Aquaculture

There is incontrovertible proof that aquaculture can flourish in Southern Africa. The secret to success lies in appropriate scale and top-class feed.

Late to the game, South African fish farms are beginning to offer tasty, well-presented products that are attracting more and more consumers.

There is much to be said for the reliability of proven filter designs, as opposed to newer ones where reliance on fragile, complicated technology could result in toxic water with dead or sick fish.

There are many factors to consider when selecting a tilapia species. Here, in a nutshell, are the main advantages and disadvantages of each one.

Commercially farmed tilapia are all male, due to minute quantities of a hormone they are given early on in their lives, but they are perfectly safe to eat!

What characteristics are sought for improvement in a strain development programme? How far beyond simple growth improvement must one go?

The correct choice of fish species or strain can determine success or failure. Beware of breeders claiming to have developed a superior ‘strain’ of tilapia. Chances are they have done no such thing.

There are not too many successful commercial aquaculture enterprises in Southern Africa, but these two are worth mentioning.

An intensive aquaculture system can fail for several reasons. A producer should always be prepared.

Prospective aquaculture entrepreneurs are cautioned to evaluate a system’s yield potential before investing in unrealistic, small-scale projects that fail to provide adequate returns.

Grouping aquaculture activities on one site for administrative convenience simply won’t work.

Climatic conditions dictate where species such as trout, tilapia and catfish can be farmed as well as the threat they pose to our natural environment.