Starting a Fish Farming Business in Pakistan

If any body want to start fish farming business then here is a guide to help him/her make  dreams come true.

Starting a fish farming business requires a lot of knowledge, skill and planning as the investor would have to look into a lot of variables to make the business possible. Though starting a fish farming business would require intensive study of both the actual technique in fish production as well as the expenses one has to invest for equipment, the fish farming business can prove to be a very profitable venture.

Studying to start a fish farming business

The very first thing that any prospective fish farming business owner has to do is to soak up on as much knowledge in fish culture as possible. It is highly advisable that he take some college courses or some programs that are related to fish farming. If the fish farming business owner has no experience it is good that he first try and work for an established fish farming expert to know the ins and outs in fish farming. If he has the knowledge he then has to conduct the research.

Do the research in the fish farming business

The would-be owner needs to study the conditions that surround his proposed location of the fish farm. He must take into account the source of water in the area and how much is flowing from it, what rate and the temperature of the water.

He should also look into other naturally available resources around the area such as geothermal water from springs. Some fishes breed faster better in warm water than others. Also look into the conduciveness of the buildings and structures around the farm. After looking into the conditions of the environment the entrepreneur also has to look into the possible market of the fish. It is not profitable to harvest tons of fishes with no buyer. Could there be a contractor for the fishes? How about fast food chains? How far is the market for the fish and what vehicle will be used to transport the fish? After finding out the possible market conditions the owner must look into organizing the business. The owner must register it as either sole-proprietorship, partnership, corporation or LLC. He must also attend to the commercial license, operating permit and other requirements that may be required by the state.

If after this survey the fish farming business still seems possible then it is time to chart the financial aspect by determining the expected and unexpected expenses of the business. How much would everything cost and what would be the sources of the funds. Through this financial analysis the entrepreneur will know in the long run how much he needs to profit for how long to pay back the overhead cost and if it is profitable to start the fish farming business.

In the world, and hence in Pakistan, fish is considered a cheap source of protein diet. In 2000, per capita food supply from fish and fishery products (kg/person) in Pakistan was 2, in Asia was 18 and in World was 16. Whereas, fish protein as a percentage of total protein supply in Pakistan was only 1%, in Asia was 10% and in World was 6%.[2] Processed fishery products can include fish meal (poultry feed, aquaculture feed), fish oil, fish glue etc. Out of the total marine fish production, the percentage for human consumption ranged between 65 and 70 percent in 2006. The rest of the catch was used for other purposes, especially reduction to fishmeal. The annual per capita fish consumption in Pakistan was about 2.0 kg in 2006.

Inland Fish Farming

11. PRODUCTION PROCESSES FELLOW

The overall production cycle for the inland fish farming comprises of 8-9 months which is mainly subjected to the life/age of the seed (specie). If fresh seed is used (with an age of less than 20 days) the production cycle will take 9 months for the production of desire output. It varies respectively with the selection of fish (seed) age. Keeping in view the economical prospective, it is suggested that fish with different age may be used for different ponds.

11.1 Sitter Selection

Special consideration should be given to the location of proposed facility. It should be located in an area that is neither subject to flooding nor near to rivers. The selected location should have enough elevation so that it can easily be dried in off season. In addition, many other factors must be considered while selecting site.

These factors may include availability of china clay in soil, round the year adequate water supply, road access even during the rainy season and location away from agricultural activities to avoid pesticides application and noise pollution.

11.2 Structural Design off the Land

The site for proposed fish farm will require proper surveying to determine the slope, bed of pond should be kept slight in slope to take advantage by allowing the water to flow as much as possible by gravity. This slope will provide water to move easily hence increase the natural oxygenation process and reduce the soil excavation due to water strike which ultimately results in the lowering of operational costs. Water distribution channels should be placed on top of the pond dikes and the drainage channels from the ponds should be kept at the lowest point of the land. Effort should be made to utilize the natural attributes of the land to minimize capital costs and to facilitate the operational efficiency.

11.3 Soil Sampling

Soil samples should be taken in account of the proposed site for analysis. These samples should be collected from the surface, middle and depth. The required lab tests are pH, soil composition (the ratio of sand to silt to clay), total dissolved salts, calcium and magnesium etc. Clay is most desirable for water retention in the fish ponds. If the soil is sandy at the surface but contains sufficient clay at an accessible depth, the sandy soil should be excavated completely, and the clay will be used for the final layers of the pond bottom and pond banks to minimize water losses.

11.4 Pond

The most appropriate pond type is the combination of both excavated/elevated ponds. If the soil has sufficient clay content, the dikes can be built from the soil that is removed during pond excavation, thus excavation costs are minimized. Elevated ponds are recommended for natural oxygenation and could be partially drained by gravity. The proposed project will be established on 8 acres of land, consisting of 7 ponds with an area of 1 acre per pond. Appropriate walkways must be designed between ponds for ease of management. Preferably a rectangular shaped pond is desirable. It should be constructed by excavation 2 to 3 feet soil and elevating for 4 to 5 feet from ground level. The crest of the embankment should be 4 to 5 feet and depth should not be more then 8 to 10 feet, having a minimum slope of 1 to 2 feet.

11.5 Water Requirement

Water is the most essential component of inland fish farming. Normally two sources of water are preferred i.e. tube well and Irrigation canal water. Irrigation water comes from the entire catchments area of the drainage, thus it carries high loads of silt, and is subject to change in environmental conditions and water quality ( temperature changes, rainfall silt loadings, alkali salt runoff, etc.) it may also carry a large number of trash/carnivorous fish. In case of selecting irrigation water, proper filtration method must be used for obtaining the desire quality.

