AQUASHADE TECHNOLOGY: Solution to the Low Seed Production of Nile Tilapia due to Climate Change

Food and Agriculture Organization in 2017, tilapia is the most consumed farm fish in the country. Ave.
consumption of 4.6 kg/person. 12% of animal protein intake of Filipinos.

Tilapia production decreased in the last 8 years. Climate change affects tilapia production in fresh water
fishponds. High temperature, leads to low seeds, high mortality, and low yield during grow out. Weather
and climate is uncontrollable, but we can help tilapia farmer be more resilient and able to cope with
external factors. To ensure that tilapia farming remains to be profitable, and to be able to support the
demands of the growing population.

The Aquashade technology is a potential way to address the tilapia production. It regulates extremes of
water temperature to make it favorable for reproduction.

Global average temperature increases annually due to climate change. This affects us, humans and
animals including those in aquatic environment resulting in massive fish kill both in fresh waters and
marine waters. It also results in coral bleaching due to loss of symbiotic algae (zooxanthellae). In
addition to this, fish reproduction is also affected, since there is ideal temperature for reproduction,
once it exceeded the limits, this will result in decreased reproduction.

According to the paper titled, Farmed tilapia production in the Philippines is declining: What has
happened and what can be done, by Philippine Journal of Science, authored by Mr. Guerrero, the major
causes for the low average annual tilapia production were the following: high water temperature (68%),
lack of government assistance (58%), poor breed of tilapia (52%), high cost of production (46%) and lack
of capital (44%). Since the leading major cause is high water temperature, they conducted a study to
evaluate the effect of different shading designs on the water temperature and tilapia seed production.
They evaluated three shadings namely, Top shading (TopS), Half shading (HalfS), and Total shading
(TotalS) and included in this is the unshaded pond, that will serve as the control. They utilized net with
40% shading capacity.

As for the breeding procedures, they conditioned the breeders for 10 days, with males separated from
females, and later on stock up together in a breeding hapa with a size of 2m x 1m x 1m, and a stocking
density of 4/m2 composing of 2 males and 6 females with a sex ratio of 1male:3 females. The breeding
period lasted for 15 days, and they do 3 replications per treatment. After the 15 days of breeding period,
they are to collect the fry and egg, and eggs collected are artificially incubated in down welling systems
until they reached the fry stage. They are able to record a water temperature of around 36C in
unshaded pond during the hottest period of the day (around 3pm) and the use of aquashade recorded a
reduced water temperature of around 3.0C with the used of TopS treatment. As for the spawning rate,
which means the number of females that spawned over the total number of females multiplied by 100;
they are able to found out that there are increased in spawned females in shaded treatment vs the
unshaded ones. For the total seed production, results are again significantly higher in shaded treatment
vs the unshaded. Aquashade was also evaluated during the cold season, and the result is it still
numerically higher in shaded treatment compared to the unshaded in terms of spawning rate and total
seed production.

Follow up studies were also done using different greenhouse net shade capacities, utilizing 40% shade
capacity as the positive control, and the unshaded as the negative control; including also the 60% and
80% shade capacity. In terms of effect in water temperature, the shades are able to reduced water
temperature by more than 3-5C. In the case of 80% shading capacity, they are able to record a more
than 5C decreased in water temperature and more than 3C in 40% shading capacity both in surface
water temperature and bottom water temperature.

The effect of shading and water temperature in terms of Gonadosomatic index, which is the weight of
the female gonad over the total weight of the fish multiplied by 100; the result is that there is increased
in GSI in 40% shading capacity and 80% shading capacity in comparison to the remaining two
treatments. This indicates that the ovary of the females was fully developed during the start of the
breeding period. The decreasing GSI pattern in 40% and 80% shading, indicates that the egg was spent
or released and was fertilized for the production of offspring. Sperm activity on the other hand has
shown significantly higher sperm activity in all shaded treatment as compared to the unshaded. Sperm
motility also shown significant higher motility score in shaded treatments compared to the unshaded. In
terms of sperm density, the highest average density was obtained in 40% shading capacity. Breeding
performance which includes total seed production, seed production per female, and spawning rate
records a higher breeding performance in all shaded treatments in comparison to unshaded treatment
which records show 0 breeding performance, because of the effect of higher temperature.

Pilot testing were done in private hatcheries in the Central Luzon State University, the results were
almost the same with the previous study that shows that shading (TopS) the breeding area can reduce
water temperature by around 3-5C and can significantly increase spawning rate (>100%) and seed
production (>100%). Shaded treatments showed higher GSI (before breeding) and percentage of active
sperm; motility score and sperm density (40%S) than unshaded treatment.

Three designs were developed, first is the low-cost design that utilized bamboo and GI-wire frame that
costs 31, 250.00 in 500m2 breeding pond, with a 108,00.00 increase income per year; second is the used
of GI-pipe and GI-wire frame that costs an estimate of 55,000.00 in 500m2 breeding pond and an
increase income per year of 108,000.00; last is the GI-pipe frame that costs 160,000.00 for a 500m2
breeding pond and an increase in income per year of 108,000.00.