Fish Farming Via Fish Ponds 1

FISH FARMING VIA FISH PONDS

INTRODUCTION:

Fish farming / Pisciculture involves raising fish commercially in tanks or enclosures such
as fish ponds, usually for food. It is the principal form of aquaculture, while other methods may
fall under mariculture (growing and harvesting marine species).

MATERIALS:

 Digging tools  Leveling tools  Sludge pump

 Nets and Traps  Water pump  Soil Analysis Kit
 Water pH Test Kit  Water Salinity Test Kit  Water Nutrients Test Kit
 Water filters  Natural Plants  Fish and Shrimps
 Chilling chambers  Processing equipment

METHODS OF FISH FARMING:

The following are some of the methods of fish farming:

 Cage System: It uses cages that are placed in lakes, ponds and oceans that contain fish. This
method is also widely referred to as “off-shore cultivation”. Fish are kept in a cage like
structure and are artificially fed and harvested.
 Irrigation Ditch / Ponds System: The basic requirement for this method is to have a ditch or
pond that holds water. This is a unique system because at a small level, fish are artificially
fed and the waste produced from the fish is then used to fertilize farmer’s field.
 Composite Fish Culture: It is a type of fish farming that allows both local and imported fish
species to co-exist in the same pond. The number of species can be as much as six species in
a single pond.
 Integrated Recycling System: It is a large-scale method of pure fish farming. This approach
uses large plastic tanks that are placed inside a greenhouse.
 Classic Fry Farming: This method is also known as “flow through system”. This is when
fish are raised from eggs and put in stream and released.

TYPES OF PONDS:
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1) Earthen Fish Pond: This type of fish pond is also called natural pond because it can only be
constructed in a place where there is enough clay-soil. A swampy environment is the most
fitting for an earthen fish pond. Digging of the pond can be done manually or with the use of
an excavator. The pond usually has a depth of 1.5 meters with the water reaching about 1.2
meters. Some of the soil is used to build a boundary around the earthen pond to serve as
protection from flood during rainy season.

Advantages of the Earthen Pond Disadvantages of Earthen Fish Pond

 It is not expensive to construct  There is poor security
 It can contain a large number of fish  It is susceptible to flooding
 Fish are bred in an environment  Fish might escape via the flowing
similar to their natural habitat water if anything happens to the pond
 The growth rate of fish is fast boundary.

2) Plastic Tank Fish Pond: As the name implies, this type of fish pond involves breeding of
fish in a tank made of plastic or rubber. You can easily buy if from the manufacturers who
produce them in different sizes.

Advantages of Plastic Fish Pond Disadvantages of Plastic Fish Pond

 There is no burden of a manual labor  Overcrowding of fishes
construction  Water management (periodic change
 This pond is very easy to maintain of water) is difficult.
 It can be used indoors
 It is easy to move the pond around

3) Fiberglass Tank Fish Pond: This is a transparent tank which has a special use; it is meant
for breeding fingerlings at a particular temperature before they can be moved to the outdoor
tanks.
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Advantages of Fiberglass Tank Fish Pond Disadvantages of Fiberglass Tank Fish Pond
 They can be moved around with ease  They can only be used for fingerlings
 Fishes can be monitored at a glance  They can’t contain a lot of fish.

4) Concrete Fish Pond: This type of pond is made of concrete and is very popular in fish
farming. It is not a simple pond and the construction is very complicated. If you want to use a
concrete fish pond, make sure it is built by professional civil/construction engineers to
prevent a disaster in your farm.

Advantages of Concrete Fish Pond Disadvantages of Concrete Fish Pond

 It cannot be flooded  Construction costs a lot of money
 It is easy to keep predators away from  There is a higher than normal pH in
the fish the first few years
 The activities of the fish can be easily
monitored
 It can be used for a long time without
needing any major maintenance

5) Cage Tank Fish Pond: These fish ponds can only exist in a riverine area. They take the
form of an enclosed cage, after constructing these ponds, they are placed inside fresh water
and to feed the fish, a canoe or boat is used to move from cage to cage within a large body of
water.

Advantages of Cage Tank Fish Pond Disadvantages of Cage Tank Fish Pond
 The fish are in their natural habitat  A boat trip must be taken to monitor
 Fish grow rapidly the activities of the fish
 A very large amount of fish can be  Construction process is cumbersome
raised with this type of pond  If there happens to be water pollution,
 Oxygen is always available all fish will be lost at once.
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6) Synthetic Leather Fish Pond: This pond takes the same process as the earthen pond, the
difference is in the rubber material used to line the pond walls to prevent water seepage.

Advantages of Synthetic Leather Fish Pond Disadvantages of Synthetic Leather Fish Pond
 Wastage of water is reduced  The fish pond is susceptible to the
 It is easy to build hazards of flooding.

Figure: General schematic of a fish pond.

FISH FARMING IN PAKISTAN:

Aquaculture is a recent activity in Pakistan; nevertheless there is immense potential for

development of the sector. Despite its vast fresh, brackish and marine water resources only carp
culture is practiced in inland waters and only on a limited scale, carp are cultured in earthen
ponds.

