Dedicated To Tribal Aquaculture Programs
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March 2009 ~ Volume 67 | |
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Topics of Interest:
Two Announcements from the Northern Aquaculture Demonstration Facility
Two Announcements from the Northern Aquaculture Demonstration Facility
Submitted by: Greg J. Fischer, Northern Aquaculture Demonstration Facility
Midwest RAS Workshop and NADF Aquaculture Field Day & Vendor Fair
June 10 -12, 2009
With Lake Superior, the world’s largest freshwater lake, as our backdrop, the Midwest Recirculating Aquaculture Workshop, Aquaculture Field Day and Vendors Fair will be fun, informative and provide opportunities to exchange ideas with others. This includes three days of great events:
- 2 days of RAS sessions in Bayfield, including NADF Tour
- Optional narrated 2 hour Apostle Islands Charter Boat Tour
- Aquaculture Vendors Fair - see what’s new and talk with manufacture representatives about their products
- Wisconsin Aquaculture Industry Advisory Counsel (WAIAC) Meeting
- Wisconsin Aquaculture Association (WAA) Quarterly Board Meeting
- Wisconsin Aquaculture Association Fish Fry
The three day workshop and aquaculture field day will provide an overview of current RAS and practices that are being utilized by the aquaculture industry worldwide. The workshop will provide hands on systems demonstration and practical operating knowledge to enable Aquaculturists to better understand RAS systems capability. Speakers from Europe and the United States will provide information on specific systems and species applicability. There will be sessions on overview/history, systems, economics, fish health & RAS along with individual presentations on coldwater, coolwater and warm water species, and aquaponics. The agenda includes a panel discussion including all speakers and hands on instruction utilizing three RAS at NADF and a water quality lab. Participants will be able to talk directly with engineers, successful RAS farmers, and researchers about RAS practices. A vendor fair in conjunction with the workshop inviting companies specializing in RAS aquaculture is scheduled. The workshop will incorporate time for networking and has planned an optional evening boat trip on Lake Superior through the Apostle Islands. On Friday the Wisconsin Aquaculture Association (WAA) and Wisconsin Aquaculture Industry Advisory Council (WAIAC) have morning meetings then at noon there will be the annual WAA fish fry and tour of NADF.
Summer Internships
Applied Research Experience for Undergraduates
Summer 2009: 25 May - 28 August
Purpose: This applied research experience program will provide undergraduate students with laboratory and fish hatchery training in aquaculture, fish culture, and aquatic ecology with extensive hands-on training at state-of-the-art fish production facilities. The goal of this program is to develop, through active participation, future fish farmers and hatchery managers that are better prepared to produce farm-raised fish for tomorrow’s consumers and stocking needs.
Description: The program will consist of a combined work & student research experience program through the UWSP-Northern Aquaculture Demonstration Facility (Two internships are available at the UWSP-NADF, Bayfield, WI and one internship, off-campus, at Star Prairie Trout Farm, Star Prairie (North-west), WI) with both laboratory and field applied research, under the supervision of the NADF co-directors and facility managers. In consultation with the facility manager, students will develop & prepare a written research plan, conduct the proposed work, and prepare a project summary. There is also an opportunity to give a presentation of the results at the UWSP Undergraduate Research Symposium in 2010.
Participating Mentors: Interns will work closely with researchers from the UWSP-Northern Aquaculture Demonstration Facility, UW-Madison Aquaculture Program, UW-Extension, Red Cliff Tribal Hatchery, WI-DNR, USFWS, the WI-Department of Agriculture, and the Wisconsin Aquaculture Association.
Stipends: Stipends of $6,160 are provided to summer participants for a 14-week full-time program (40 hrs/week).
Residence: Students will be responsible for finding their own lodging in the Bayfield & Star Prairie, WI areas. Some assistance in locating housing will be provided.
