Grouper Culture In RAS: The Introduction & Rule No.1

I saw a lot of interest on Re-circulating Aquaculture System shown by some visitors to this blog. My posting Introduction Of Recirculating Aquaculture System For Grouper Farming In Malaysia seem to get the most hits from the readers. In that posting, I did mentioned my wish to give my observations on the RAS that I manage to see in this country. I hope to be able to do so sometimes later. For now, let share the information on the system.

My initial exposure to RAS was way back to early 1990s when some grouper farmers in East Coast States of Peninsular Malaysia used to face high fish  mortality due to heavy rainfall during monsoon season resulting in heavy losses to them. I must say, it was too early to think about RAS during that period of time when even cage culture system was considered the most "modern" technology of the day. Later on, I get involve in cage culture of grouper fishes, only to confirm how inconsistent environmental factors will greatly affect the production as well reduce the management efficiency to the lower level with a lot of uncertainty and out of control conditions. It may frustrate even good and dedicated managers.


Abalone farming using RAS.
 Photo: Mahmud Ismail

I still remember a simple book but with very informative content published by INFOFISH with the title Recirculating Aquaculture Systems which I seriously consider as my text book during that time and remain relevant until today. (You may purchase this book on line now from INFOFISH Publication). Since then, I have seen many RAS farms in operation in many parts of the world, some in fully automatic system complete with additional support systems while others just basic RAS and some called their system as semi RAS.

High density turbot farming using RAS

One of the system that I want to mention here is an eel farm in Denmark which I visited way back in 2002 that have a production line from hatchery to finish products. The farm is using a fully automatic RAS with very minimum workers can be seen around but the fish seem to be being properly being taken care at every minutes during the farming period. In each tanks the water parameters were monitored automatically using probe sensors and reported to the control room in real time. There is no one at the control room either. Should anything odd taken place, the system will trigger the manager's and supervisor's mobile phone. To add to the sophisticatedness of the system, they are using green energy, by using wind turbine generator to supply the energy to their farm!

Another system that I always remember when RAS issue arise is a farm in Spain which I visited by the invitation from a friend from Tromso University, Norway. The farm always remind me of Stadium Melawati in Shah Alam Selangor because partly, that's how it look like. The farm contain circular tanks at various level. During my visit, they were farming turbot with capacity around 500 mt per year. They were using photo stimulant to enhance the growth of the fishes, play with gravity forces to reduce the pumping costs and the  fish physiology to do natural grading of the stock.

Mouse Grouper could be a right species for
RAS system.

Since introduction of RAS in 1970s, so much progress has taken place in this technology. Due to global pressure in marine capture fisheries and environmental problem in pan and cage cultures this system gaining popularity in many parts of the world. In the book, Urban Aquaculture (Cabi) some writers considered RAS could be the answer to the need for environmentally sustainable production of marine farmed organisms. However, since the initial and operating costs in RAS are higher as compared to pond, cage or pan cultures, anyone who want to invest in RAS must seriously consider the kind of species they wish to culture in order to achieve economic return on the investment. Generally speaking, we should go for higher price species if we are using RAS. Nevertheless, economic of scales in slightly lower priced species could also bring a positive results.

I always consider some grouper species are economically viable to be cultured using RAS. So, our first rule of thumb in choosing either to use or not to use RAS is the economic viability based on the price of the chosen species. 

Genetically Improved Farmed Groupers (GIFG)

There always some inspiration when I look at salmon industry. The industry growing in a very focus way to improve its productivity, efficiency and reducing the effect of potential problems. a lot efforts has been done to perfect the industry in various aspects. One of it is the genetic improvement of the farmed salmon strains. Recent report by FishUpdate  dated January 31, 2011 mentioned on the progress of study in Infectious Pancreatic Necrosis (IPN) virus resistance gene in salmon. IPN virus is  a major killer for commercial salmon farming especially for young fishes all over the world.

The researchers from University of Edinburgh, Institute of Aquaculture at University of Stirling and geneticist from Landcatch Natural Selection Limited (LNS) in United Kingdom manage to find this gene. In 2008, they published the evidence of an IPN resistance gene which is beneficial to prevent death of salmon from IPN. For the first time in aquaculture, LNS used marker assisted selection, an advance form of selective breeding, to improve resistance to IPN in their commercial strains. Further study now going on to find the precise location of the gene in the salmon genome and to identify additional genetic markers closer to the resistance gene. These Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) markers used to select the IPN most resistant fish for breeding. Their works surely shown a way for researchers in grouper industry to apply such leading-edge genetic and genomic technology in grouper's genetic selective breeding to help farmers to get a better strain for fast growing, disease resistant and highly demanded grouper fishes.



