Inland Aquaculture Research Articles

Price interactions between capture fisheries and aquaculture: Evidence from India

Fish is probably the only major food product in the modern human food system for which wild harvests are still important in the market supply despite the rapid growth in production of farmed fish/aquaculture. The issue of substitution, or competitive interaction, between capture fisheries and aquaculture is of immense interest due to its role in determining market prices, livelihoods, and welfare in the two sectors. This is particularly true for a developing country like India where fisheries and aquaculture play an important role in livelihood creation, export revenues, and food security. India has also witnessed a remarkable increase in inland aquaculture production which is now the largest contributor to the country’s total fish production. In this article, we employ recursive cointegration analysis and time-varying copula estimations to analyze a novel dataset to describe the evolution in the relationship between the prices of inland capture fisheries and aquaculture products in India over time. Our results suggest an increased degree of market integration for inland fish products in India over time, though the degree of integration is lower for the capture fisheries products compared to the aquaculture products.

Satellite observed rapid inland aquaculture expansion in Jianghan Plain, China from 2016 to 2022

Satellite observed rapid inland aquaculture expansion in Jianghan Plain, China from 2016 to 2022

Ecological Restoration of Inland Aquaculture in Land‐Locked Europe: The Role of Semi‐Intensive Fishponds and Multitrophic Technologies in Transforming Food Systems

ABSTRACTPond aquaculture and water protection in Europe suffer from conflicts, whereas multitrophic freshwater aquaculture technologies face hardships with over‐regulations in Europe. As such, inland freshwater aquaculture in land‐locked Europe has not given its contribution or echoed its importance in regional food system dialogues. The emphasis on marine cages and RAS‐based aquaculture is enormous. Almost if they are the only viable way to carry the future European aquaculture forward. In this scoping review, we have hypothesized that semi‐intensive fishponds and freshwater multitrophic aquaculture could be an overlooked component in the European food system. The analysis we present reviewed: (1) current positioning of inland freshwater aquaculture in European food system; (2) European fishponds' current positioning within food system and inland freshwater aquaculture; (3) way forward for semi‐intensive European fishponds through ecological pond nutrition research; (4) ecological technologies for realizing ‘net zero’ aquatic foods in land‐locked Europe; (5) risks and potential for making the transition. We conclude ample circular technologies and nature‐based solutions in pond and multitrophic freshwater aquaculture in land‐locked Europe. They have the potential to transform food systems locally with low‐impact aquatic food. European inland freshwater aquaculture may be a sleeping giant among EU's planetary healthy diet ambitions. As an example, 0.25 million hectares available Central Eastern European fishponds have the potential to ecologically substitute 1 billion marine fish oil capsules (EPA + DHA in 1 kt marine fish oil) and 11.9 kt of casein (leucine from 0.45 billion litres milk) equivalents, fulfilling singlehandedly annual leucine or EPA + DHA requirements of 1.2–3 million adults.

PAKANI: SUSTAINABLE OF BLUE ECONOMY MELALUI ISLAMIC DIGITAL PLATFORM DALAM UPAYA MEMBERDAYAKAN PETANI IKAN DI JAWA TIMUR

This study examines digital innovation through the PAKANI platform as a solution to support the implementation of a sustainable blue economy concept and empower fish farmers in East Java. PAKANI is designed as a technology-based application that provides comprehensive access to sharia financing, affordable and quality fish feed distribution, and broader marketing access for small-scale fish farmers. Challenges faced by fish farmers in East Java include limited resource access, high production costs, and inefficient distribution. This study employs a qualitative approach with descriptive analysis based on literature from journals, books, scientific reports, and articles to analyze East Java’s geographical potential for inland aquaculture in underutilized lands. The findings show that PAKANI can act as a catalyst in enhancing productivity and sustainability in small-scale aquaculture, particularly through integrating digital technology and sharia-compliant financing that is accessible for fish farmers. The blue economy concept applied in this platform leverages technology to reduce resource waste and support sustainable aquaculture practices aligned with circular economy principles. These findings are expected to make a significant contribution to the academic literature on digitalization in the aquaculture sector and the inclusive development of sharia-based economies, particularly in Indonesia. This platform is anticipated to improve fish farmers’ welfare and increase the fisheries sector’s contribution to sustainable economic growth in Indonesia.

