Transporting Fish

By the University Of Auburn - Transporting fish is a very important part of fish culture. Fry and fingerlings must be transported from hatchery to pond for stocking. Brood fish are sometimes transported into the hatchery to spawn.

Introduction

It may even be necessary to transport live harvested fish to the market for sale. Many methods for fish transport have been developed. Several of these methods are described here.

Fish are generally transported in containers such as cans of different sizes, pots of ceramic or metal, wooden or metal buckets, vats, barrels, plastic bags, styrofoam boxes, bottles, jugs, animal skins and bamboo sections. In fact, almost any clean, waterproof container may be used. Certain containers provide good insulation from heat, for example, wood or styrofoam. Containers like metal or plastic are poor insulators and may have to be wrapped with wet towels or packed with ice to keep temperatures down.

Once fish have been placed in their transport container they are brought to their destination by the quickest possible means that will provide a relatively smooth and direct route. This may be by foot, animal cart, bicycle, boat, motorized land vehicle, train or plane.

CONSIDERATIONS FOR FISH TRANSPORT

Fish transport must be done carefully in order to be successful. A poorly organized effort may easily result in death of fish. The following factors directly influence fish transport.

Tolerance to transport.

A famous saying in fish culture is that "fish are not potatoes". They need tender loving care if they are to remain strong and healthy. Tolerance of fish to transport is related to their ability to resist or adapt to stressful conditions. Their resistance also changes as they pass through various life stages. Larvae are very delicate as are brood fish which are ready to lay eggs. The table below indicates stress tolerance levels of some commonly cultured fish.

• oreochromis - high tolerance
• catfish - high tolerance
• gourami - high tolerance

carps:

• common - high tolerance
• bighead - medium tolerance
• grass - medium tolerance
• silver - low tolerance
• mud - high tolerance
• black - high tolerance
• Indian carps - medium tolerance

Presence of food in the intestines.

Fish survive transport better if they have no food in their intestines. For this reason, they are not fed for 1 to 2 full days prior to the time they will be transported. Brood stock are often conditioned for transport to spawning facilities by crowding them up in a seine net and releasing them. This procedure is done for 2 consecutive days before moving them from their pond to the hatchery for spawning. The fish stop eating and this helps them adapt to the stress of artificial spawning.

Fish can also be harvested and held in net enclosures or tanks for 24 to 48 hours with clean, preferably gently running, water. The fish pass food out of their intestines and will be in good condition for transport. If the fish have disease or parasites they can also be treated easily in tanks prior to transport.

Age and size of fish.

A lower weight of small fish can be transported per unit volume of water than large fish. This guide classifies fish broadly into four main groups according to what life cycle stage they are in. Newly hatched fish are called larvae or sac fry. They are slow-moving and possess a yolk sac which provides them with at least a 24 hour food supply after hatching.

Post larvae do not have a yolk sac and are commonly called fry. Fry weigh less than 1 g. A 3 to 4 week old fish weighing more than 1 g may be called a fingerling. Sexually mature fish are often called brood stock. Table 1 provides a "rule-of-thumb" guide to determine how many fish of a given age group may be transported. These figures are based on transporting fish in sealed plastic bags containing oxygen and about 8 liters of clean water at approximately 18oC.

These numbers are only a rough guide and may not work under all conditions or for all kinds of fish. Tanks or containers must be used to transport fish if plastic bags are not available. Table 2 gives recommendations for transporting different sized fish in tanks with diffused oxygen at approximately 18oC.

Methods used for transporting fish.

It is essential to maintain adequate oxygen in the water while transporting fish. The technique recommended for oxygenating water during fish transport is use of pure bottled oxygen. It may be bubbled continuously into an unsealed container during transport, or injected into a plastic bag containing water and fish which is then sealed air-tight for transport.

When plastic bags are used, oxygen is added after water and fish. One-fourth of the bag usually contains water and fish and three-fourths contains oxygen. After adding oxygen the bag is sealed shut with a twisted rubber band, string or other material. As a precaution against leakage, the first plastic bag should be placed inside a second bag whenever possible. The sealed double bag of fish is then placed in a box, woven grass bag or other container for added protection and loaded onto a vehicle for transport. If properly packaged and insulated from heat, these containers can transport fish for 24 to 48 hours without water exchange. The following figures illustrate the use of plastic bags and bottled oxygen in fish transport.

