supply) or better still, the species should not be farmed in those areas. Disease organisms should be excluded by proper quarantine protocols prior to using the species for aquaculture on site.
***glen*** The fifth problem is the capture of wild fish for stock and the impacts
this may have on wild fish stocks.
***leslie*** I cannot disagree with you more. By removing a small number of fish from the population to use them as broodstock you vastly reduce the pressure on the wild stocks. If this is not the case you are not farming sufficient numbers of that species. There are also a number of species, such as the cherry barb, which have been saved from extinction by aquaculture as their natural habitat has been so badly treated that the wild fish is virtually extinct, yet they are preserved and very common in the aquarium trade.
***glen*** All the above being said there are some types of fish farming, or more
particularly mariculture that can be carried out with limited impacts
and these include shellfish culture and harvesting of mussels, oysters,
clams, abalone etc in coastal or estuarine farms. As these mainly gain
their food from filter feeding they have limited impacts. Abalone needs
kelp to be fed to the shellfish and other shellfish may need chemical
treatments from time to time to control disease outbreaks. West Coast
deoxgenation problems and red tides can also pose economic hazards to
mariculture.
So this is not an easy issue from either an investment or from an
environmental perspective. It would be great if it was a magic bullet
but unfortunately it is a system that is fraught with problems. I am not
saying that many of them cannot be overcome but the caution that banks
are showing is indicative perhaps of the risk profile of this line of
business!
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The government of SA has recognized the opportunities that are provided by the farming of marine organisms, and has allocated R100 million for aquaculture projects that will be started in the financial year 2008/09. The aquaculture interventions to be accounted for include the establishment of abalone farms, fin fish farms and a state hatchery. Read more: http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=124&art_id=nw20071101115126978C192490 |
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