FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FTA Activities
Recirculating aquaculture system workshop scheduled
for June
26 April 2009--The Wisconsin
Aquaculture Association, in conjunction with the University of Wisconsin, is
sponsoring a workshop at the Northern Aquaculture Demonstration Facility (NADF)
in Bayfield. The event will take place 10-12 June and will include
speakers from the U.S. and Europe.
Given his extensive experience with
recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) and coolwater fishes, Bill Manci of
Fisheries Technology Associates is slated to speak at the event with a titled
presentation "Recirculating Aquaculture Systems for Coolwater Fishes: Context,
Advantages, and Production Criteria." He will focus primarily on yellow
perch and walleye, and will describe new techniques to raise these species in
indoor systems.
Other speakers will discuss RAS and
coldwater and warmwater fishes, system engineering, fish health, economics, and
European and U.S. perspectives. The event will include a trade show and
equipment vendors, and a tour of NADF.
The workshop is open to the public and all
interested parties. Registration forms and other details are available at
http://www.wisconsinaquaculture.com/Events_Details.cfm?ReportID=53
Indiana continues to be hotbed of aquaculture
development
27 March 2009--The Indiana Soybean
Alliance, a marketing and promotional organization for soybeans produced in
Indiana, recently sponsored a one-day workshop to educate the public about
opportunities for the development of aquaculture cooperatives.
Speakers from around the state and
elsewhere tutored a group of about 80 participants at the Boone County
Fairgrounds in Lebanon, Indiana. The all-day event included a presentation
by Bill Manci of Fisheries Technology Associates. His presentation was
titled "Tilapia Farming and Processing/Marketing Cooperative Concept:
Implications and Business Advantages." Feedback for the event from
participants was very positive.
Unlike many states, Indiana actively
supports aquaculture development through state- and Purdue University-sponsored
programs and incentives. Additionally, the economic downturn has fueled
interest in aquaculture as an alternative to more traditional industrial and
commercial business activities.
In recent months, northern Indiana has been
the focus of national media attention--in particular, given the visit and speech
by President Obama and the high level of unemployment in the area. Local
businessmen are eager to find other business opportunities, and aquaculture
appears prominently on their radar screen.
In conjunction with the the aquaculture
cooperative workshop, Bill Manci also participated in a presentation and
meetings in Goshen to discuss opportunities in aquaculture and answer their
questions about aquaculture as a business.
Aquaculture is not a panacea, but
aquaculture may play an important part in lifting Indiana from the grip of
recession. Fisheries Technology Associates is ready and willing to assist
in these efforts.
Fish processing in Indiana gets a boost
6 February 2009--The
words "tilapia" and "Indiana" are not often used in the same breath. But
work will soon begin on a plan to process and market tilapia within the state.
The demand for tilapia continues to grow at a brisk pace in the U.S.
Support in the form of infrastructure development must continue in order to
supply this demand.
A private company in Indiana has awarded
Fisheries Technology Associates a contract to study and analyze feasibility for
the development of a tilapia processing facility in the Indianapolis
metropolitan area.
As part of an overall plan to produce and
process tilapia, the Indiana company will first investigate the feasibility of
tilapia processing at a nearby location. The award comes on the heals of
plans by the Indiana company to produce the fish in or near Indianapolis.
Fisheries Technology Associates will help
develop the fish processing concept plan and associated business analysis that
will ultimately form the basis of a working business plan. Work on the
feasibility study has begun and will likely require at least several
months to complete.
Integrated agricultural projects in Latin America and elsewhere
include fish farming
1 Janaury 2009--Developing nations all
over the world now more than ever appreciate the value of aquaculture and fish
in a fully integrated approach to farming. Given their propensity for very
low ratios of feed to final product (i.e., very efficient feed conversion), producing
so-called cold-blooded animals such as fish is the most efficient way to turn
plant materials and agricultural byproducts into high-quality protein.
Integrated agriculture seeks to fully
utilize locally available inputs, and then "recycle" potential wastes to the
greatest degree possible as raw materials for other agricultural processes.
This highly efficient approach can make agriculture economically feasibility at
locations where it might not otherwise be possible or prudent.