The water quality of the tube well should be analyzed, oxygenation is main problem with the tube well water, and arrangement must be made for oxygenation of water that can be accomplished by installing air blowers. Thus temperature and dissolved oxygen should be tested at the site. A sample should be taken in one liter bottle capable of being sealed and transported immediately to a lab for further examination analysis, tests of the total alkalinity, pH, nitrogen, salinity and total dissolved solids are required. The key water quality parameters for pond production are temperature, oxygen, pH, alkalinity, hardness and nitrogenous wastes.

Dissolved Oxygen: Oxygen levels higher than 5 mg/L are good for eggs, larvae, fry and fingerlings. When dissolved oxygen levels are low, fish start gulping air at water surface. Even adult fish will perform better when the dissolved oxygen levels are adequate. Oxygen levels of 0 – 1.5 mg/L can be lethal especially if exposed for long periods. At 1.4 – 5 mg/L-fish survive, but reduced feed intake, higher FCRs, slow growth, stress, and increased susceptibility to disease has been observed. Gas bubble trauma occurs when the water is supersaturated to levels of 300% and above. During day, oxygen deficiency may not be problem in well fertilized ponds due to oxygen production from phytoplanktons and water perturbations but problem may occur when this process reverses at night so some sort of artificial aeration will be required during night or even during day if stocking densities are high. Daily monitoring of oxygen especially during hot and humid days is very important.

Temperature: Fish are cold blooded animals. Their rate of metabolism is directly influenced by water temperature. Rate of breaking down of wastes in pond and dissolution of chemicals is faster in warmer waters. Temperatures at 26 oC or higher affects solubility of oxygen in water. If the temperature is below 20 oC there is reduced feed intake which stops growth. At lower or higher temperatures than optimum, feed intake is lower and FCRs are higher. At extreme temperatures fish is more susceptible to disease and sometimes death ensues.

Water pH Level: It affects the solubility and chemical forms of various compounds. The pH range from 6.5 to 9 is acceptable, below 4 is called ‘Acid Death Point’. Fish can survive from 4 – 6.0 but remain stressed, growth is slow, there is reduced feed intake and FCRs are higher. Low pH indicates high levels of dissolved carbon-dioxide, hence, pH values from 9 – 11 are stressful for fish and considerably reduces growth rate. The pH value above 11 is ‘Alkaline Death Point’.

Alkalinity and Hardness: In combination, alkalinity and water hardness influence the buffering capacity of the pond water. Hardness is composed mostly of calcium and magnesium, which affect the physiological condition of the fish. Alkalinity also controls the amount and form of carbon-dioxide in water. Alkalinity > 20 ppm, hardness > 20 ppm, total alkalinity and total hardness above 60 ppm is desirable. Well buffered water will minimize diurnal fluctuations in pH.

Ammonia Nitrogen (TAN): Ammonia occurs in both toxic (ammonia) and nontoxic form (ammonium) depending on the pH of the water. Toxic ammonia more than 0.3-0.5 is not acceptable. The proportion of TAN in the form of ammonia tends to be higher as the pH of the water increases above 7. The fish become susceptible to pathogenic attacks and fail to eliminate ammonia from their blood because there is too much ammonia already in the water. Ammonia is excreted by fish as a byproduct of protein metabolism primarily through their gills. High concentrations of ammonia in water reduce the ability of the gills to do so.

Feeding

The fundamental objective of feeding fish is to get maximum growth, optimum yield, good health, ultimately optimizing profits which are impossible without the provision of quality feed in sufficient quantities. Presently commercial fishes are cultured at both natural and artificial feeds so feeding methods differ and are adapted according to the particular fish species requirements. Since natural feed is cultured in pond before introduction of fish and /or after stocking to cater its daily requirements, hence, feed once produced is not stored and is fed to fish immediately otherwise it will lose its palatability and nutritional efficacy. Artificial feeds, however, sometimes supplement the existing natural feed or sometimes work alone to cater all the nutritional requirements of fish. Pelleted floating artificial feed is always preferable with few exceptions.

Concentration of protein in feed decreases with increase in fish size; higher protein percentage is required for smaller fish while lower for bigger fish. Proper pelleting of feed is of key importance for ideal water quality, maximum output with minimum pollution. Nutrient requirements and feed formula can also vary in different environments and according to the availability of feed ingredients. In a well managed pond enough food will be produced to permit the moraka, rohu and thaila to attain marketable size in a prescribed growth period. All species will accept supplementary feeds and additional weight gain may be realized, but the bottom and water column feeding species (Rohu and Moraka) may receive the most benefits, especially if the amount of organic material in the pond is limited. Four rules should be followed while feeding fish;

1) A regular feeding schedule should be followed as infrequent feeding will have little measurable effect on growth. The fish should be fed on daily basis during

the warm months.

2) The quantity of feed given must be calculated based on the actual sample weight data collected at the end of each month,

3) The fish must be fed at the same time each day, and at the same place in the pond. The fish will quickly become accustomed for feeding and will often move to

the feeding area as soon as the farmer appears at the edge of the pond. This practice avoids wastage of feed.

4) The farmer must carefully observe feeding behavior and determine the extent to which the fish are consuming the feed given. Supplementary feeds and feed mixtures must be fresh as it quickly disperse and become unavailable to the fish. The fish should be fed slowly, and the farmer must stop feeding when there is no feeding activity especially in cloudy/ rainy days and when temperature is too high or too low.

When Not to Feed Fish: If the fish is showing poor feeding response, or it is not feeling well, or you are planning to harvest fish for sale for sampling or when you are treating pond or when temperature is too high or too low do not feed fish.

Reference Smeda and Pets.com.pk-Fish Farming, Business