Aquaculture in Ancient Hawaii

Abstract

A combination of food-producing technologies is required to support a large human population where there is a limited amount of arable land. Today integrated farming systems-combining agriculture, aquaculture, animal husbandry, and waste treatment technologiesare in use in South and Southeast Asia and China, as well as in Eastern Europe and the Middle East. In Hungary, for example, a tenyear cycle of land and water use is commonly practiced to convert marginal agricultural and waste lands into productive agricultural lands (Brown 1977, Muller 1978). For five years a combination of duck and common carp (Cyprinus carpio) farming in ponds produces about 4000 kg/ha/year of ducks and fish. During years six and seven, the ponds are drained and alfalfa is planted in the pond bottoms. Yields of alfalfa are approximately 8000kg/ha in the first year and 6000 kg/ha in the second. During years eight, nine, and ten, rice is planted, and harvests average 3000-3500 kg/ha/year. The tenyear cycle then begins anew with combined duck and fish farming.