Eligibility: Applications are invited from undergraduate students who will have completed at least two years of study towards a bachelor's degree and are still undergraduates during summer 2009. Preference will be given to students majoring in biology (aquaculture minor), fisheries, aquatic biology or natural resources; but all are encouraged to apply. Minority, women and handicapped students are especially encouraged to apply. Participants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents of the U.S. and its possessions.
Deadline: The deadline for receipt of complete applications for the summer program is March 9, 2009; applicants will be notified by early-April 2009.
Application Procedure: Applicants must send a letter of interest thoroughly indicating their qualifications and interests, a copy of their college transcripts, and complete contact information for 3 professional references to the address below. Applicants should also indicate their preference for the location (Bayfield or Star Prairie).
Questions or additional information can also be requested from:
Dr. Chris Hartleb
University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
Northern Aquaculture Demonstration Facility 800 Reserve Street Stevens Point, WI 54481
Telephone: (715)346-3228 FAX: (715)346-3624 E-mail: CHartleb@uwsp.edu
http://aquaculture.uwsp.edu
New LOOK for the La Crosse Fish Health Center
The La Crosse Fish Health Center’s Internet website has received a much needed facelift recently. Previously, the website consisted of only one page and lacked details of the fish diagnostics conducted at the laboratory. There are now 67 pages which highlight the many aspects of fish health operations in Region 3.
Julie Teskie has been working on the site to increase public awareness on the issues of fish health, and improve the intra-agency flow of information. A major addition to the website is the section on fish bacterial, viral, fungal and parasitic diseases. It includes descriptions of the disease signs and pathology of significant fish diseases, as well as species affected and commonly applied treatments. Another new feature is the National Wild Fish Health Survey section that highlights the history and statistics of the survey and includes links that detail the species surveyed and the agencies involved.
Other sections include pages with information on our staff, current news, and the Fish Health Short Course. There is also a photo album and a “contact us” page. Most pages are illustrated with photos of employees engaged in fish health activities. I encourage everyone to view the new website at: http://www.fws.gov/midwest/LaCrosseFishHealthCenter/
Modern Air' Aerators
AREA has been a global leader in providing water quality solutions for industries including Aquaculture, Public Aquariums/Zoos, Wastewater, Golf Courses, Ponds/Lakes and more. AREA and its staff are dedicated to their clients globally to provide superior products and systems with exceptional customer service.
We are proud to introduce the most innovative aerator in decades that will revolutionize pond aeration! After 5 years of development and being tested by universities, our ‘Modern Air’ Aerators are a non-corrosive airlift driven aerator that will move approximately 9 million gallons of water per day.
Each 'Modern Air' Aerator operates via our patented "Airlift Technology" and has No Moving Parts providing for Maintenance Free Operation. There are No Electrical Components in the water providing for "Risk Free Operation". Each 'Modern Air' Aerator Is driven by our Rotron Regenerative Blowers as the entire system is low pressure - offering amazing efficiency.
Remember, "it is much easier to pump water with air than to move it mechanically with a blade, paddle or other device". All 'Modern Air' Aerators are manufactured from High Quality PVC with UV inhibitors making each unit non-corrosive allowing for years of durability.
The savings that our 'Modern Air1 Aerators provide are endless and making it one of the key advantages. Due to superior performance, our clients will save significant amounts of money in "Power Costs". Lastly, there is the "Piece Of Mind that there is no potential for injury from electricity in the water, no bodily harm from blades/impellers and/or no damage to the fish from blades.
Please click on the following links to view: AREA Brochure and Modern Air' Aerators
For more information, contact AREA at Aquaculture Research/Environmental Associates, Inc., P.O. Box 901303, Homestead, Florida 33090-1303, Phone: (305) 248-4205 | Fax: (305) 248-1756
AADAP's New Aquaculture Drug Update
In a continuing effort to make important aquaculture drug information as readily available to as much of the aquaculture community as possible, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service's Aquatic Animal Drug Approval Partnership (AADAP) program has begun to publish a "news-release series." We have termed this new form of information dissemination the "Aquaculture Drug Update." Unlike our Newsletter and Website, each Aquaculture Drug Update will be a highly focused, concise encapsulation of an important event relating to a specific aquaculture drug or aquaculture drugs in general. Updates will target end-user aquaculturists and will include such information as: a notice of a new drug approval, notification of important regulatory changes and a new source of aquaculture drug-related information.
