Innovations and Georgia Aquaculture

1
Innovations and Georgia Aquaculture

• Gary J. Burtle
• Animal Dairy Science
• The University of Georgia
• www.cpes.peachnet.edu/aquaculture

2
Hybrid Catfish Project

• Interest in Hybrid Catfish is gaining ground in
  the Southeast U.S.
• Selling for 1.25 to 3.0 cents per inch depending
  on state and quantity
• Highest prices in Alabama
• Limited by fingerling availability

3
Spawning Hybrids

• Need 5 yr old blue males, 4-5 year old channel
  females
• Check females each week during spawning season
  and inject with carp pituitary
• Inject male blue catfish with carp pituitary and
  dissect testes for in vitro fertilization after
  female is stripped of eggs, 3-5 females per male
• Expect 3,000 to 4,000 fry per female

4
Hybridization Trial Results

• 50 of females will produce eggs by stripping
  after hormone injection
• Male blue catfish can be stimulated with urine
  from female blue catfish
• Harvest testes within 24 hours of stimulation,
  urine or hormone
• Maintain 78 degree water for best results

5
Hybrid Stocking

• Obtain hybrid fingerlings from hatcheries with
  disease control programs
• Have fingerlings inspected for disease prior to
  purchase
• Apply chelated copper rather than copper sulfate
  for hybrid ponds
• Stock 6,000 to 10,000 per acre
• 0.05 to 1.5 pounds in 5 months

6
Vietnamese Catfish

• Basa, Pangasius bacurti
• Grown in cages on rice bran and dried fish
• Sold as frozen fillets
• From 7 million pounds in 2000 to over 20 million
  pounds in 2001
• Illegal label until October 2001

7
Basa
8
Cage Culture of Basa
9
National Bill Sets Label Law

• Introduced in House in early 2001 passed Senate
  in October
• Requires catfish to be from the family
  Ictaluridae and excludes Siluridae or
  Pangasiidae

10
Status of Imported Catfish Label

• Basa fish sold as catfish perceived as illegal
• July 2001, Vietnam orders all basa labelled as
  product of Vietnam, Mekon catfish, basa catfish,
  or pangas catfish.
• October 2001, US Senate passes label law to
  require proper catfish labeling

11
Impact of Vietnamese Catfish

• 20 million pounds of fillets in 2001
• 23 of farm raised catfish fillet market
• 3 of US catfish market
• Competition at time of US economic recession
• Pond bank price below 50 cents per pound in
  Mississippi, 53 cents in Georgia

12
Fish Imports (1,000 lb)
Sept 2000 Sept 2001 Jan-Sep 2000 Jan-Sep 2001
Catfish Fillet 615 1,401 5,174 12,175
Tilapia Products 7,499 5,552 40,787 50,007
13
Cold Storage Holdings (1,000 lb) Down 8 to 13
since 2000
10-31-00 10-31-01 9-31-01
Catfish 12,906 11,873 13,337
Saltwater Total 278,085 240,879 240,713
14
Fresh Fish Prices at Fulton Market (Nov 30, 2001)
Catfish Fillet 2.75 /lb
Cod Fillet 4.00 /lb (2.00 frozen)
Tilapia Fillet 3.90 /lb
Hybrid Striped Bass Fillet 2.75 /lb
15
Tilapia Culture

• Several Recirculating Systems in Georgia
• Some small hydroponics systems also in Georgia
• Processing in North Carolina by Southern States
  Cooperative
• Systems are in a 45-50 mile radius of Valdosta

16
Economics of Tilapia Culture

• Based on capital provided by others
• Must have land and positive net worth
• Must be identifiable as a farmer
• Approximately 20,000 net per year per system as
  a goal
• Only available through Southern States Cooperative

17
Freshwater Prawns

• Machrobrachium rosenbergii
• An exotic shrimp from Malaysia
• Tropical
• Lives in freshwater for part of its life-cycle

18
U. S. Prawn Culture

• Of interest for over 25 years
• Limited by the availability of seed stock
• Cultured in Texas, Kentucky, Mississippi, South
  Carolina, Tennessee, recently in Georgia
• Average production 500 to 800 pounds per acre.
• Maximum production about 2,500 lb/A.

19
Prawn Production in Ponds

• Prepare pond for stocking
• Stock 10,000 to 30,000 juveniles per acre
• Fertilize for first 30 60 days
• Feed a sinking feed during months 2-4
• Monitor and control oxygen and pH
• Use narrow ponds less than 2 acres in size
• Harvest before water falls below 60 degrees

20
Proper Sized Juvenile Prawns

• 60 day old, 95/oz
• 28-35 day old, 250 to 280 per oz
• Uniform size very important
• Careful handling and stocking are essential to
  juvenile survival
• Avoid overcrowding

21
Feeding Prawns

• Start with cottonseed meal and N-P-K
• Use sinking catfish feed for 500 to 800 lb/A
• Use shrimp diet for higher yields
• Monitor zooplankton with net during first month
• Feed over entire pond area
• Estimate feed rate based on prawn samples

22
Water Quality in Prawn Ponds

• Aerate continuously
• Keep oxygen above 3.0 ppm
• Monitor pH twice each day
• Flush with water to keep below 9.0 (Use pond
  water of low pH if possible)
• Add gypsum to lower pH, 1,000 to 2,000 lb/Acre
  added as needed

23
Harvest Procedure

• Seine most of prawns with water at 1/2 depth
• Use 1/2 inch mesh seine, grade with bar grader,
  62/64 width
• Consider partial harvest one month before end of
  season
• Final harvest requires pond draining

24
Economic Sketch

• Breakeven at 1,000 lb/A is about 5.00 per pound
• Juveniles cost 1,500 to 3,000 per acre
• Feed costs 300 to 550 per acre
• Aeration costs 200 to 400 per acre
• Labor cost 800 to 1,200 per acre
• Variable cost total2,800 to 5,100 per acre

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Litopenaeus vannamei
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Conditions for Culture

• 0.5 to 2.0 parts per thousand salinity
• Recirculated water or small, aerated ponds
• Establish bacterial food source as well as
  feeding an adequate sinking pellet
• Warm water temperatures would require indoor
  culture in Georgia
• Indoor culture may prevent disease outbreak

27
Current Status of Perry Project

• Contact William MacGrath 478-988-0590
• Georgia Marine Shrimp Project
• Looking for Cooperating Farmers for Phase 2 of
  project
• Economics available in next 12 to 24 months