KEINDAHAN IKAN DISCUS MENGHILANGKAN STRESS

Ikan Discus (Symphysodon spp.) yang asalnya dari Sungai Amazon merupakan salah satu jenis ikan hias air tawar yang sangat indah di dunia, sehingga ada orang yang mengatakan sebagai raja dan ratunya ikan hias air tawar. Hal ini dapat dipahami karena keindahan bentuk, warna, motif, dan gerakannya yang enak dipandang mata menjadi obat terapi stress bagi orang yang melihatnya. Bagi anda yang sehari-hari sibuk dengan aktivitas di luar rumah baik di tempat kerja maupun di tengah-tengah kemacetan jalan dengan tingkat stress yang tinggi ada baiknya memiliki ikan discus ini di rumah sebagai media mengurangi beban stres yang dihadapi.

Dilihat dari warnanya, ikan discus ada yang polos dan ada yang bercorak mulai warna biru berlian, kuning emas, merah, putih, kombinasi merah putih, orange, garis hitam, coklat dan lain sebagainya. Bagaimana memilih ikan discus yang baik ?, berikut beberapa pendapat pakar atau peternak yang sudah berpengalaman yang dituliskan dalam berbagai tulisan tentang tip memilih ikan discus yang baik :

1. Pilihlah ikan yang warnanya cerah, matanya bening, badannya mendekati bulat dan aktif pergerakannya. Ikan yang sehat juga memiliki napsu makan yang kuat.

2. Sisik ikan bersih dan tidak luka, tidak berbintik putih dan berlendir terlalu banyak. Sirip ikan haruslah terlihat bersih dan lengkap. Sirip yang sobek, rusak, berjamur menandakan ikan tidak sehat. Biasanya pada sirip ikan sering terserang fin rot. Sirip yang tidak cacat dan seimbang akan membuat bentuk diskus bulat dan enak dipandang mata.

3. Matanya bening, tidak berselaput ataupun berbintik putih. Bola mata tidak terlalu mencolok keluar. Mata yang mencolok keluar disebabkan oleh kondisi air yang tidak cocok, dan ikan terjangkit intestinal bakteri. Ukuran mata yang terlalu besar pada ikan yang berukuran kecil menandakan ikan tersebut terhambat pertumbuhannya atau biasa disebut kuntet. Selain itu mata yang hitam dapat diakibatkan oleh penyakit internal dan bisa juga akibat kontaminasi obat-obatan.

4. Bentuk tubuh ikan discus yang ideal terutama dilihat dari samping berbentuk hampir bulat, tidak kurus yang nampak dari ketebalan dahi diskus. Discus yang tidak cacat fisik, biasanya terlihat dari depan dimana sisi kiri dan kanan terlihat sama. Mulut ataupun bagian tubuh lainnya tidak ada yang lebih ke kiri atau ke kanan.

5. Ikan bernafas teratur, dimana kedua insang membuka dan menutup bersamaan, tanpa ada yang lebih besar membukanya ataupun bernafas hanya dengan satu insang. Biasanya ikan yang bernafas dengan satu insang terjangkit Gill Fluke Dactylogyrus atau kutu insang. Tutup insang rata menutupi insang, tidak pendek dan tidak menganga terbuka. Juga harus diperhatikan nafas yang sangat cepat, yang dapat disebabkan oleh kekurangan oksigen.

6. Ciri ikan yang sehat pada umumnya tidak takut terhadap manusia yang melihatnya. Discus yang baik dan sehat biasanya akan segera mendekat kaca akuarium dengan cepat, mengira akan diberi makan. Selain itu diskus yang sehat umumnya tidak menyendiri, tetapi bergerombol

7. Gaya berenangnya tidak tersendat-sendat, umumnya berenang dengan tenang, dasi/pectoral fin - sirip depan bawah perut diturunkan sehingga terlihat gagah pada saat berenang.

