Integrated Fish Farming

By: Bibha kumari

Research scholar
Department of zoology , A,N.College, Patna , Bihar!, "n#ia
Agriculture is kno$n for its multifunctionalities of pro%i#ing employment, li%elihoo#, foo#,
nutritional an# ecological securities .&o#ay the economy is base# on mainly in the fiel# of
agriculture an# soft$are #e%elopment in the area of "nformation &echnology. 'or achie%ing
rapi# progress in rural area, our strategy must focus on( conser%ing natural resources,
enhancing efficient of resource use, increasing pro#ucti%ity an# profitability an# impro%ing
)uality an# competiti%eness through re#uce# unit cost of pro#uction.
"ntegrate# plant nutrients an# protection
systems of crop, li%estock an# a)uaculture pro#uction are being up#ate# for %arious agro*
ecologies. +ater is emerging as international challenge an# its most efficient management as
$ell as recycling has been gi%en high priority in the plan of formulation. Recycling of crop
resi#ue as $ell as agricultural by pro#ucts inclusion of nitrogen fi,ing legumes in rotation, bio
fertilizers, %ermicultres, agro forestry, nutrient solubbizing micro*organisms, efficient nutrient
up taking plant %arieties etc. are being strategies in the research man#ate. "mpro%e# efficiency
farm machinery energy, agro* input an# resource conser%ation technologies of minimum tillage
are being researche# to minimize the cost of pro#uction.
"ntegrate# 'ish 'arming is one of the best e,amples of mi,e#
farming. &his type of farming practices in #ifferent forms mostly in the -ast an# .outh -ast
Asian countries is one of the important ecological balance# sustainable technologies. &he
technology in%ol%es a combination of fish polyculture integrate# $ith crop or li%e stock
pro#uction. /n farm $aste recycling, an important component of "ntegrate# fish farming, is
high a#%antageous to the farmers as it impro%es the economy of pro#uction an# #ecrease the
a#%erse en%ironmental impact of farming.
"ntegrate# fish farming ser%es as a mo#el of sustainable foo# pro#uction by follo$ing
certain principles:
&he $aste pro#ucts of one biological system ser%e as nutrients for a secon#
biological system.
&he integration of fish an# plants results in a polyculture that increases #i%ersity
an# yiel#s multiple pro#ucts.
+ater is re*use# through biological filtration an# recirculation.
0ocal foo# pro#uction pro%i#es access to healthy foo#s an# enhances the local
economy.
"n certain areas, pa##y fiel#s remain floo#e# $ith $ater for a perio# of 1*2 months in a
year, #uring $hich some gro$th of fish is easily possible. 3ence, fish is culti%ate# in pa##y
fiel# to gi%e sustainable a##itional supply to the farmer. &his practice is common in "taly,
4apan, 5alaysia, se%eral African countries an# to some e,tent in "n#ia %arious techni)ues are
employe# for fish culture in pa##y fiel#s #epen#ing upon the climate local con#itions, species
of fish a%ailable an# the %ariety of pa##y culti%ate#. &he culti%ation of pa##y is the primary
purpose of farmer( hence fish culture is to be a#apte# to the sche#ule of pa##y culti%ation.
.pecies that are suitable for culture in pa##y fiel#s must be able to thri%e in shallo$ $ater.
&hey shoul# be able to tolerate relati%ely higher temperature an# turbi#ity. Certain carps,
murrels an# tilapia are suitable for culture in pa##y fiel#s. 'ish culture is beneficial to the
pa##y also to some e,tent. 'ish perform tillage( #estroy $ee# an# insect that cause #amage to
the pa##y plants, thus increasing pa##y pro#uction.
"n "n#ia, e,periments con#ucte# on fish culture in pa##y
fiel#s in +.Bengal ha%e sho$n that the sur%i%al rate of Labeo, Catla and Mrigal ranges from
16*678, an# the species sho$ more rapi# gro$th in pa##y fiel#s than in pon#s. 'iel#s that are
left floo#e# for a long or short perio# after har%esting can be easily utilize for fish culture.
. &he $etlan# area $hich
is generally $aste lan# can be use# as integrate# fish farming $ith Eurale ferox culture in
same pon# 9 tank Eurale ferox is commonly kno$n as :5akhana; is an a)uatic plant<s fruit
ha%ing %ery high nutriti%e %alue an# are culti%ate# in northern "n#ia an# some other Asian
country! .&his type of mi,e# culture $ill offer greater efficiency in resource utilization, $ill
re#uce risk by #i%ersifying crop an# $ill pro%i#e a##itional foo# an# income. &his system
$ill be of special significance as it $ill impro%e the socio*economic status of $eaker rural
fisher community.
'ish culture in Eurale ferox pon#s can be groupe# as:*
a! secon#ary crop of fish after a Eurale ferox corp.
b! along $ith the Eurale ferox #uring the perio# of culti%ation( an#
c! continuous fish culture, transferring the fish to specially prepare# pon#s or channels
#uring the har%esting perio# of Eurale ferox.=
&he %arious stages of Eurale ferox culti%ation in pon#s an# tanks