Hybrid between female tiger grouper and
male giant grouper.

 So far, not much result of groupers genetic research available in this country or even from this region. However, I must pay my respect for the best work done by some researchers in cross breeding of Giant Grouper (E. lanceolatus ) and Tiger Grouper (E. fuscoguttatus). Although this finding was not based on the work at gene level, I would say it is seriously a good achievement and should deserve all the credits. The output of this hybridisation technique currently in high demand in the market, getting very good price and acceptance at the consumers level.

Tilapia nilotica: Original and modified to suit the
colour's preference of the oriental markets.
Photo: Mahmud Ismail 

Last few years, the tilapia farming got a boost from the introduction of Genetically Improved Farmed Tilapia (GIFT) which brought good results in term of growth rate and flesh recovery which helps thousands if not millions of farmers around the world. I love to see such development in grouper farming. Since we do have good example from other farmed species, the chances of duplicating such process to the grouper species seem to be very natural way of getting the fastest results, before more serious works take place. Off course the situation of tilapia culture seem to be more easier than groupers culture due to single species (Oreochromis niloticus) needed to look into in the case of GIFT.

Since early of this millennium, some researchers already emphasize the need for further research on genetic improvement for the grouper species. I flip through some papers presented in one workshop on grouper aquaculture back in 2002 ( you can download it free for your own leisure reading from Proceeding of Grouper Workshop) and found suggestion from one presenter that emphasize the need for genetic improvement of the cultured grouper species. In this region, I saw some works on genetic improvement for grouper have been carried out in neighboring country but actual result from the study still not yet being published.

Should we become one of the scientist studying the genetic improvement of the grouper species, what could be our priority to look into? Perhaps the fast growing gene in Mouse Grouper, low salinity tolerant gene in most of grouper species, VNN virus resistant gene or something like new hybrid between Giant Grouper with Coral Trout? As for me, most probably I will go for fast growing gene for Mouse Grouper and Coral Trout. Perhaps, I will produce another version of GIFT for these kind of groupers. Can we call it GIFG?

Research On Groupers.

I was reading again(and again) a simple report in January-February 2009 issue of Global Aquaculture Advocate on trials of advance low-salinity culture of Cobia, Pompano and other species. The report was on successful collaborative efforts between Agricultural Research Service (ARS) of the United States Department of Agriculture  and  Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute of Florida Atlantic University to develop and improve technologies for rearing marine fish in low cost, energy-efficient, low salinity and recirculating aquaculture system for various species. The broad issues in the aquaculture industry were addressed in holistic and integrated approach by bringing in diverse researchers of multi disciplines to address the bottleneck of the industry. 

What attract my attention to this particular report was on how research organisations and multi discipline researchers of broad based skills were gathered to improve the aquaculture technologies in USA. I love that kind of arrangements for solving and improving the aquaculture technologies. Reading from the report, it covers multi aquaculture species such as Cobia, Pompano, Southern Flounder, Summer Flounder and hybrid between Striped Bass and Black Sea Bass. By having multiple species will require different skills and knowledge in the research team. The researches of multiple disciplines to improve multiple issues at one time are efforts which require good centralised command. The issues covered from eggs to market.

Farming Protocols

Stripping the eggs from matured broodstock
of Mouse Grouper C. altivelis

Among the achievements from the studies are the  protocols on predictable   spawning pattern throughout the year using hormone inducement for pompano as well as black seabass and  mass production of juveniles in RAS (re-circulating aquaculture system) for pompano which helps in better growth, survival  rate and shorter time for metamorphosis.  The study also successfully documented the fecundity, fertilization rates and hatching success during numerous spawning trials conducted over the last four years. The ongoing research was designed to determine the optimal broodstock sex ratios, photothermal regimes and environmental cues to achieve natural spawning on a year-round basis for pompano. Should you interested to know more about RAS, I will recommend you to read in detail about it in this book: Recirculating Aquaculture. The study of such environmental stimulants is very interesting and I believe can be use as a basic knowledge to be use for our grouper hatching technique. Although hormonal inducement are now a well known technique in fish breeding, I personally paying more attention to the environmental stimulants that can be manipulated to induce the natural spawning activities among the grouper species because I believe such stimulation that actually trigger the spawning behaviour of most of the fishes in thier wild natural habitat.

