the underestimated pond aquaculture: values and opportunities · 2019-03-01 · military map from...
TRANSCRIPT
Béla Halasi-Kovács PhD.
director
NAIK Research Institute for Fisheries and Aquaculture
AQUAFARM 2019 Pordenone, Italy
Regional workshop Central and Eastern Europe:
A hub for freshwater aquaculture
14 February 2019.
The Underestimated pond aquaculture:
values and opportunities
Pond aquaculture is cultural heritage of Europe
• Written and painted relics from the medieval Europe
„The Four Elements:Water” painted by Joachim
Beuckelaer (1535-1575)„Still life with fish and cat” painted by Clara Peeters
(1594–after 1657)
Janus Dubravius (1547): De piscinis et
piscium, qui in illis aluntur, naturis, libri
quinque, út doctissimi, ita ad rem
familiarem, augendam utilissimi
Military map from the 18th century with fish ponds in
Transylvania
Relevance of carp in EU aquaculture
Total European aquaculture production: 1 292 597 t
Marine: 77.8%
(1 006 035 t)Freshwater:
22.2% (286 563 t)
Aquaculture = 100%
Rainbow Trout
156 762 t
54.7 %
Common Carp
72 912 t
25.4 %
Other sp.
56 887 t
19.9 %
Source: FAO Fishstat Plus, 2016
Pond aquaculture in EU countries
Source: FAO Fishstat Plus, 2016Percentage shows the share of common carp in total aquaculture production
Basic figures:
• 250 000 ha fish pond area in the
EU
• Total production: 72 912 t (2016)
but the pond production is 90 350 t
• Carp is 5th after, salmon, trout, and
seabream and seabass in terms of
volume
• Stabil but stagnating production
• 8000 employees (production)
20%
62%
83%
64%
51%
39%
21%
18%
20%
20%
64%
83%
88%
Trends in carp production
30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
100%110%120%130%140%
198
919
90
199
119
92
199
319
94
199
519
96
199
719
98
199
920
00
200
120
02
200
320
04
200
520
06
200
720
08
200
920
1020
1120
1220
1320
1420
1520
16
Common carp production (1986 = 100%)
Western Europe Central Europe
0
20,000
40,000
60,000
80,000
100,000
120,000
1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016
Common carp production in EU-28 over the last 30 years
Western Europe Central Europe
Common carp production in the EU:
• Significance part of production in
Central Europe
• Production of Western European
countries has been steadily decreasing
• Production in Central and Eastern
Europe is slightly increasing
Lessons should be learned from the
experiences of the decline
in Western European production!
Source: FAO Fishstat, 2018
Ecological aspects of pond aquaculture
• Based on common carp production.
• Polyculture production (common carp, silver carp, grass carp, european catfish, pike,
pikeperch).
• Based on the material flow processes typical of natural wetlands, artificial interventions
only contribute these processes to increase production.
• Fishponds operate as an open ecological system where natural and technological
processes are built on one another and are implemented in a non-separable way.
• Create a special fispond ecosystem.
(Halasi-Kovács 2012)
The pond ecosystem
• Fishponds has artificial origin. The water supply is also artificial (by gravity, or by pump) in decisive part.
• Comparable nutrient cycling processes.
• Artificially high nutrient level that will be removed by the harvested fish.
• It results steady state, and high biomass in every level of food chain all over the vegetation period.
• Planktonic predominance that maintained by the carp stock.
• Typical mosaic-complex that develops by the results of periodic water filling and drainage.
Fish pondNatural wetland
(Halasi-Kovács 2012)
Additional natural values of pond aquacuture
• Pond aquaculture maintains 250.000 ha natural-like wetlands in the EU
• Pond fish farms contribute to preserve biodiversity:
– More than 400 bird species, most of them with NATURA 2000 importance
– Substantial part of the otter population in Europe
– Numerous wetland related plant and animal species with European significance
Additional environmental values of pond aquacuture
• Pond fish farms contribute to better water management.
– Retention of water
– Retention of soluble and floating compartments in supply water
1 ha pond in one year retains:
3.8 – 8.4 kg Phosporous
96 – 560 kg Nitrogen
1100 – 1600 kg Suspended Solids
(Knösche et al. 2000)
WATER
FRAMEWORK
DIRECTIVE
Pond fish farms contributes to achieve the EU
environmental policies
Strengthens and weaknesses
High labour intensity
Lack of automatization
High investment costs
Low productivity
Uncertain quality
Low efficiency in post
harvest chain
Historic traditions
High genetic potential
High technological potential
Low-input aquaculture
Natural and environmental values
Recreational value
Role in employment
Turn weaknesses to strengthens
Sustainable intensification
is required!
Accept and support the
additional costs of natural
value maintenance
Sustainable intensification of pond aquaculture
• Stocking high quality fingerling with high stocking density.
• Applying high quality feed distributed by automatic feeder.
• Providing aeration, based on regular water quality monitoring.
• Protection from predators and poaching.
• Total yield: 10 t/ha.
Intensive carp production in small size ponds or tanks
Sustainable intensification of pond aquaculture
Combined Intensive-Extensive Procuction
• Combine the principles of extensive pond
farming and intensive rearing.
• Water movement with low energy propeller
pumps.
• Water turn over in 4-6 hours.
• Water quality control (oxygen, ammonia).
• Total yield: 20 kg/m3
Sustainable intensification of pond aquaculture
RAS – pond system
Intensive rearing and fingerling
production in RASExtensive market-size fish
production in pond
Multi-functional pond fish farming
Higher and diversified farm
income
Additional employment
opportunities
Supporting the maintenance of natural values
• Pond aquaculture technology can be summarized as a complex value, important for nature
conservation, water management and socio-economic aspects as well.
• Providing EMFF subsidy for this technology highly recommended for the sustainability of
wetlands and their associated values resulting from the fish pond management.
• The subsidy can be interpreted as supporting wetlands, rewarding „blue pond” technologies
and best management practices.
• Suggested support would be 300 EUR/ha/year for 5 years.
• Freshwater pond fish farming is a unique segment of European aquaculture.
• Pond fish farms besides producing fish provide ecosystem services and
contribute to achieve the goals of NATURA 2000 and WFD
• The pond aquaculture has great potential utilized the results of necessary
improvements.
Main conclusions
• Pond aquaculture is a good example for natural resources renewing
technology and the circular economy.
• Pond aquaculture requires sustainable intensification and support for
maintaining the additional costs of natural values that resulted by operation.