Fisheries Technology Associates is
partnering with a Kansas agricultural biotechnology and biofuels company to
incorporate fish farming in an overall strategy to fully utilize wastes and
byproducts on the farm. The first application of this marriage of
convenience will be in Mexico, where the production of agricultural products and
agriculturally based fuels will include the production of locally important
fishes. Unlike other international fish production initiatives, none of
the fish will be exported. Instead, all of the production will be consumed
locally, for the benefit of nearby residents.
The concept includes the production of
algae, which will serve as a high-protein feed ingredient and potential raw
material for the production of biofuels.
The first project is currently planned for
Argentina in spring 2009, with subsequent projects slated for several locations
in Panama, India, Pakistan, and elsewhere.
Marine finfish production has a bright future in
Mexico
6 December 2007--As
aquaculture around the world matures, more emphasis and interest is placed and
focused on species never before reared in aquaculture environments. Such
is the case in Mexico's Baja Peninsula.
With a tropical climate and plentiful
offshore resources, Baja California is becoming a Mecca for fish and shellfish
production. Most important, the Mexican government is keenly interested in
attracting aquaculture investment to the region.
Fisheries Technology Associates is
assisting a client in the development of marine fish production in southern
Baja. While still in its early stages, the goal of the project is to
determine which species are best suited for production as foodfish, and then
expand the scope of the project to include actual production. In
particular, species that are not now widely known by the consuming public, or
species that now command high prices in the marketplace but are sourced only
from wild populations, will be viewed most closely during the initial stages of
the project.
A list of candidate species will soon be
developed and then refined as the project moves forward.
Sunrise/sunset lighting control: the best way to grow
fish
1 May 2007--Indoor production and
maintenance can be stressful for fish--particularly when indoor environmental
conditions differ from those in the wild. Temperature is often considered
the most important factor in satisfying the needs of fish in artificial systems.
This component of the environment is extremely important, but light quality,
depending on the circumstances, can be just as important.
Fish that live in temperate and northerly
latitudes use day length as an important environmental cue. While day
length is less variable at tropical latitudes, tropical fish species are equally
sensitive to changes in light intensity.
Experts and casual aquarists alike
understand the consequences of rapid changes in light intensity. "Instant
on" lights can cause chaos in an otherwise sedate indoor aquatic system.
Fish become frightened and often injure themselves as they collide with flat
surfaces, or even try to launch themselves out of the tank.
The answer to this situation is artificial
sunrise/sunset lighting control. For the past 10 years, Fisheries
Technology Associates has offered lighting control circuitry that simulates
sunrise and sunset. The effects on fish are very positive and immediate.
After a recent re-design of the circuit it now works better than ever.
For more information, visit our
Lighting Systems web site page.
Yellow perch continue to make a splash
15 April 2007--New interest in the production of
yellow perch is emerging in the upper Midwest of the U.S.
Yellow perch captured from the wild, principally from the
Great Lakes, have been a mainstay of fish consumption in the region for well
over a century. Indeed, efforts to produce yellow perch on farms have been
underway for more than 30 years. During this time, producers have
experienced varying degrees of success.
Despite continuing technical challenges, interest in
increasing the supply of farmed yellow perch has never diminished. Why?
The answer is clear: an undisputed huge demand. By most estimates, the
demand for yellow today is on the order of 35 million pounds per year (about 8
million pounds are supplied from capture fisheries), and could exceed 100
million pounds if the history of other aquacultured species such as catfish is
repeated.
Fisheries Technology Associates is a leader in the
transfer of technology for the production of yellow perch. Company
president, Bill Manci, has a long history with this species (30 years) and is
confident that yellow perch will emerge as a principle aquaculture species here
in the U.S. "The demand is undeniable. Whenever demand of this
magnitude emerges, American entrepreneurs find a way to meet that demand.
We intend to aid and facilitate development in this important aquaculture
arena," Manci stated.
FTA currently is assisting clients in developing yellow
perch production businesses at two locations in Indiana and Michigan.
Pending the outcome of feasibility analysis and business planning activities,
production could begin during the next 4-12 months.
For more information,
contact:
Fisheries Technology Associates, Inc.
Telephone:
970-225-0150
E-mail:
info@ftai.com
High-Performance Aquaculture, Fish Farming,
and Fisheries Services
