MARICULTURE
Any mariculture project should start with a preliminary economic analysis.
What might be needed to undertake mariculture: Land, water, capital, a market, and management skills are essential to successful fish farming. Knowledge of these requirements will help you to plan and develop your enterprise.
Elements include:
- Identifying a suitable species
- Identifying the purpose of your operation (i.e. hatchery, grow out )
- Identifying a location or site
- Finance
- Scale of Operation
- Permits and licences - in the different countries around the world legislation on mariculture and its enforcement vary widely
- Equipment – cages, boats, feed cannons etc
- Water supply and quality
Questions to be addressed are:
- Is this a reasonable business proposition?
- Do markets exist and are they stable?
- Do they have the potential for further growth?
- Do you need to lease a marine site?
- Is a suitable site available?
- Are you intending on developing a land-based business?
- Will it be purchased or leased?
- What are the relevant government regulations?
- What permits are required?
- Has an Environmental Impact Assessment been undertaken?
- Are stock animals readily available?
- What finance is available?
- Is it adequate for both start-up and on-going purposes?
Unlike onshore systems, offshore mariculture production comes about not just through the design and selection of a holding unit, and the placing of this unit in a particular location, but through the combination of a number of interacting factors.
Furthermore, choices for this combination of factors would usually be shaped by a single objective – profitable production.
Profitable production requires productivity, reliability, market focus and competitiveness over the periods for which investment decisions would need to be made.
Some practical advice:
- Aquaculture requires hard work and commitment for success.
- Recognize that fish are living animals and need to be treated as such.
- Human resources, management skill, and a drive to succeed are essential.
- Start small to reduce risk of loss while you are learning about aquaculture.
- Grow a high-value high-quality product and provide good service.
- Business experience and knowledge are needed.
- Marketing your fish is where the money is made.
- Aquaculture is a high risk business.
- It takes a long time to make a profit in aquaculture.
- Work only with a proven fish production technology.