Each Update will be offered in a variety of file formats (i.e., pdf, MS Word, MS Publisher and xps). We encourage you to freely transmit any Update (or the content of any Update) to anyone. If you choose to extract the information from an Update and, as an example, insert it into a newsletter, please be sure to include the entire content, including reference to the source of the information and a link to the actual Update.
Below is the content of the first Aquaculture Drug Update (dated 22 December 2008) published by AADAP. This, and all future Updates, will always be available at the following page on our website: http://www.fws.gov/fisheries/aadap/Aquaculture_Drug_Update.htm
American Fisheries Society – Aquatic Animal Drug Approval Partnership (AADAP)
Newly Updated “Aquaculture Drug-use Guidance” Poster
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s AADAP Program and the American Fisheries Society’s Fish Health and Fish Culture Sections recently published, in limited quantities and for limited distribution, an “Aquaculture Drug-use Guidance” poster. The poster was developed to better facilitate the dissemination of information regarding aquaculture drugs and their approved uses. The large-format laminated poster outlined all aquaculture drugs currently approved by FDA for use in the USA, and described permitted aquatic species, diseases or conditions, treatment regimens, and withdrawal periods.
Interest in the poster was overwhelming and in very short order we ran out of copies to distribute. But help has arrived - FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine has assisted us in publishing a new batch of posters, which are now available free of charge. This new printing has been updated to include a couple of very recent new approvals or label expansions, and will be printed with a different background color to allow one to quickly distinguish it from the earlier version. To obtain a free copy or copies, contact Niccole Lawson in the AADAP office; phone 406-994-9913 or email: niccole_lawson@fws.gov.
FDA Launches New Public Access Database of Animal Drug Approvals
The FDA‘s Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) recently announced the availability of a new database of approved animal drugs. The database, called "Animal Drugs @ FDA," is a publicly-accessible web-based application available through the CVM home page.
"Animal Drugs @ FDA" replaces the "Database of Approved Animal Drug Products," or ―Green Book, a database that was previously developed and managed by the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine Drug Information Laboratory at Virginia Tech University.
This new application allows users to search for detailed descriptions of all FDA-approved new animal drugs. The search tool not only allows users to conduct simple word searches, but is also capable of more complex searches through the following eight specific search criteria: NADA/ANADA, Sponsor, Ingredients, Proprietary, Dose Form, Route, Species, and Indication. Under the Generic Animal Drug and Patent Term Restoration Act, CVM will continue to make available electronic files of listed drugs previously provided through the Green Book on its web site. Click here to access the FDA‘s searchable database.
Time to Fertilize Those Ponds
Part 1:
Submitted by: Greg Fischer, Northern Aquaculture Demonstration Facility
I have attached a basic recipe that we have been following the last few years. It seems to be working and producing some really good plankton blooms. I would also mention that periodically the ponds need to be scraped (due to the alfalfa meal), or weeds can become a problem. We also physically remove any weeds we see in the ponds as soon as possible to prevent them from spreading.
Initial fertilization (approx. April 20, depending on weather)
- 400 pds Alfalfa meal or Soybean meal
- 18 lbs/1.7 gal liquid Urea (28-0-0 nitrogen)
- 1.0 lb phosphate(0-45-0 liquefied)
- Spread organic fertilizer before filling, spray liquid inorganic fertilizer into water
Standard fertilization (approx. every week or as needed)(verify with seechi disk readings and plankton sample tows).