What trigger the spawning activities of grouper fishes in their natural habitat such as in coral
area of  Tun Sakaran Marine Park, Semporna, Sabah? Photo: Sim See Hong.

Feeding Regimes

Come back to that particular research, the team also manage to find the way to short cut the enrichment process of live feed from 12 hours to 3 hours which directly will reduce cost in preparing the better quality live feed. Cofeeding of artemia with microparticulate as soon as possible can coincide with metamorphosis at 16 to 18 DAH (days after hatching) plus the usage of certain attractant to increase growth and survival of early postmetamorphic larvae of pompano. Since the usage of live feed is one of my subject of interest (in reducing the fry production cost), I hope to be able to benefit from this study in my own trial production. Perhaps the usage of algae and certain macrophytes could be the answer in reducing the grouper seed production costs. If you interested in this subject, I would like to recommend you this book: Use of Algae and Aquatic Macrophytes As Feed In Small Scale Aquaculture for your reading (you can download it for free).

Nutrition

The particular researches manage to determine the protein level in the diet for their targeted species. Black seabass achieve optimal growth with 45% dietary protein and 10% lipid. Pompano give optimal growth result at 48% protein (37% digestible protein) and 18% lipid in their diet. They found out that the diet for black seabass give the best result for the fish reared in decreasing salinity down to 10 ppt but give the different result to pompano when reared below 1 ppt. This indicate that the diet does not meet the pompano requirement at that salinity and the researchers now working to determine the amino acid requirements for pompano.

They found that fish meal diet give the best result for pompano and black seabass (and other carnivorous species) but still studying the best alternative to fishmeal from soy products, corn gluten meal, meat and bone meal, distiller's dried grain, poultry by-products (PBP) and blended meals in order to reduce the cost of feed in high and low salinity culturing regimes. The research manage to determine the amount of isolated soy protein that could replace the fishmeal for pompano and black seabass, which shown that 80% replacement of fishmeal is possible but the growth will significantly affected after 40% replacement.  They evaluated 5 poultry processing co-products for fish meal replacement and found that pompano grow well in 10 weeks farming period using 75% replaced fishmeal by poultry by products.

Well, we not exposed to such knowledge on effect of salinity to growth to grouper fishes although some observations shown the lower in salinity may help to reduce the cannibalism among the tiger grouper fishes. How ever about the fishmeal replacement, I was so pleased to read some reports from University Malaysia Sabah (UMS) on their success of developing diet for mouse and tiger groupers using poultry by-products which suppose to reduce the feed cost of grouper farming although we not yet see such feed in our market.

Engineering Aspects

In these aspects, the said research targeting to reduce the energy consumption to move the water in RAS. Pumping is the way of moving the water in RAS and normally using centrifugal pump. They found that using airlift pumps is a better alternative and lower in initial and operating costs. Airlift pumping system use the buoyancy of the entrained air bubbles to lift up and move the water.

Their study using 7.9 cubic meters tank with 1 meter depth shown that water moved by gravity down a PVC pipe to a 10 cm diameter airlift  riser pipe and lifted back into the tank using air from air blower. The submergence:lift ratio greater than 80% with the water velocity in the approach pipe was at least 61 cm/second while at the riser pipe the velocity was recorded at least 30.5 cm/second. They also found that the dynamic head increased with increasing water flow and  a greater freeboard in the tank increased the airlift need and off course, greater air flow was required to maintain a steady flow rate  in the tank. By placing the air injection lower in the riser pipe, a greater flow per unit was achieved. By applying such information, they manage to reduce 30% of their energy usage in a juvenile nursery. They evaluated airlift techniques for aeration either for the fish, filter and degassing needs in RAS. At the same time, they also evaluated total ammonia nitrogen (TAN) and solid waste removal, and water, energy and oxygen supplement in a low head system.

