Water Wheel Nov/Dec 2021: Aquaculture

Abstract

AQUACULTURE The future of aquaculture is now Aquaculture in South Africa is really taking off, with around 230 farms countrywide, cultivating a wide variety of fish and shellfish species. Most of these are freshwater farms, and it is the freshwater sector that is indeed growing the fastest, with species like tilapia and trout in increasing demand. However, in terms of tons of produce, the marine sector is much larger and represents double the output of freshwater farms, despite coming from less than 10% of the total number of farms. In 2018, marine aquaculture represented over 86% of the value of the industry as a whole. Given the size of these marine operations, it is increasingly important that the industry is developed in an ecologically safe and sustainable way. One of the ways to reduce environmental risks and maximise production is by employing an integrated multi-trophic (IMT) farming approach. This is the concept of cultivating animals and/or plants at different positions or levels in the food web, ideally those with a complementary function in the farm’s overall ecosystem.

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