- 100 lbs alfalfa meal or soybean meal
- 3.0 lbs Urea
- 0.5 lbs phosphate
- applied through June, as long as plankton bloom is needed
Part 2:
Submitted by: Paul Christel, Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa
Our pond fertilization is on the dynamic end of the spectrum. Some reasons for this include the following:
- We draw surface water from a lake and water conditions vary.
- Ponds are earthen. If a slow drawdown is used in the fall, we probably get a boost from “bugs” that went dormant.
- Plankton is collected and put out into the ponds. This is done somewhat on an “as needed” basis, but also depends on how much time we have to collect.
- We do not stock fry at a high density. Since 2004, we have reduced fry stocking by 50%. This has not affected production and seems to make the plankton last longer.
These factors tend to reduce our dependence on fertilization. Producers using well water with lined ponds, for example, need to use far more supplementation. All the variables aside though, there is a basic schedule we tend to not stray too far from. Variability is addressed more with supplemental plankton stocking than fertilization. Our base fertilization plan uses alfalfa meal and torula yeast (no inorganic fertilizers) as follows:
- At pond filling, 100 pounds alfalfa meal and 50 pounds yeast per acre.
- Weekly thereafter, 50 pounds alfalfa meal and 25 pounds yeast per acre. We tend to reduce the yeast amount as the weeks pass.
This simple approach has been working quite well. Remember though, we “cheat” by stocking plankton. This is about the simplest fertilization plan I’ve heard of.
Evaluation of Yellow Perch Grow Out in a 19°C Water Recirculating System
Submitted by: Greg J. Fischer, Northern Aquaculture Demonstration Facility
Abstract
Yellow Perch (Perca flavescens) is an important commercially raised coolwater species in Wisconsin and the Midwest. Yellow perch, of various strains, are raised for food markets and stocking uses utilizing outdoor ponds and recirculating water systems. Growing yellow perch to a market size in 10-12 months is critical for the aquaculture market in the Midwest. A pilot study to evaluate the effectiveness of combining early pond rearing and utilizing RAS systems for grow-out to meet this market was undertaken by researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Northern Aquaculture Demonstration Facility (NADF). NADF acquired Lake Mendota strain, pond raised, fingerling (127 mm avg.) yellow perch (monosex female and mixed sex fish) to evaluate hatchery production attributes (i.e., husbandry, growth, physiological condition, feed efficiency, survival, water chemistry requirements and body condition factor) in an elevated temperature (19° C) recycle aquaculture system. The monosex female fish outperformed the mixed sex fish during 190 days of rearing in the system. Specific growth rates of Lake Mendota monosex female fish in the RAS averaged 0.53mm/day and 0.58g/day and the mixed sex fish averaged 0.25mm/day and 0.33g/day. Tank densities in the RAS at harvest were 26 kg/m³ for the mixed sex fish tank and 44 kg/m³ for the monosex fish tank. Average feed conversion for the monosex fish was 1.5 and 2.7 for the mixed sex fish. Measured total ammonia nitrogen (NH3+NH4) and nitrite nitrogen (NO2-N) levels ranged from 0.0 - 0.26mg/L. Calculated unionized ammonia (NH3-N) levels did not exceed the published “safe” level of 0.05 - 0 .1 mg/L. Measured tank temperatures averaged 19ºC and ranged from 9.0-22.0º C. Measured dissolved oxygen concentration in RAS tanks averaged 7.8mg/L and ranged from 1.9 -12.0mg/L. Baseline alkalinity averaged 120mg/L, pH averaged 7.7 and ranged from 6.5-8.2. Carbon dioxide concentration averaged 35mg/L and ranged from 20-63mg/L.It does appear from this initial research project that Lake Mendota monosex female yellow perch can outperform Lake Mendota mixed sex yellow perch in an elevated temperature water (19ºC) recirculating system and that 127mm (TL) fall pond fingerlings can be reared successfully indoors for market in 190 days.
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