8. Jangan tertipu dengan warna. Warna merah menyala pada tubuh dan mata, terutama pada discus ukuran antara 2-3 inci, bukan jaminan untuk mendapatkan discus yang baik. Pada saat ini ada sebagian kalangan yang menggunakan hormon untuk memaksakan keluarnya warna ikan, yang bertujuan untuk memudahkan penjualan dan meningkatkan daya tarik ikan. Warna ini umumnya tidak bertahan lama. Pemakaian hormon dapat mempengaruhi pemijahan atau anakan yang dihasilkan.

9. Motif warna ikan biasanya akan timbul mulai 2 inci ke atas dan bertahap. Berhati-hatilah jika membeli diskus yang sudah keluar motif sejak ukuran kecil, karena kemungkinan adanya pemberian hormon untuk mengeluarkan motif ini agar terlihat indah. Adalah wajar motif yang keluar hanya setengah atau kurang pada ukuran 2 inci, namun terkadang kualitas diskus yang rendah mengakibatkan motifnya tidak keluar secara sempurna hingga penuh satu badan.

10. Disarankan membeli ikan paling kecil ukuran 2 inci ke atas, karena pada ukuran inilah cirri-ciri ikan sehat dan baik dapat dilihat dibandingkan ukuran yang lebih kecil. Hindari untuk membeli burayak walaupun harganya murah, terutama jika anda seorang pemula. Jangan tergoda dengan keuntungan karena memelihara burayak cukup sulit.



______________
Sumber: Berbagai tulisan dan artikel

International Principles for Responsible Shrimp Farming

from http://www.thefishsite.com

Shrimp farming is one of the fastest growing aquaculture sectors in many parts of the world and also one of the most controversial. Rapid expansion of this sector generated income for many countries, but has been accompanied by rising concerns over environmental and social impacts.

Abstract

The International Principles for Responsible Shrimp Farming provide the basis upon which stakeholders can collaborate for a more sustainable development of shrimp farming. The International Principles have been developed by the Consortium on Shrimp farming and the Environment, which consists of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the Network of Aquaculture Centres in Asia-Pacific (NACA), the Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-based Activities of the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP/GPA), the World Bank (WB) and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

Contents

1. Background and Purpose

• Introduction
• Shrimp Farming
• Process
• Purpose

2. International Principles for Responsible Shrimp Farming

• Principle 1 – Farm Siting
• Principle 2 – Farm Design
• Principle 3 – Water Use
• Principle 4 – Broodstock and Postlarvae
• Principle 5 – Feed Management
• Principle 6 – Health Management
• Principle 7 – Food Safety
• Principle 8 – Social Responsibility

3. Implementation

• 3.1 Public sector
  Aquaculture legislation
  National aquaculture development strategies
  Integrated coastal area management and land use plans
  Environmental assessment
  Aquaculture monitoring
  Farm registration
  Institutional strengthening
  
• 3.2 Private sector
  Adaptation and adoption to local conditions
  Investment
  Knowledge transfer and communications
  Farmer organizations and private institutions
  Stakeholder cooperation
  
• 3.3 Regional and International Cooperation

4. Key references and information sources

• 4.1 Key references
  
• 4.2 Case studies conducted by the Consortium Program

1. Background and Purpose

Introduction

Aquaculture production and trade in aquaculture products continues to grow at a fast pace, responding to increased global demand for fifi sh, shrimp, molluscs and other aquatic products. In 2004, aquaculture production reached 59 million tonnes, with a farm gate value of $70 billion. Developing countries dominate aquaculture production and trade, contributing over 80% of production and 50% to the value of internationally traded aquatic products. Aquaculture is making an increasingly significant contribution to the global seafood trade, as well as to domestic consumption, and will continue to grow due to stagnating wild capture fisheries supplies.

With increasing volume of production, trade and consumption there is a concurrent and increasing demand for improved sustainability, social acceptability, and human health safety from the aquaculture sector. This is not only affecting the international trading environment and pressurizing producers to focus on production methods to address those issues, but also challenges producing countries to develop and implement adequate and appropriate policies and institutions that provide a conducive environment for responsible production and trade. To assist in achieving these objectives, the members of the Food and the Agriculture Organization of United Nations (FAO) in 1995 adopted the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries, providing a framework for responsible development of aquaculture and fifi sheries.