In Pakistan, the fish fauna is rich but only seven warm water species and two cold water species
are cultivated on a commercial scale. The fisheries sector as a whole contributes to about 1% to
the country's GDP and provides jobs for about 1% of the country's labor force.

About 13,000 fish farms have so far been established across Pakistan, the size of these farms
varies considerably; however, the average farm size ranges form 5-10 ha. No direct data on the
number of fish farmers employed in this sector is available as fish farming in most parts of the
country is carried out as an integral part of crop farming. About 50,000 people are either directly
or indirectly employed in the sector.
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POND DESIGN AND SETUP:

Size and Shape: Square and rectangular shaped ponds are easiest to build. An area of 300 m² is
a good size for a small pond, which can be built without the use of machinery. Ponds can be
much larger than this, but for small scale usage it is better to have several small ponds rather than
one large one.

Depth: The water depth is usually 30 cm at the shallow end and 1 meter at the deep end. The
pond can be deeper than this if the pond is used as a water reservoir in the dry season. It is
important that the water can be completely drained for harvesting.

Types: The type of pond you need to build depends on the land topography. Different types of
ponds are suitable for flat and hilly areas. For example, excavated ponds are built in flat areas by
digging out an area as big as needed for the pond.

Building the fish pond: The basic steps in building a fish pond are:
1. Prepare the site
2. Build a clay core (in the case of contour ponds)
3. Dig the pond and build the dikes
4. Build the inlet and outlet
5. Protect the pond dikes
6. Fertilize the pond
7. Fence the pond
8. Fill the pond with water
9. Stock the fish

MOST COMMONLY CULTURED FISH SPECIES IN PAKISTAN:

In the past, most fish farmers stocked their ponds only with indigenous species such as:

1. Catla (Labeo catla)

2. Rohu (Labeo rohita)
3. Mrigal (Cirrhinus mrigala)
4. Common Carp (Cyprinus carpio)
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More recently, two fast growing species (1) Grass Carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus) and (2)
Silver Carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix), have been introduced for culture under modern
polyculture systems to increase the fish yield per unit area. These two species have good
economic values; have gained a reputation and became popular amongst the producers as well as
consumers.

Two species of trout namely Brown Trout (Salmo trutta) and Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus
mykiss) are cultured in NWFP, AJK and NA.

Figure: Rainbow Trout.

Figure: Up to Down – Catla, Rohu and Mirgal.

FISH NUTRITION:

Some fish only eat plants (herbivorous) and others only eat animals (carnivorous). However, a
lot of fish are omnivores and eat both plants and animals. It’s important to match the type of food
to the type of fish.

Fat: Fish diets should be low in fat. Even meat-eating fish (carnivores) require no more than 8
percent in their diet. Plant eaters (herbivores) need no more than 3%. Excessive fat may damage
the liver and can result in disease and early death.
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Fiber: Although small quantities of fiber aid digestion, they should not be too high. Carnivores
are not able to digest fiber well at all, and should not have more than 4 percent fiber in their diet.
To remain healthy, herbivores should have between 5 and 10 percent fiber in their diet.

Protein: Protein requirements vary based on the type of fish. However, protein is a key element
required for good health and growth in all types of fish. Herbivores need 15 to 30 percent protein
in their diet, while carnivores need at least 45 percent protein. For vigorous health growth, young
fish require a diet that is composed of at least 50% protein.

Carbohydrates: Fish do not need a lot of carbohydrates in their diet. In fact, too many carbs can
deter proper growth. Adult fish can tolerate as much as 40 percent carbohydrate in their diet,
without ill effects.

Vitamins and Salts: Additionally, fish require a range of fat and water soluble vitamins in
minute quantities along with salts for the maintenance of their physiology and biochemistry.

FISH HEALTH (DISEASE, PARASITES AND TOXICITY):

All fish carry pathogens and parasites. Usually this is at some cost to the fish. If the cost is
sufficiently high, then the impacts can be characterized as a disease. Disease is a prime agent
affecting fish mortality, especially when fish are young. Stress inducing factors, such as natural
droughts, pollution or predators, can precipitate outbreak of disease. Disease can also be
particularly problematic when pathogens and parasites carried by introduced species affect native
species. Pathogens which can cause fish diseases comprise:

 Viruses
 Bacterial infections, such as Pseudomonas fluorescens leading to fin rot and fish dropsy
 Fungi
 Water moulds
 Metazoan parasites, such as copepods
 Helminths (Platyhelminthes and Aschelminthes)
Infectious diseases coincide with stress causes by temperature, eutrophication, sewage, metabolic
products of fishes, industrial pollution and pesticides. Bioaccumulation of metals (i.e. lead,
cadmium, mercury, etc.) can also prove fatal. Fish health can be ensured by monitoring water
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quality and using effective filter system to prevent toxic build up, most importantly, new fish
should be kept in quarantine before releasing in the pond.

