World Aquaculture December 2019

66 DECEMBER 2019 • WORLD AQUACULTURE • WWW.WA S.ORG • Ecofriendly technique, and • Efficient provision of animal protein to consumers. IPRS Demonstration Site in Southern Punjab The first IPRS in Pakistan was installed at Punjab Fish Farm in Khanewal district, Southern Punjab, with consultancy services from SoyPak. The systemwas constructed in a 3-ha traditional earthen pond with an average depth of 2.25 meters. The system, built as a fixed floor project, was installed on a poured concrete wall footing with pond liner bottoms. It consists of three raceways, each with LWD dimensions of 22 m × 5 m × 2.25 m. With an operating depth of 2 m, the volume of water enclosed is 220 m 3 . The total culture volume of the raceways for holding and growing fish is 660 m³, equivalent to 2.33 percent of the total surface area of the production pond. Raceways are equipped with five regenerative blowers of 1.6 kWhorsepower each. Additionally, the pond has three whitewater units, a jet aerator and a paddlewheel aerator installed in the open water area, which helps in mixing, accelerating and circulating water around the pond. A backup generator system has been installed to supply uninterrupted power supply to all IPRS units. Fingerlings were stocked in the second week of June 2019. The first raceway was stocked with 6,000 fingerlings of grass carp Ctenopharyngodon idella with an initial average weight of 70 g for a stocking density of 1.75 kg/m 3 of raceway volume. The second raceway was stocked with 8,000 fingerlings of rohu Labeo rohita with an initial average weight of 300 g for a stocking density of 10.9 kg/m 3 of raceway volume. The third raceway was stocked with 16,500 fingerlings of GIFT Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus with an initial average weight of 32 g for a stocking density of 2 kg/m 3 of raceway volume. Expected biomass at the time of harvest is 55 kg/m 3 , 75 kg/m 3 , 75 kg/m 3 in the first, second and third raceways, respectively. Fish are being fed a 32 percent protein feed ad libitum initially. The feeding protocol can be modified depending on temperature, growth and total biomass in each raceway as fish growth progress. Water parameters such as dissolved oxygen, temperature, TDS and conductivity are regularly checked. Total body weight and length will be checked monthly. Samples will be collected from each raceway for proximate analysis and determination of profile of fatty acids and amino acids to study the quality of fish meat and growth. As stocking density is much greater compared to traditional pond farming, the effects of crowding stress on physiology and growth of fish will be studied. Although IPRS technology is in practiced in a few countries, scientific research has not been combined to evaluate its benefits. This innovative technology has been introduced in Southern Punjab through mutual collaboration among Punjab Fish Farm, SoyPak, the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan and Lahore College for Women University. The Punjab Fish farm has shown willingness to take the initiative to invest in the project. SoyPak, an aquaculture consultancy firm, trained human resources from the aquaculture industry and academia in IPRS technology and has been closely involved and is monitoring the recent construction and operation of the first IPRS in Pakistan. The Higher Education Commission of Pakistan has provided funding support for the project and the Lahore College for Women University will perform the scientific evaluation of growth and effects of high stocking density on growth performance of fish in IPRS. The inauguration ceremony of the first IPRS in Pakistan was held at a farmers field day on 4 August 2019 in Khanewal, South Punjab (youtu.be/86OQ3NejyW8) . Senator Rana Mahmood Ul Hassan, a member of the Senate Standing Committee of Commerce and Textiles, was the chief guest. He inaugurated the IPRS site and declared it a remarkable and history-changing occasion for the aquaculture industry in Pakistan. The guest of honor was the Director General of Fisheries, Punjab, Dr. Sikender Hayat, who appreciated the IPRS team for introduction of this technology in Pakistan. Representative of Higher Education Commission of Pakistan, Tariq Aziz Chaudhary introduced the objectives and targets of technology development fund and mentioned about the historic struggle of the institute to bridge the gap between industry and academia. He also declared this technology good news for the aquaculture industry in Pakistan and encouraged such innovative technology transfer projects partially funded by HEC. Several progressive fish farmers keenly participated in the event and appreciated the efforts of SoyPak in the progress of blue revolution in Pakistan. R.S.N. Janjua, Consultant of the project gave a brief description of components and benefits of IPRS to participants and gave a tour of the IPRS demonstration unit to the group. The Future Potential of IPRS Technology in Pakistan The IPRS is a modern aquaculture technology, providing a solution to water wastage and offers zero water discharge for three to four years, as commonly practiced. Moreover, it will improve the per unit area production of fish in Pakistan, thus optimizing the available resources of land and water and enhance the industrial viablility and profit potential for fish farmers. Higher production per unit area will efficiently improve the return on the investment making IPRS the best choice for progressive fish farmers and allied industries. IPRS in Pakistan will be a historic step in the Blue Revolution of the country. Since the inauguration of the demonstration site, fish farmers and public departments have been keen to knowmore about the design, benefits and expected harvest biomass. It seems likely that this technology will soon be adopted by other progressive farmers. With the IPRS, the future of aquaculture in Pakistan will be brighter, providing low-cost animal protein in the form of fish at the table of every consumer to contribute to the improvement of food security in the country. Acknowledgments The author acknowledges the efforts of American Soybean Association/WISHH and U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC) in promotion of IPRS in the aquaculture industry globally. References Economic Survey of Pakistan. 2018. Finance Division, Government of Pakistan Needham, S. and S.J. Funge-Smith. 2014. The consumption of fish and fish products in the Asia-Pacific region based on household surveys. FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, Bangkok, Thailand. RAP Publication 2015/12.