Shrimp Farming

Shrimp farming has been one of the fastest growing aquaculture sectors in Asia and Latin America, and recently Africa, but also one of the most controversial. Rapid expansion of shrimp farming has generated substantial income for many developing countries, as well as developed countries, but has been accompanied by rising concerns over environmental and social impacts of development. Major issues raised include the ecological consequences of conversion of natural ecosystems, particularly mangroves, for construction of shrimp ponds, the effects such as salination of groundwater and agricultural land, use of fifi sh meal in shrimp diets, pollution of coastal waters due to pond efflfl uents, biodiversity issues arising from collection of wild brood and seed, and social conflfl icts in some coastal areas. The sustainability of shrimp aquaculture has been questioned by some in view of self-pollution in shrimp growing areas, combined with the introduction of pathogens, leading to major shrimp disease outbreaks, and significant economic losses in producing countries.

Due to the strong global interest in shrimp farming and the issues that have arisen from its development, a Consortium Program involving the World Bank, the Network of Aquaculture Centres in Asia-Pacififi c (NACA), the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) was initiated in 1999 to analyze and share experiences on the environmental and social impacts, and management of sustainable shrimp farming. The development of the work program for the Consortium benefifi ted from recommendations of the FAO Bangkok Technical Consultation on Policies for Sustainable Shrimp Culture (FAO, 1998), a World Bank review on Shrimp Farming and the Environment (World Bank, 1998) and an April 1999 meeting on shrimp aquaculture management practices hosted by NACA and WWF in Bangkok, Thailand. The FAO Expert Consultation on Good Management Practices and Good Legal and Institutional Arrangements for Sustainable Shrimp Culture held in Brisbane, Australia in December 2000 provided further guidance to the Consortium process.

The FAO Committee on Fisheries Sub-Committee on Aquaculture in its second session held in Trondheim, Norway, in 2003 agreed that a set of “core” management principles should be developed to support sustainable development of aquaculture, with a priority to shrimp farming requiring improved management. The Consortium was requested to undertake this responsibility. During this meeting the Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-based Activities of the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP/GPA) expressed its interest to join this initiative and subsequently the Consortium formalized the partnership through signing a collaborative agreement with UNEP/GPA. This recommendation and partnership provides the basis for development of an internationally accepted set of principles that can be widely adopted.

Process

The International Principles for Responsible Shrimp Farming have been synthesized from the outcome of the studies and consultations conducted by the Consortium, involving a wide range of stakeholders, from government, private and non-government organizations.

Purpose

The purpose of the International Principles as mandated by the members of FAO and NACA, is to provide principles for management of shrimp farming that provide guidance in implementation of the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries in the shrimp aquaculture sector. The International Principles consider technical, environmental, social and economic issues associated with shrimp farming and provide a basis for industry and government management to improve the overall sustainability of shrimp farming at national, regional and global levels. The principles and associated guidance on implementation may be used by public and private sectors for development of locally specific Codes of Practice (COP), better management practices (BMPs) or other management approaches for shrimp farming, suitable for adoption by farmers in particular social, economic and environmental contexts.

The International Principles provide the basis upon which stakeholders can collaborate for a more sustainable development of shrimp farming. For governments, they provide a basis for policy, administration and legal frameworks, that can be renewed (or formulated where there are none), adjusted, funded and implemented to address the specififi c characteristics and needs of the sector in order to protect and enhance the industry, the environment, other resource users and consumers. Typically, existing legislation and guidelines have been modififi ed from those suitable for other industries and are not always applicable to aquaculture. Strengthening of institutional arrangements, capacity and partnerships is also important to ensure the cooperation and coordination of all relevant institutions with jurisdiction over natural resources, animal and public health. The International Principles also provide the basis for development of standards and certififi cation systems. Further details on implementation and compliance to the International Principles will be available through another publication which is currently being prepared by the Consortium.