Best Practices for Small to Medium Scale Tilapia Aquaculture

102 Pages·2005·23.77 MB·English

Best Practices for Small
to Medium Scale Tilapia
Aquaculture
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July 5, 2005

Sr. Álvaro Otárola Fallas
Instituto Costarricense de Pesca y Acuicultura
San Jose, Costa Rica

Dear Sr. Otárola:

Enclosed is our report entitled Best Practices for Small to Medium Scale Tilapia
Aquaculture. It was written at Instituto Costarricense de Pesca y Aquaculture during the
period January 13, 2005 through July 5, 2005. Preliminary work was completed in
Worcester, Massachusetts, prior to our arrival in Costa Rica. Copies of this report are
simultaneously being submitted to Prefessors Vernon-Gerstenfeld and Gerstenfeld for
evaluation. Upon faculty review, the original copy of this report will be catalogued in the
Gordon Library at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. We sincerely appreciate the time that
you and Dr. Rolando Ramirez Villalobos have devoted to us.

Sincerely,

Megan Slonski

Adam Broders

Matt Douville
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Title Page
Report submitted to:
Professor Susan Vernon-Gerstenfeld and Professor Arthur Gerstenfeld
Costa Rica, Project Center
By

Names: Signatures:

Adam Broders

Megan Slonski

Matt Douville

In Cooperation With

Álvaro Otáro Fallas, Head of the Department of Aquaculture

INCOPESCA, Department of Aquaculture

BEST PRACTICES FOR SMALL TO MEDIUM SCALE TILAPIA AQUACULTURE

Date:____________
This project report is submitted in partial fulfillment of the degree requirements of
Worcester Polytechnic Institute. The views and opinions expressed herein are those of
the authors and do not necessarily reflect the positions or opinions of INCOPESCA or
Worcester Polytechnic Institute.

This report is the product of an education program, and is intended to serve as partial
documentation for the evaluation of academic achievement. The report should not be
construed as a working document by the reader.
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ABSTRACT
The goal of our project was to inform INCOPESCA of the condition of small and
medium scale tilapia farms throughout Costa Rica and to identify the best practices for
this type of production. We conducted twenty interviews at tilapia farms, where we
identified the current practices in use and aspects of aquaculture in which the producers
require assistance. Then we determined a set of best practices for this type of production
and created a pamphlet containing three important topics. We also made
recommendations to INCOPESCA designed to encourage the implementation of our
findings. Our project aims to improve tilapia production, which will then support job
creation and provide a protein-rich source of nutrition to many in need.
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AUTHORSHIP PAGE

This paper was written in entirety by all team members. Matt Douville, Adam
Broders and Megan Slonski all made equal contributions. All of the sections can be
construed as teamwork.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

As we look back on the work we have just completed for our Interactive Qualifying
Project, we realize that we are indebted to many people to their contribution to our
project.

We would like to start by thanking Professor Susan Vernon-Gerstenfeld and Professor
Arthur Gerstenfeld for their constant guidance and numerous paper revisions and also for
their support and encouragement through our preliminary work up until the completion of
our project.

We would like to extend our deepest gratitude to our liaison Sr. Álvaro Otárola Fallas,
who dedicated invaluable time and whose insight provided us with information that was
vital to the success of our project.

We would also like to thank German Arce Cerdas. Not only for escorting us to numerous
interviews but also for the kindness he showed us and for all that he taught us about
tilapia aquaculture and about the Costa Rican culture.

There are two other individuals from INCOPESCA that we would like to thank for their
time, effort, and contribution to our project. Their names are Dr. Rolando Ramirez
Villalobos and Gerardo Zamora Ovares.

We would also like to extend our sincere gratitude to the twenty-one tilapia producers
who donated their time and shared valuable information with us. The completion of our
project would have been impossible without these kind people.

While in the United States we interviewed Professor Michael Rice, a professor at The
University of Rhode Island, and Mr. John Reid, president of Bioshelters, Inc. We would
like to thank both of these individuals for their time, the information they provided to us,
and the contacts they put us in touch with.

Additionally, our team would like to thank Octavio Casavantes and Juan Pablo Quiros for
giving us invaluable assistance with the translation of some of our documents and our
presentation.

Finally, we would like to thank our parents. Their love and support has contributed to our
project in countless ways, and for this will be forever indebted to them.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS

ABSTRACT....................................................................................................................i
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS............................................................................................iii
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY...........................................................................................vii
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION..............................................................................1
CHAPTER TWO: BACKGROUND INFORMATION...................................................4
HISTORY OF AQUACULTURE...............................................................................4
HISTORY OF TILAPIA AQUACULTURE...............................................................6
TYPES OF AQUACULTURE SYSTEMS..................................................................8
Water-Based...........................................................................................................8
Land-Based..........................................................................................................10
POPULATION CONTROL......................................................................................13
FEEDING.................................................................................................................14
FERTILIZATION.....................................................................................................18
Inorganic Fertilizers.............................................................................................19
Manuring..............................................................................................................20
WATER QUALITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL PARAMETERS............................21
Temperature.........................................................................................................21
Dissolved Oxygen................................................................................................22
Salinity and pH.....................................................................................................24
Ammonia.............................................................................................................25
Nitrite...................................................................................................................25
CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY.......................................................................27
CHAPTER FOUR: FINDINGS, ANALYSIS AND BEST PRACTICES......................32
CURRENT PRACTICES AT SMALL TO MEDIUM FARMS............................32
COMMON PROBLEMS......................................................................................38
INNOVATIVE TECHNIQUES............................................................................43
REQUESTED INFORMATION..........................................................................46
CHAPTER FIVE: SOCIAL IMPLICATIONS..............................................................49
CHAPTER SIX: RECOMMENDATIONS....................................................................51
GLOSSARY.................................................................................................................53
APPENDIX A: MISSION AND ORGANIZATION OF INCOPESCA.........................54
BASIC INFORMATION..........................................................................................54
ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE........................................................................54
MISSION..................................................................................................................55
APPENDIX B: INTERVIEW WITH PROFESSOR MICHAEL RICE..........................56
APPENDIX C: INTERVIEW AND TOUR WITH JOHN RIED, PRESIDENT OF
BIOSHELTERS............................................................................................................57
INTERVIEW............................................................................................................57
TOUR.......................................................................................................................58
APPENDIX D: INTERVIEW QUESTIONNAIRE.......................................................60
APPENDIX E: EXAMPLE RECORD..........................................................................64
APPENDIX F: BEST PRACTICES..............................................................................65
Before Starting a Farm.........................................................................................65
Design of the tanks...............................................................................................66
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Receiving Fingerlings...........................................................................................67
Management.........................................................................................................69
Stocking Density..................................................................................................69
Feeding................................................................................................................70
APPENDIX G: BEST PRACTICES MANUAL............................................................74
REFERENCES.............................................................................................................86
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TABLES
Table 1: Feeding Chart for Tilapia. Note. From “Feeding techniques, Conditions on Two
Different Tilapia Faros,” Robinson, Bob (n.d.), Retrieved March 27th, 2005, from
http://aquasales.com/techinfo/feed.pdf...................................................................14
Table 2: Feeding Table from “Feeding Tilapia in Intensive Recirculating Systems”,
Riche, M. & Gargling, D. (2003), Northern Central Regional Aquaculture Center.
Retrieved March 24, 2005, from
http://aquanic.org/publicat/usda_rac/efs/ncrac/ncrac114.pdf..................................15
Table 3: Feeding Results and Calculations....................................................................34
Table 4: Optimal Temperature Range for Two Species of Tilapia..................................65
Table 5: Fish per Cubic Meter for Given Changes Per Day............................................70
Table 6: Feeding Table..................................................................................................72

FIGURES
Figure 1: Series and Parallel Tank Designs (2005)........................................................11
Figure 2: Interview Location Distribution......................................................................32
Figure 3: Concentrado...................................................................................................33
Figure 4: Temperature Distribution...............................................................................35
Figure 5: Distribution of Membership in Organizations................................................36
Figure 6: Fingerling Acquisition....................................................................................37
Figure 7: Fish Symptoms and Comparisons...................................................................39
Figure 8: Standard Tube Exit Located at the Bottom.....................................................41
Figure 9: Monje............................................................................................................41
Figure 10: Dissolved Oxygen Distribution.....................................................................42
Figure 11: Netting in Protection of Bird Attacks............................................................44
Figure 12: Water Filtration System at Proyecto Tilapia AMUCHI.................................46
Figure 13: Range of Requested Information..................................................................47
Figure 14: The organizational structure of INCOPESCA...............................................54
Figure 15: Proper way to Hold a Tilapia for Sexing.......................................................67
Figure 16: Female Genitalia..........................................................................................68
Figure 17: Male Genitalia..............................................................................................68

EQUATIONS
Equation 1: Changes Per Day........................................................................................69
Equation 2: Total Number of Fish.................................................................................70
Equation 3: Average Fish Mass Equation......................................................................71
Equation 4: Mass of Food to Feed Fish Equation...........................................................72

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The goal of our project was to inform INCOPESCA of the current condition of
small and medium scale tilapia farms throughout Costa Rica, to identify the best practices
for this type of production, and to find ways for INCOPESCA to relay our findings to the
farmers. It was very important to achieve this goal because when problems arise in a
tilapia farm they can have a very large impact on a farm’s production rate and ultimately
the revenue that the producer will receive.
In Costa Rica, a developing nation of nearly 4,000,000 inhabitants, about 3,600
people are dependant on the tilapia aquaculture industry. Many of these people own
small farms that are located in rural areas where there are very few sources of income. In
the past banana and coffee farms used to provide many jobs in these areas, but as world
prices fell, some people became unable to make a living working in these industries.
Many turned to tilapia aquaculture in hopes of increasing their income and improving the
quality of life for themselves and their families. The implications of our project apply not
only to Costa Rica but also to many other countries around the world. These include
Thailand, the Philippines, and Honduras as well as many other countries located in
tropical areas that are near the equator because of their similar climates and economic
situations.
We are aware that there is sufficient knowledge in available literature regarding
the best practices for tilapia aquaculture. However, our project aimed to identify a set of
best practices that are specific to small and medium scale production in the tropical
country of Costa Rica where monetary resources and technology are limited. To
accomplish this we initially conducted onsite interviews at twenty farms in the Atlantic
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