consi#erably alter as $ell as #isrupt the ecological con#itions of the $ater bo#y. &he
planktonic pro#ucti%ity of such pon#s remains %ery meager #ue to sha#e# surface imparte#
by Eurale ferox lea%es $hich mostly co%er the entire surface of the pon#. .o that the air*
breathing fishes, by %irtue of the presence of accessory respiratory organs can thri%e $ell in
such a#%erse, lo$* o,ygen en%ironmental con#itions. "t is a common %ie$ that the air*
breathing fishes in such ecologically #isrupte# ecosystem are probably ma#e for each other
by nature itself. &hese fishes are $ell kno$n for their high protein, high iron, high calcium
an# lo$ fat content an# easy #igestibility an# such, suitable for all people.
&here are %arious species of air* breathing fishes most i#eally suite# for
stocking in Eurale ferox pon#s. &hese are generally carni%orous in nature an# in culture
operation they a#opt themsel%es e,cellently to supplementary fee#ing $ith #rie# trash fish,
oil cake an# rice bran. Among these fishes Clarias batrachus an# Heteropneustes
fossilis are kno$n to be fee#ing gastropo#s, insects, micro crustaceans, an# other lar%ae.
Anabas testudineus is generally a micro plankton fee#er in younger stages an# takes to
insecti%orous habit in later stages.
Eurale ferox cum fish culture has certain a#%antage an# #isa#%antage. &he
main a#%antages are :*
>! the most economical utilization of pon# or $etlan# area, since the same pon# $oul# be
use# for the pro#uction of both Eurale ferox an# fish.
?! @tilization of limite# e,tra labour to take care of fish, since both Eurale ferox an# fish
may be taken care at the same time.
1! &he )uantity of supplemental of fish fee#s, if it all gi%en, $ill be comparati%ely less
compare# to fee# gi%en to the fish in general pon# culture an# the unuse# fee# in pon#
Eurale ferox increases the fertility of the pon# by acting as organic manure.
6! 'ish eat harmful organisms, such as insect lar%ae an# some other $ater insects, fresh
$ater mollusks. &he Eurale ferox yiel# $oul# increase #ue to re#uce# insect pest pressure
an# increase# organic fertilization.
A! &he mo%ement of fish $oul# result in better aeration of the $ater an# greater tillering of
the Eurale ferox crop.
&he #isa#%antages of the Eurale ferox cum fish culture are: *
>! "f the fish are intro#uce# to early, they may #amage the young Eurale ferox plants.
?! &he huge spra$ling lea%es of Eurale ferox plant keep the $ater surface sha#e# from
5ay to August. During this perio# sun*light $ill not penetrate insi#e the $ater surface #ue
to $hich the grazing chain gets #isrupte#. As a result of this the #issol%e# o,ygen content
of $ater gets #eplete# $hich makes the en%ironment unfa%orable.
Another e,ample of mi,e# farming is pra$n culture in combination
$ith fish, like maBor carps. &here is no competition for foo# or space, as carps are non
pre#atory. &he faecal matter of fish might ser%e as an a##itional source of foo# for pra$ns,
$hich are #etritus fee#er or sca%engers. 'or e,tensi%e pon# culture, fertilization of the
pon# an# artificial fee#ing play a significant role. Rice bran, broken rice, groun# nut oil
cake, fish meal, $orms an# meat are use# as artificial foo#.
Benefits of integrating fish $ith crop are:
>. conser%ation of $ater resources an# plant nutrients
?. intensi%e pro#uction of fish protein
1. re#uce# operating costs relati%e to either system in isolation.
Reciprocating biofilters pro%i#e uniform #istribution of nutrient*la#en $ater $ithin
the filtration me#ium #uring the floo# cycle, an# impro%e# aeration from
atmospheric e,change #uring each #e$atering $ith benefits to both nitrifying
bacteria an# plant roots.
Dissol%e# an# suspen#e# organic materials accumulate rapi#ly in a)uaculture
systems an# must be remo%e# for efficient fish pro#uction.
A)ueous nitrate concentrations in re*circulating a)uaculture can be a#e)uately
regulate# $hen fish an# crop pro#uction are linke# %ia reciprocating biofilters.
Research to #etermine the optimum ratio of fish pon# to biofilter %olume on fish
gro$th rate an# $ater )uality foun# that stocking #ensity of fish an# plants can %ary
#epen#ing on #esire# goal. &he component ratios of the system may be manipulate#
to fa%or fish or crop pro#uction accor#ing to local market tren#s or #ietary nee#s.
'ish stocking #ensity an# fee#ing rates are a#Buste# to optimize $ater )uality as
influence# by plant gro$th rate.

&hus by applying mo#ern metho# for integrate# fish farming on large scale by the
people li%ing in the $etlan# region $ill #efinitely play an important role in the rural economy.

R-'-R-NC-.

Di%er .te%e , ?77C,A)uaponicsD"ntegration of 3y#roponics $ith A)uaculture, A&&RA
Publication E"P>C1
Fhanna .. .., An intro#uction to 'ishes : >GGC
Herma. A.5., >GG6. "ntegrate# fish farming $ith 5akhana Eurale ferox! 'ishing chimes
>6 ?!:>1