Researching economic feasibility of the mixed-cell raceway, providing a way for small farms to enter the aquaculture industry.

With the growing demand for locally grown seafood in the United States, small farmers need an economically feasible solution to enter the aquaculture market. Consumers are seeking healthy fish, produced using sustainable methods. Currently, small farmers struggle, financially, to build viable indoor systems which can meet the needs of the local market. The goal of this project is to provide incentive and opportunity for small farms to convert USDA-sponsored research to technological innovation in the private sector. Aquaculture must continue to increase its capacity as the wild catch is predicted to only marginally increase by 1.5% yearly over the next 15 years. While aquaculture is an environmentally responsible alternative to fishing, it also provides a consistent and reliable source of high quality, safe seafood. Notably, seafood is only as good as the water in which it lives. In comparison to outdoor ponds or raceways, indoor recirculating systems offer the advantage of raising fish in a controlled environment, permitting consistent product growth rates and predictable harvesting schedules. These indoor systems use 90-99% less water than conventional aquaculture systems; less than 1% of the land area; and provide for environmentally safe waste management treatment. Although current indoor technology can produce fish, the system set-up and operation is cost-prohibitive to most small farmers. This project will bring new technology from the lab to the farm, researching the "mixed-cell raceway" design as a viable option for the small farmer. The advantage of this technology exists in the innovative approach of growing multiple cohorts of fish in one tank, while maintaining the efficiencies of the more costly fiberglass round tanks. Simply stated, two "mixed-cell raceways" have the potential of replacing twenty-three 1,100 gallon fiberglass tanks, significantly reducing start-up costs. Research will determine if this initial cost saving technology will carry through to production efficiencies, and overall profitability. Phase I will complete a full grow-out cycle of tilapia, from fingerlings to market sales, producing 20,000 lbs. of tilapia annually. As the research is performed, production efforts will be documented and reports generated to assist the small farmer in following a plan to successfully raise fish year round and compete in the aquaculture market. The impact of this research will affect small farms in the following ways: 1)Entry into the aquaculture market will be possible at a variety of financial levels. 2)U.S. imports of fish will be significantly reduced. 3)Consumers will have available to them a safer, healthier choice in fish. 4)Sustainable methods for fish production will be practiced, using less land and water, while having greater control over waste water contaminants. 5)Increased agricultural opportunities will create jobs and improve rural communities.