Environmental Impact of Cage Culture on Poondi Reservoir, Tamil Nadu

A Srinivasan,P Jawahar,P Padmavathy,P Devi

doi:10.12944/cwe.10.3.39

A Srinivasan, P Jawahar + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.12944/cwe.10.3.39

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Abstract

The present investigation was carried out in Poondi reservoir, Tamil Nadu, for a period of 8 months from September, 2014 to April, 2015 where the cage culture has been already initiated by the state fisheries department. The water and sediment samples were collected from the reservoir at point and non- point sources of the cage culture units and were analyzed for their physico-chemical parameters. The total microbial load, E. coli and feacal streptococci population were also assessed from the reservoir. During the study period, pH, sulphate, nitrate and BOD values were found within the permissible range for drinking water quality. The alkalinity values were found optimum in the reservoir water. The sediment characteristics such as pH, electrical conductivity, total organic carbon and available phosphorus values were also found to be within the standard limit. The optimum water and sediment quality characteristics and the absence of E. coli and feacal streptococci observed in the cage culture unit clearly showed that the small cage farming in the reservoir does not have major environmental impacts on the water and sediment quality.

Highlights

Cage culture is commonly practiced worldwide in both freshwater and marine environments, including open ocean, estuaries, lakes, ponds and reservoirs[1,2]
Cage cultured fish are entirely dependent on formulated diets[3]
The intensive system may be harmful to the water quality, given limitations in the capacity to neutralize the metabolites, CO2 and ammonia released by the fish as well as the excess of fish rations[5]

Summary

Introduction

Cage culture is commonly practiced worldwide in both freshwater and marine environments, including open ocean, estuaries, lakes, ponds and reservoirs[1,2]. There are no reports directly on the environmental impact of cage culture on the water quality of reservoirs of Tamilnadu. The water temperature of the reservoir ranged from 26 to 34.90C at cage sites and the maximum temperature was observed during summer months.

Results

Conclusion