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Recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) overview
Aquaculture farming, especially fish farming, is a rapidly growing industry that is increasingly facing pressure to practice sustainable farming to reduce its ecological footprint. One of the recommended methods is Recirculation Aquaculture Systems (RAS). According to FAO, it is a sustainable fish farming technology that involves reusing water. Compared to traditional farming, recirculation systems offer two advantages: reduced environmental impact and cost-effectiveness. This guide discusses the recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) and its benefits. Let's get started.
What is a Recirculatory Aquaculture System
In a recirculating aquaculture system, water is constantly treated, filtered, and reused to control environmental factors in high-density fish farming using minimal land and water. Unlike other aquaculture production systems, it is an intensive-density fish farming system. As opposed to traditional methods of raising fish outdoors in open ponds and raceways, this method involves rearing fish indoors and outdoors in controlled environments. In recirculating systems, feed quantity and quality, as well as the type of filtering, play a critical role in the management of the system. A recirculating system can use a wide range of filtration technology. Still, it aims to remove metabolic wastes, excess nutrients, and solids from water while maintaining good water quality. Nevertheless, backyard recirculation aquaculture systems must be encouraged to encourage small-scale fish farmers and entrepreneurs and facilitate fish production in urban and semi-urban areas with limited land and water availability.What Are the Advantages of a Recirculatory Aquaculture System?
Recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) have several advantages in aquaculture. One of the benefits of this system is that they can be located anywhere as they are self-contained and can recirculate water. This has several advantages, such as reducing transportation costs and carbon emissions associated with traditional aquaculture, which requires fish to be transported. Additionally, RAS offers the advantage of controlling the culture conditions and collecting waste compared to traditional ponds or open-water aquaculture. Aquaculture on land prevents escapees and limits disease transmission from outside. Due to the proximity of markets, RAS promises more sustainable food production with less freshwater consumption and shorter transport distances. Lastly, RAS helps reduce the environmental impact of agriculture by reducing the discharge of waste and chemicals into the environment. A well-managed circulation system that addresses hygiene and stocking issues is less reliant on chemicals, thus reducing its carbon footprint.Conclusion
RAS is suitable for aquatic farming and offers various benefits over traditional aquaculture methods. The need for healthy supplies throughout the year is a basis for improving efficiency in fish farming, which is why the use of RAS for fish production will continue to grow. More than half of the fish and seafood humans consume come from aquaculture. Aquaculture products are the only way to fill the fish and seafood market's supply gap. Want to learn more? Explore these aquaculture companies: Aquafact-International-Services-ltd, Aquanzo and Chobe Bream - Aquaculture Fish Farm.Last month
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