To most of us, RAS is still new and know-how on the subject still at a very infant stage. I do not know such engineering aspect being taught at our universities or not, either as part of their hydro-engineering  or aquaculture engineering subject. Hopefully, our graduates in fisheries from UPM, UMS, UMT and  UNISZA have equipped  themselves in such technology before they come out into fisheries / aquaculture sector.

Production

Using 3m diameter tanks in RAS system, (complete with  solid removal using swirl separators and rotating drum filter, with each system supplied with two floating biofilters equipped with automatic back washing controller, oxygen contactor, degassing column and ultraviolet sterilizer) the studies evaluated the grow out of hybrid striped bass, pompano and cobia from juveniles to marketable size. In 110 days trial, juvenile from 259g were stocked in 2 different densities at 5 ppt end up 632g and 570g respectively. Although food conversion ratio (FCR) were still relatively poor the results shown that pompano can be cultured in low salinity using RAS. In similar study, cobia with initial weight 322g  were reared  using RAS shown growth to 2.1kg in 119 days with excellent FCR, survival and 42% fillet yield. Both studies shown that both species can achieve a marketable size within a short period of time provided they were given right treatment and proper food.

I must say that I love that conclusion. To those who are still skeptical about RAS as a viable and commercial way in aquaculture investment, I sincerely suggest for them to look at all major seafood export countries such as Norway, Scotland, Denmark, Chile and study their way of doing their business. No doubt that you will find some still doing cage and pond culture, but at the same time most of the successful ventures done using RAS system.

Malaysian Groupers: Need For Concerted Efforts

My actual point in highlighting the studies done by ARS of USDOA and Harbor Branch Oceanic Institute of Florida Atlantic University is that our grouper farming industry also in the need for such broad based and multi disciplines researches which should be done in a very concerted efforts. I do not know who should lead the team nor who should become the member of the study team(s). However, from my personal communications with friends at various institutions that somehow related with aquaculture and fisheries activities, I can sincerely conclude that we do have expertise in that multi disciplines studies.

A simple RAS system for nursing of Seabass and Grouper juveniles in inland area of Bukit Beruntung,
Selangor which only cost the owner less than RM50,000 to set up. Photo: Mahmud Ismail

Maybe I can stress one simple point should such studies taken place. Please find the appropriate technology that suit us and easily adaptable to our farmers. Please don't show us the multi million Ringgit RAS system which non of us can afford to build or perhaps only few can afford to invest. I stress again the word appropriate, please find the APPROPRIATE technology for us. Another point, please, please, please and please make the finding available to all interested parties and stake holders. Please don't keep it as a secret to the researchers only, after a lot of public fund being used to fund such projects. Can we have such broad studies, multi disciplines, multi expertise and multi institutions in grouper farming in Malaysia taken place and answering  the real business need? My answer, always, Malaysia Boleh!

Green Greasy Grouper, Kerapu Botol, Epinephelus tauvina





Green Greasy Grouper. Photo Credit: Randall, J.E


 Green Greasy Grouper, is among the first species of groupers being cultured in this country. Back in mid of 1970s, the fry of cultured fishes of this species come from the wild. During that period, there is almost no fish nursing activity commercially done in the country. Since we did have abondance of the fry of this species in our water, it were caught and sold to neighbouring countries for nursing until to gain size of 1 inch size or bigger. Most of our cage culture operators during that time have bought the 1 inch to 3 inches fry from neighboring countries and grew them in their cages until they reach the market size of 600 g - 800 g. During that period, the mortality rate of stocked fry were very high especially during 1st week to  3rd weeks from the stocking day. Lack of know-how even on cage culture methodology was rampant among the fish farmers. Since then, many efforts taken by some of the government agencies on cage culturing  and fry nursing techniques to improve the culturing techniques and innovated the nursing techniques in this country. All these efforts although taking times to makes reasonable impacts, but were surely the changing factors of the new development of our aquaculture industry in this country.

Distribution of Green Greasy Grouper. Source: fishbase.org

The green greasy grouper is the native fish for many regions. It is one of  the most wide spread among  groupers species in tropical and sub-tropical waters. It can be found in Indian Ocean,Red Sea, Andaman Sea, Malacca Straits, South China Sea, China Sea, Sulu Sea and Pacific Ocean, ranging from 30°N to 32°S and 29°E to 123°W and always associated with the coral ecology from 1meter to 300 meters. It can grow up to 80 cm length and weight up to 27 kg.