FISH BREEDING:

Fish require proper environment and nutrients for breeding and depend upon the type of fishes
they reproduce either by laying eggs (oviparous) or by child bearing (viviparous). Rohu matures
usually in the age of three years. Female fish lay about 1 lac eggs/kg of body mass. Their
breeding period is from April to July. They lay eggs in open water (not in stagnant water).
Depending on the fish species, it may or may not be necessary to separate the mother from her
fries to ensure that it doesn’t eat them up.

HARVESTING:

The final phase in the fish farming cycle is the harvest and possible sale of the fish. When most
of the fish are big enough to be eaten or sold, harvesting can start (usually after 5 to 6 months).
Only the amount that can be eaten or sold within one day must be harvested. There are two ways
to harvest fish:

 Take out all the fish in the pond at the same time.
 Selectively cull fish from the pond throughout the whole year (usually the larger fish are
taken out and the smaller fish are left in the pond to keep growing).

The method used for continuous selective culling is to hang a net in a pond. A gillnet is often
used in this method of harvesting. The fish trying to swim through the net get caught up behind
their gills, hence the name. Very small or large fish will not be caught. In this way it is possible
to harvest fish throughout the year without having to drain water from the pond or seriously
disturb the remaining fish.

When all the fish in the pond are to be harvested at the same time, the water level should be
lowered slowly to ensure that all the fish are caught. Make sure that the fish are harvested in
good condition by avoiding any damage to their skin and try to harvest quickly so the fish stay
fresh. Firstly, most of the fish can be caught in a seine net with a mesh size of 1 cm when the
water level is still high. When the pond is completely drained, the remaining fish can be gathered
by hand from the pond bottom.
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POST-HARVESTING:
The need for proper handling and processing of fish is important both for the fishing industry and
for the consumers. Improvement of the processing and handling of fish in terms of quality,
product range and volume results in increased economic activity and employment. It is also one
way of stabilizing fish marketing by providing an outlet for surplus and peak catch even during
emergency harvest, thereby ensuring high fishing activities and stable prices. It can also
contribute to the efforts related to nutritional goals.

Handling: The quality of fish depends on how it is handled from the time it is taken out from the
water until it reaches the kitchen. Three things must be considered while handling fish:

1. Cleanliness 2. Care 3. Cooling

Transportation: Fresh fish transported to far distances must be packed with ice to ensure
freshness when they reach the consumers. Proper packing of fresh fish with ice means
arranging the fish and ice alternately in the container to maintain chilling temperature. It is
attained with the ratio of 1 kg of ice to 2 kg of fish.

Processing: Fish spoils very quickly within 12 hours after being harvested. This due to the high
ambient temperature that is ideal for bacterial growth. To prevent contamination of the fish,
proper hygiene must be ensured. To prevent spoilage of the harvested fish, either the bacteria
present in them must be killed or their growth must be suppressed. Some methods for
suppressing bacterial growth are as follows:

 Salting  Drying  Smoking  Fermentation

 Canning  Cooling and Freezing  Smoking of Fish

ECONOMIC CONTRIBUTIONS OF FISH FARMS:

The contribution of the fisheries sector to the country's export earnings is quite substantial. In
2003 - 2004, total fish production both from marine and inland fisheries was 564,105 tons out of
which 400,702 tons were contributed from marine sector and 163,393 tons from inland waters.
Among the inland production about 70,000 tons of fish was contributed from aquaculture.
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During 2003 - 2004, 104,937 tons of fish and fishery products valued at US$ 156,254 million
were exported from Pakistan. No data is available for the production and export of aquaculture
only product but fish produced from aquaculture are exported to Middle Eastern countries where
a substantial number of Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi workers are based.

Inland fish production is mostly consumed locally and during the next decade the same trend is
expected to continue, the inland population of the country is expected to consume any increased
fish production achieved through aquaculture. However, any production as a result of the coastal
aquaculture of high value shrimp and finfish species would be expected to contribute towards the
export earnings of the country

NUTRITIONAL VALUE OF FISH:

Fish is a low-fat high quality protein, it is packed with proteins, vitamins, and nutrients that can
lower blood pressure and help reduce the risk of a heart attack or stroke. Fish is filled with
omega-3 fatty acids and vitamins such as D and B2 (riboflavin). Fish is rich in calcium and
phosphorus and a great source of minerals, such as iron, zinc, iodine, magnesium, and
potassium.

REFERENCES

 Carballo, E, et al. 2008. Small-scale freshwater fish farming 3rd Edition. Agromisa
Foundation and CTA, Wageningen.
 Fisheries and Aquaculture Department, Pakistan. National Aquaculture Sector Overview.
 FAO . 2005 . Aquaculture production, 2004. Year book of Fishery Statistics - Vol.96/2.
Food and Agriculture organization of the United Nations, Rome, Italy.
 Murnyak, D. and M. Murnyak. 1990. Raising fish in ponds: a farmer's guide to Tilapia
culture. Evangelical Lutheran Church of Tanzania. 75p.