Comments on: “Trash fish” aquaculture http://finfish.org/blog/trash-fish-aquaculture/ Significant Aquaculture Innovation Thu, 08 Jan 2009 11:48:44 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.5 By: Nicholas Ong http://finfish.org/blog/trash-fish-aquaculture/#comment-156 Nicholas Ong Fri, 12 Sep 2008 04:11:26 +0000 http://finfish.org/?p=264#comment-156 Agree with your thoughts about the feed for the trash fish. Another potential issue is the establishment costs to breed and hold (in cages) those trash fish. I think more research into the economics of this idea maybe useful. There was a documentary recently about the environmental impact derived from commercial fishing and one of the problem mentioned that caught my attention is bycatch. When fisherman target certain species they want to catch they also can catch other species by accident, these non-target species are called bycatch. Bycatch are normally returned to the ocean as their fishing licence only allows them to catch a particular specie of fish. Most bycatch are finfish, sharks, stingrays or invertebrates (crabs, shells, sea stars). In some cases the fish caught as bycatch by one fishery may be a target species for another fishery. Most bycatch is returned to the ocean but depending on the species it can be returned alive or dead. Frankly the return of dead fish to the ocean is a waste of resources to me. Some of the bycatch fish can be used as direct feed to certain specie of aquaculture finfish. We can also explore to use the bycatch as an ingredient of processed feed. Perhaps we need to look at working with the fishing community and the government authority to explore the possibility of using some of the bycatch as feed, rather than those bycatch going to waste, to tackle the problems in feed and sustainability. Agree with your thoughts about the feed for the trash fish. Another potential issue is the establishment costs to breed and hold (in cages) those trash fish. I think more research into the economics of this idea maybe useful.

There was a documentary recently about the environmental impact derived from commercial fishing and one of the problem mentioned that caught my attention is bycatch. When fisherman target certain species they want to catch they also can catch other species by accident, these non-target species are called bycatch. Bycatch are normally returned to the ocean as their fishing licence only allows them to catch a particular specie of fish.

Most bycatch are finfish, sharks, stingrays or
invertebrates (crabs, shells, sea stars). In some
cases the fish caught as bycatch by one fishery
may be a target species for another fishery. Most
bycatch is returned to the ocean but depending on
the species it can be returned alive or dead. Frankly the return of dead fish to the ocean is a waste of resources to me.

Some of the bycatch fish can be used as direct feed to certain specie of aquaculture finfish. We can also explore to use the bycatch as an ingredient of processed feed. Perhaps we need to look at working with the fishing community and the government authority to explore the possibility of using some of the bycatch as feed, rather than those bycatch going to waste, to tackle the problems in feed and sustainability.

]]> By: Michelle http://finfish.org/blog/trash-fish-aquaculture/#comment-153 Michelle Fri, 12 Sep 2008 02:00:23 +0000 http://finfish.org/?p=264#comment-153 Growing fish to feed fish is a very interesting idea. Some initial questions that spring to mind regarding this: 1) Where would the feed for the "trash fish" come from? 2) Would it be cost effective - potential additional labour and/or technology costs of looking after these additional fish and cages? Growing fish to feed fish is a very interesting idea. Some initial questions that spring to mind regarding this:

1) Where would the feed for the “trash fish” come from?

2) Would it be cost effective - potential additional labour and/or technology costs of looking after these additional fish and cages?

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