Green greasy grouper's normally found in the coral area. Photo: Mahmud Ismail.

Green Greasy Grouper common being served in our local seafood restaurants. Although not getting high price in the export markets, this species still getting reasonable price locally which make some farmers now keeping some this species in their farming system  to supply to the local live seafood outlets. As our local markets favor slightly small size fishes (600g to 800g each) the farmers find that this species easy to be farmed and within comparatively reasonable farming periods. Since this is a native species to the our waters and with locally produced fry, it having less problems than any species that using imported fry.





There Always Some Excitements When Giant Groupers Were Caught!

I just want to share some archive news back in August 2010 on this species in Utusan Malaysia Online - Dalam Negeri. Every year, there always such news in our local newspapers which shown that the excitement for this fish remain intact among all of us. I hope you enjoy reading it but at the same time may spend one minute to think how many more of such sizes GG remain in our water. With the new technology in GG hatching and farming, I hope we will continuously be able to enjoy the tasty taste of GG (and the power it may have) and at the same time reducing the pressure on the wild caught stocks.

 

 Another archive news that attract my attention in early 2010 reported in The Borneo Post which is the kind of news that I love to read and share with everyone in the industry. It was reported that KFH (Kuwait Finance House) did making inroads into the country’s aquaculture sector via acquisitions of two aquaculture businesses namely KS Aquaculture Sdn Bhd (KS Aquaculture) and Ikmaju Sdn Bhd (Ikmaju).  These such of move that aquaculture and fisheries industry in this country are hoping, for long, long time. Past should be the periods when anything fishy belong to the poor, non educated and weak in management. This industry is really a business of its kind and deserve proper attention from corporate players.  

 

I also want to share another archive news way back in February 2007 in our English newspaper thestar.com.my where it was reported that our target of production for GG by the year 2010 will be 122,000 tonnes. I do not actually care either it was wrongly reported or not, but want to share my happiness that at least we do have some targets to be achieved. 2010 already over and soon the statistic on fisheries production will be released. We may see the result. I will be very happy if  we surpassed our target but if not, just try again and harder this year. It is not a failure after all, but slight delay in implementation.

 


Malaysia: Grouper Fish Production

 

In my previous post, Common Grouper Fishes Of Malaysia I did my analysis of our grouper productions for the last 5 years based on the official published figures which I re-post again here. Regardless of what was the results of previous years production patterns, I strongly believe that 122,000 tonnes production is achievable if we want it and if we work for it. It is just only 10 times higher of our current 2009 figures and that 122,000 tonnes is just nothing compared to market demands of this species. I hope to be part of those contributing to achieve that figures directly or indirectly, God willing.

Coral Trout, Kerapu Bara, Plectropomus leopardus .


 


Coral Trout, P. leopardus

 

This species already in the Malaysian aquaculture and fisheries industry for quite sometimes, they have been sought after by the fishermen and aqriculturist as well as the seafood restauran operators.  Lately, they are commonly cultured especially in Sabah, Pulau Pinang, Perak, Selangor and Johor. The landing from the wild catches always sporadic all over nation.






Transporting Live Coral Trout in Semporna, Sabah.



This fish getting very good price in local and export markets. In some places in Malaysia, this fish will be caught alive. The off-sizes fishes will be kept  in the cages and be fed with fresh fish until they grow to the market size. Although this method of farming has been debated due to utilisation of natural resources and not that efficient in reducing the pressure on natural stocks plus the usage of food fish to fed the fish, I still consider this method as a value addition process to increase the value of the off-sizes Coral Trout that have been caught by the fishemen.

The commercial farming of this species always using the imported fry from other fry producing nations. There is no report of fry production of this species in Malaysia so far though there could be some unreported productions from the commercial hatcheries.




Distribution of Coral Trout. Source: fishbase.org

 

In the wild, this species always associated with coral areas at the depth of 3m to 100m. It usually can be found from 35°N to 30°S and 99°E to 178°W, from Eastern Indian Ocean to Western Pacific Ocean. The biggest recorded weight was 23.6 kg and with body length 1.2 meters though normally found was around 0.5 kg to 3.5 kg and with body length between 20 cm to 35cm. The longest repoted age of this fish was 26 years. The fish sexually mature at the length of 21-60cm. The adult fish feed on fishes and squids. They are protogynous hermaphrodite (initially as functional females, then turn into functional males at certain age). They normally spawn during new moon phase and having spawning aggregations behaviour during mating process in the reef area.  Their fertilize eggs will float just below the surface of the sea water until hatched. The juveniles of Coral Trout feed on small fishes and crustaceans and normally found in the demersal of shallow coral areas.

