Aquaculture Site Selection Lecture 3

Sites for Aquacultural Production

• Lakes are suitable for Cage Culture, Pen Culture, and Kariba, Bangweulu
• Rivers are suitable for Pond Culture, Cage Culture, Pen Culture, and Kafue
• Dams/Reservoirs are suitable for Cage Culture, Pond Culture, Pen Culture
• Swamps are suitable for Pond Culture
• Coastal areas are suitable for Pond Culture, Cage Culture, Pen Culture
• Bays, Estuaries, Lagoons are suitable for Cage Culture
• Mangrove Swamps are suitable for Oyster culture

Factors Considered in Selecting a Site for Land-Based Aquaculture (Earthen Pond Aquaculture)

• Ecological factors to be considered: water quantity, water quality, soil characteristics, land/topography, climate, hydrology characteristics
• Biological factors to be considered: species to be cultured, availability of stocking materials
• Socio-economic factors to be considered: development plans, ownership of land, availability of land, land regulations, proximity to road connections, availability of electricity, telephone/radio connections, equipment, services, and supplies

Factors to Consider in Selecting a Site for Land-Based Aquaculture (Water Quantity)

• Availability of water must be assured
• Water sources can be irrigation canals, rivers, creeks, reservoirs, lakes, springs, streams, rainfall runoff, deep wells, boreholes, and seepage water
• Calculate estimated yearly water requirement in liters for a pond

Steps to Estimate Water Quantity

• Step 1: Find the volume of water to fill the pond in the first cycle
• Step 2: Find the volume of water to fill the pond in the second cycle
• Step 3: Estimate water loss due to seepage
• Step 4: Estimate water loss due to evaporation
• Step 5: Estimate the yearly water requirement of the pond

Water Quality Factors

• Physical, chemical, and biological properties of water must be considered
• Water quality variables to be monitored: DO, pH, ammonia, temperature, etc.
• DO is the most important water quality variable in aquaculture
• DO levels: Tilapia eggs 8mg/l, adults 2mg/l to 8mg/l, Common Carp adult minimum 3mg/l maximum 5mg/l, African catfish adult minimum 1mg/l or less, preferred 3mg/l

Factors to Consider in Selecting a Site for Land-Based Aquaculture (Soil Characteristics)

• Soil structure: sand, sand loam, loam, clayey loam, loamy clay, clay
• Seepage rate: sand 2.5 cm/day, sand loam 1.3 cm/day, loam 0.8 cm/day, clayey loam 0.25 cm/day, loamy clay 0.025 cm/day, clay 0.125 cm/day

Factors to Consider in Selecting a Site for Land-Based Aquaculture (Climate)

• Assess climate of the site for aquacultural production
• Climatological factors to consider: mean monthly temperature, mean monthly rainfall, mean monthly evaporation, mean monthly wind speed and direction
• Incidence of high winds, heavy storms, or cyclones should be considered

Factors to Consider in Selecting a Site for Land-Based Aquaculture (Hydrology)

• Hydrological data: floods, water elevations of existing water sources (rivers, irrigation channels, reservoirs, springs, etc.)

Social-Economic Factors

• Development plans for the project area
• Ownership of the land, availability of land, land regulations, and rights
• Proximity to all-weather road connections
• Availability of electricity, telephone/radio connections, equipment, services, and supplies
• Availability of construction materials, location of markets, and demand for the produce
• Availability of organic and artificial fertilizers, drugs, and chemical materials
• Availability of supplementary feeds, costs of equipment, materials, feeds, etc.
• Availability of suitable transport facilities, ice for use in marketing, staff with adequate experience of pond management, skilled and semi-skilled laborers, reasonable amenities for permanent staff, and local financing methods or credits

Site Selection Considerations for Water-Based Aquacultural Production (Site for Cage Fish Farming)

• Site must have a suitable depth for placing and protecting cages from strong winds and rough weather
• Site must have a suitable location for cage placement and water quality management