Open AccessECOLOGICAL AQUACULTURE, NEW APPROACHES TO AQUACULTURE IN NORTH AMERICA
Author(s) -
MacKay K. T.
Publication year - 1983
Publication title -
journal of the world mariculture society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.655
H-Index - 60
eISSN - 1749-7345
pISSN - 0735-0147
DOI - 10.1111/j.1749-7345.1983.tb00124.x
Subject(s) - aquaculture , polyculture , rainbow trout , biology , fishery , manure , fish farming , agriculture , production (economics) , greenhouse , ecology , fish <actinopterygii> , agronomy , macroeconomics , economics
Existing aquaculture systems in North America are energy intensive. For example, rainbow trout production in raceways requires an energy subsidy of 81 MJ/Kg while catfish pond production requires 44 MJ/Kg; both are more energy intensive than feed lot beef production. An alternative approach, “ecological aquaculture,” has been practiced for centuries in Asia but has only recently been applied in North America. Ecological aquaculture is energy efficient, recycles wastes, minimizes environmental impact, and is integrated with other food production systems. This paper discusses the principles of ecological aquaculture and illustrates them with examples from North American operations. Such operations range from extensive culture of rainbow trout in small productive prairie ponds to greenhouse water recirculation systems with fish supplying the nutrients for hydroponic crop production. Other examples are backyard fish production systems and polyculture pond systems fertilized by pig manure.