In term of price, I saw this species have enjoyed very high price for the last few years with last year highest price of HK$700/Catty and lowest HK$300 and average price of HK$545/Catty making it a very good high value species in HongKong market. The colour of this species also suit to  our Asian taste for happy colours of our foods. Red and golden spotted always associated with good luck and prosperity to us, the unique Asian people.

With good demand and good price, it really supprise to see that this species is not among the popular marine fishes that be able to be reproduced in this country. Perhaps, we do really must strategize our priorities of the targetted species that we must pay attention to. I read an article published in an aquaculture journal back in 2001 that some countries already started producing the fry of this fish way back in 1985.  We hope to see some changes this year and hope there will be some report on the production of this species by Malaysian hatcheries.

 

The Introduction of Recirculating Aquaculture System For Grouper Farming In Malaysia

RAS as it being called in the industry. I personally like the idea of precision farming and has been working on it back in 1990s when most of my friends think the cage culture was the best system for us due to easiness to set up and the abundance of suitable sites in our water bodies sorrounding the country. How relief am I now to see the emergence of RAS into our local aquaculture industry with this technology,either imported or locally invented. The most important point for me is the system already accepted by the industry. As in other cases of technology transfer in Malaysian fisheries and aquaculture industries, the farmers always shown a wait and see attitudes in the beginning but will not hesitate to invest into it once they have confident on the system. In fact, once convinced, they are very fast learners, with their own kind of additions and inventions.





Demonstration unit of RAS for grouper fry nursing

 

I must pay my respect to various Malaysian government agencies and government linked companies that have been working out to bring and introduce  this technology into this country. The efforts made by such agencies and companies make the work of convincing the present fish farmers and potential new investors much easier to the expansion officers.

I like to mention the innovation done by DOF at their marine research center in Tanjung Demong, Terengganu, Malaysia. Their researchers at that center successfully creating a simple and cheap RAS called CENTS (Cheap Efficients Nursery Tank System) for small scale nursery operators but can easily adopted by the commercial scales hatcheries.




RAS as being developed by one of the farmers.

They are very practical with their

 implementation of the system.

 The acceptance by the fish farmers seem to be very positive. I manage to visit few projects developed by the farmers after they undergo training from the center. For me, the sign of acceptance is very clear but the level of knowledge on the scientific parts of the technology must be improved to ensure our farmers properly equiped with the proper know-how of the system, especially the biofilteration process of the system.
Biofilters for recirculating aquaculture systems (Fact sheet)




Another RAS system used by farmers
 for fry nursing. Look at the colour
 of the tanks. That is their own innovation.

 

As previously mentioned, our fish farmers are very innovative to do the "perfection" into the systems that acceptable to them. They love to try their own ideas on the systems. I like this attitude and if given with right basic scientific knowledge of the systems, they might be able to come out with a better systems for their own usage. Without such basic knowledge, they might end up in failure, something that must be avoided for the future growth of aquaculture industry using this system. I am more concern that new investors that interested in this systems, especially those public listed companies and GLCs to properly understand the principle behind the system and not making mistakes in choosing the systems to be implimented at their project. The more well known corporate organisation failures not just tarnish their  own name, but drag down the potential of other investors to get the financing from the banks especially to those small scale fish farmers.




Another RAS under construction with their own perception.

 I wish to post some of my observations on the practice of RAS in Malaysia as well in other countries in future. As a way to improve the production of aquaculture industry especially for grouper fishes sustainably, I sincerely hope this technology will immediately mature in this country, so that we might ba able to precisely manage our production as it has been done in poultry farming. Only with precision, sustainable and environmental friendly technology that our grouper farming d aquaculture industry can go far. We are just one step from nowhere, but since 1000 miles started with the first step, I sincerely applause our first step taken by all of us. Our next step is to ensure those who are involve in the industry are well equiped with at least basic scientific knowledge about the systems.