Unlocking Potential Benefits on Applications of Probiotics in Inland Aquaculture Industry: A Review

ABSTRACTInland aquaculture operations are practised all over the world, contributing about 62.6% of all farmed aquatic animals. This venture is increasing worldwide and outpacing the global market demand for fish and fishery products driven by competition with other animals, over‐population and over‐exploitation of wild capture fisheries. These operations expand globally, associated with the degradation of the culture environment due to poor aquaculture management practices and algal blooms due to nutrient influxes as well as high demand of quality fish feeds of affordable price. To overcome these challenges, sustainable, healthy and environmentally friendly alternatives including probiotics application must be adopted to achieve better production, profitability and productivity as well as a resilient culture environment. In this review, information on potential applications of probiotics in aquaculture (inland aquaculture) focused on sources, safety, approved probiotics for aquaculture, characteristics of probiotics, mode of applications and its potential use on pathogenic microbes control, fish haematological parameters, growth performance and stress responses, water quality parameter, anti‐nutritional factors and feed digestibility, limitation of using probiotics in aquaculture and lastly future perspectives on the probiotics application in aquaculture industry were reviewed and compiled for future sustainable aquaculture production and productivity and environmentally friendly. The review has also highlighted all probiotics application and their approved authority for use in farmed freshwater fish (Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus, Catfish Clarias gariepinus, rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss and common carp Cyprinus carpio) and their cultured environment worldwide. Therefore, the review has comprised all information on the potential benefits application of probiotics in an inland aquaculture for public documentation and also identifies gaps in the aquaculture industry that require further research and assessment.

Rethinking Freshwater Cage Aquaculture: A Case in Ghana

Lakes around the world, including Ghana’s Lake Volta, are facing insidious threats from pollutants due to high dependency on aquatic ecosystems. Cage aquaculture is expanding across Africa because of its potential to address food insecurity, provide livelihoods, and boost local economies. However, the uncontrolled expansion of cage aquaculture can have significant negative impacts on water resources, including environmental footprints that threaten biodiversity. Given the intensification of cage aquaculture for tilapia farming on Lake Volta, we advocate for a transition to inland-integrated aquaculture systems that promote circularity. Strengthening stakeholder collaboration is essential for enhancing competence in mapping inland aquaculture areas, identifying eco-friendly alternatives and reinforcing aquaculture regulations, with particular emphasis on cage culture on Lake Volta. These strategies can reduce the pressures imposed by tilapia cage farms on the lake while promoting best management practices. Additionally, capacity building must be an ongoing process to address knowledge gaps, including the development of effective preparedness plans executed during emergencies. The ongoing pollution from illegal mining in the Black Volta River, a tributary of Lake Volta, along with endemic diseases in the lake, further compounds fish health and welfare issues. This underscores the urgent need to implement inland transition strategies to protect the lake, mitigate disease spread, and ensure safe fish food production.

Land Use and Land Cover Change in East Java Indonesia from 1972 to 2021: Learning from Landsat

This study analyses land use and land cover (LULC) changes during the last five decades (1970–2021) in East Java Province, Indonesia. The changes are analysed by comparing four maps interpreted from Landsat images (MSS 1972, TM 1997, OLI 2013, and OLI 2021). The main research procedures consist of (1) data collection, (2) field survey, (3) image classification, and (4) LULC change interpretation. The classification uses the maximum likelihood algorithm, achieving an overall kappa accuracy of > 75%. The classification produces eight classes, i.e., built-up land (BU), heterogeneous agricultural land (HAL), bare soil (BS), paddy fields (PF), open water (OW), vegetation (VG), shrubland (SH), and wetlands (WL). The analysis shows a significant shift in land use from 1972 to 2021, with HAL declining by 46%, SH by 91%, and BS by 88%. In contrast, PF has increased by 105%, VG (forest and plantation) by 64%, and built-up areas by a remarkable 366%. These changes show a significant shift from dryland agriculture, shrublands, and barren lands to irrigated regions, vegetated areas, and urban growth. Furthermore, there are increases in water bodies due to the construction of several reservoirs to support water availability. In coastal regions, the development of inland aquaculture leads to a proliferation of wetlands (salt evaporation ponds, fish ponds, and rice-fish integrated farming).

Current Challenges of Vaccination in Fish Health Management.

