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https://e-catalogs.taat-africa.org/org/technologies/cage-systems-for-fish-farming
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Cage Systems for Fish farming

Cage Culture: Dive Deep for a Sustainable Leap!

Cage Systems for Fish Culturing represents a mobile aquatic nursery located within a lake, river, or sea. This involves the submersion of a substantial net or enclosure in the water. Juvenile fish are introduced into this enclosure, where they reside and develop, consuming the organic nutrients available in the surrounding water. The enclosure serves as a safeguard, shielding the fish from potential threats. It facilitates the nourishment and health monitoring of the fish. Once the fish reach an appropriate size, they can be harvested from the enclosure. This method cultivates a significant quantity of fish in a natural, secure, and regulated environment, similar to operating a floating aquaculture facility.

This technology is TAAT1 validated.

8•8

Scaling readiness: idea maturity 8/9; level of use 8/9

Adults 18 and over: Positive high

The poor: Positive medium

Women: Positive medium

Farmer climate change readiness: Significant improvement

Problem

  • Limited Space: Traditional fish farming methods often require large tracts of land, which can be expensive and scarce.
  • Lack of Control: In open water bodies, it’s difficult to control the environment of the fish, leading to losses from predators and disease.
  • Water Quality Issues: In other forms of aquaculture, especially in small ponds, water quality can deteriorate quickly. This can lead to problems like low oxygen levels, buildup of harmful substances like ammonia or nitrite, and excessive growth of algae.
  • Environmental Concerns: Some aquaculture methods can have a negative impact on the environment, such as pollution from waste products.
  • Unpredictable Upwelling Events: In open water bodies, upwelling events can occur, where cold, nutrient-rich water replaces the warm surface water. This can drastically change the conditions in the cage, affecting the health of the fish.

Solution

  • Efficient Space Utilization: Cage systems allow for efficient use of water bodies, reducing the need for large tracts of land. This makes it a cost-effective solution, particularly in areas where land is scarce or expensive.
  • Controlled Environment: The enclosed nature of the cages provides a controlled environment for the fish, reducing losses due to predation and disease.
  • Water Quality Management: Cage systems help manage water quality issues that are common in other forms of aquaculture. They contribute to maintaining water quality in larger water bodies.
  • Reduced Environmental Impact: Cage systems aim to minimize the environmental impact of aquaculture. They contribute to maintaining water quality in larger water bodies.
  • Mitigation of Upwelling Events: High-tech solutions have emerged to address the issue of predicting and mitigating upwelling events.

Key points to design your program

In the near future, this section will provide an overview of this technology's success in various contexts, details on partners offering technical support, training, and implementation monitoring, along with other valuable insights for your projects and programs. These details will be added progressively.

In the meantime, use the 'Request information' button if you need to contact us.

150 USD

Fish cage of 8 cubic meter

IP

Open source / open access

Cage Systems for Fish farming

 

 

 

 

 

Ethiopia, Angola, Zambia, Uganda, Togo, Tanzania, Sudan,
South Sudan, Somalia, Sierra Leone, Senegal, Rwanda,
Mozambique, Mali, Malawi, Madagascar, Liberia, Kenya,
Guinea, Eritrea, Equatorial Guinea, Djibouti, Democratic
Republic of the Congo, Central African Republic, Cameroon,
Burkina Faso, Botswana, Benin. 

Countries with a green colour
Tested & adopted
Countries with a bright green colour
Adopted
Countries with a yellow colour
Tested
Countries with a blue colour
Testing ongoing
Egypt Equatorial Guinea Ethiopia Algeria Angola Benin Botswana Burundi Burkina Faso Democratic Republic of the Congo Djibouti Côte d’Ivoire Eritrea Gabon Gambia Ghana Guinea Guinea-Bissau Cameroon Kenya Libya Liberia Madagascar Mali Malawi Morocco Mauritania Mozambique Namibia Niger Nigeria Republic of the Congo Rwanda Zambia Senegal Sierra Leone Zimbabwe Somalia South Sudan Sudan South Africa Eswatini Tanzania Togo Tunisia Chad Uganda Western Sahara Central African Republic Lesotho
Countries where the technology is being tested or has been tested and adopted
Country Testing ongoing Tested Adopted
Angola No ongoing testing Tested Adopted
Benin No ongoing testing Tested Adopted
Botswana No ongoing testing Tested Adopted
Burkina Faso No ongoing testing Tested Adopted
Cameroon No ongoing testing Tested Adopted
Central African Republic No ongoing testing Tested Adopted
Democratic Republic of the Congo No ongoing testing Tested Adopted
Djibouti No ongoing testing Tested Adopted
Equatorial Guinea No ongoing testing Tested Adopted
Eritrea No ongoing testing Tested Adopted
Ethiopia No ongoing testing Tested Adopted
Guinea No ongoing testing Tested Adopted
Kenya No ongoing testing Tested Adopted
Liberia No ongoing testing Tested Adopted
Madagascar No ongoing testing Tested Adopted
Malawi No ongoing testing Tested Adopted
Mali No ongoing testing Tested Adopted
Mozambique No ongoing testing Tested Adopted
Rwanda No ongoing testing Tested Adopted
Senegal No ongoing testing Tested Adopted
Sierra Leone No ongoing testing Tested Adopted
Somalia No ongoing testing Tested Adopted
South Sudan No ongoing testing Tested Adopted
Sudan No ongoing testing Tested Adopted
Tanzania No ongoing testing Tested Adopted
Togo No ongoing testing Tested Adopted
Uganda No ongoing testing Tested Adopted
Zambia No ongoing testing Tested Adopted

This technology can be used in the colored agro-ecological zones. Any zones shown in white are not suitable for this technology.

Agro-ecological zones where this technology can be used
AEZ Subtropic - warm Subtropic - cool Tropic - warm Tropic - cool
Arid
Semiarid
Subhumid
Humid

Source: HarvestChoice/IFPRI 2009

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals that are applicable to this technology.

Sustainable Development Goal 1: no poverty
Goal 1: no poverty
Sustainable Development Goal 2: zero hunger
Goal 2: zero hunger

Cage Systems for Fish Culturing work by confining fish within a mesh enclosure that is either fixed or floating in a body of water. Here's a step-by-step description of how it works:

  • Cage Construction: The cage, which can be made of various materials such as synthetic netting or metal, is constructed and anchored in a suitable water body. The cage is designed to be sturdy and resistant to the conditions of the water body.
  • Stocking the Cage: Juvenile fish, also known as fingerlings, are introduced into the cage. The species of fish chosen depends on several factors including their growth rate, reproductive behavior, nutritional requirements, market value, and ability to survive in the confined environment.
  • Feeding and Growth: The fish are fed according to a specific feeding regime, which can include natural foods and detritus, benthos, and artificial feeds. The mesh of the cage allows water to flow freely, maintaining good water quality and removing wastes.
  • Monitoring and Maintenance: Regular monitoring of the fish and the cage system is carried out to ensure the health of the fish and the integrity of the cage. This includes checking for signs of disease, assessing the condition of the cage, and monitoring the water quality.
  • Harvesting: Once the fish reach a marketable size, they are harvested from the cage. The mesh design of the cage makes it easier to harvest the fish.

This method of fish farming allows for efficient use of water resources, better control over the cultured organisms, and reduced environmental impact.

Last updated on 5 November 2024