Vaccination is an essential method of immunological preventive care required for the health management of all animals, including fish. More particularly, immunization is necessary for in-land aquaculture to manage diseases in fish broodstocks and healthy seed production. According to the latest statistics in 2020, 90.3 million tons of capture fishery production was achieved from the aquaculture sector. Out of the above, 78.8 million tons were from marine water aquaculture sectors, and 11.5 million tons were from inland water aquaculture sectors. About a 4% decline in fish production was achieved in 2020 in comparison to 2018 from inland aquaculture sectors. On the other hand, the digestive protein content, healthy fats, and nutritional values of fish products are comparatively more affordable than in other meat sources. In 2014, about 10% of aquatic cultured animals were lost (costing global annual losses > USD 10 billion) due to infectious diseases. Therefore, vaccination in fish, especially in broodstocks, is one of the essential approaches to stop such losses in the aquaculture sector. Fish vaccines consist of whole-killed pathogens, protein subunits, recombinant proteins, DNA, or live-attenuated vaccines. Challenges persist in the adaption of vaccination in the aquaculture sector, the route of administration, the use of effective adjuvants, and, most importantly, the lack of effective results. The use of autogenous vaccines; vaccination via intramuscular, intraperitoneal, or oral routes; and, most importantly, adding vaccines in feed using top dressing methods or as a constituent in fish feed are now emerging. These methods will lower the risk of using antibiotics in cultured water by reducing environmental contamination.

TRIM103 activates the RLRs pathway to enhance antiviral response by targeting VP5 and VP7

Grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella), crucial to global inland aquaculture with a production of 5.8 million tones in 2020, faces significant challenges from hemorrhagic disease caused by grass carp reovirus (GCRV). Rapid mutations compromise current vaccines, underscoring the need for a deeper understanding of antiviral mechanisms to enhance molecular marker-assisted selection. This study investigates the role of Tripartite Motif (TRIM) family in the innate immune response of grass carp, focusing on TRIM103 from Ctenopharyngodon Idella (CiTRIM103), a member of the TRIM-B30.2 family, which includes proteins with the B30.2 domain at the N-terminus, known for antiviral properties in teleosts. CiTRIM103 bind to the outer coat proteins VP5 and VP7 of GCRV. This binding is theorized to strengthen the function of the RIG-I-like Receptor (RLR) signaling pathway, crucial for antiviral responses. Demonstrations using overexpression and RNA interference (RNAi) techniques have shown that CiTRIM103 effectively inhibits GCRV replication. Moreover, molecular docking and pulldown assays suggest potential binding interactions of CiTRIM103's B30.2 domain with GCRV outer coat proteins VP5 and VP7. These interactions impede viral replication, enhance RLR receptor expression, and activate key transcription factors to induce type I interferons (IFNs). These findings elucidate the antiviral mechanisms of CiTRIM103, provide a foundation for future Molecular genetic breeding in grass carp.

AgrI-fiSh: sustainable and innovative feeds from agricultural wastes for a resilient and high-quality aquaculture

The AgrI-fiSh project has been funded under Horizon 2020 - PRIMA, with the research partnership of three Mediterranean countries: Algeria, Italy and Spain. The project will contribute to the transition to a more resilient agro-livelihood system through an innovative and circular farming approach, which promotes an efficient use of biological and natural resources with a valuable increase in productivity. New potential for farms, agri-food systems and local markets will arise from the valorization of agricultural wastes to be used for the creation of high-value plant-based feeds for a sustainable inland aquaculture. Nutraceutical potential of specific agricultural wastes (i.e grape seeds, legumes and cereals), in combination with other components, as Lactic Acid Bacteria (LABs) fermented whey and medicinal herbs, to create plant-based feeds for aquaculture, will foster animal and human health with consequent benefits for the environment, local economies and consumers.

Economics of small-scale aquaculture farms in Brazilian Northeastern semi-arid region: Characteristics, feasibility, and profitability models

Inland aquaculture represents a significant component of the aquaculture sector in Brazil. This activity is present in all Brazilian regions, yet the economic feasibility and the relationship between their productive variables and profitability indices remain poorly accessed in Brazil's semi-arid regions. This study aims to characterise, assess the economic feasibility, and evaluate the relationship between productive variables and profitability indices in the aquaculture sector in Feira Nova (Northeast Brazil). The data was collected through interviews with all producers in Feira Nova city and modelled using the software R. The aquaculture sector in Feira Nova is predominantly small-scale and encompasses a wide range of production strategies for shrimp and fish cultures, with profitable outcomes. The models demonstrated that economic and management variables were more closely associated with profitability indices than farm characteristics such as farm size. Feira Nova's profitability indices reinforces the small-scale aquaculture as a promising activity to alleviate poverty and generate wealth in Brazil semi-arid regions. However, governance improvements are necessary to boost the development of inland aquaculture in the country.

Antibiotics in surface waters of the south caspian sea: Occurrence, spatial distribution and ecological risks

Marine environments play a crucial role in absorbing land-based pollutants. While the presence of pharmaceuticals in various marine settings worldwide is well-documented, there is a lack of data regarding pharmaceutical occurrence in the south Caspian Sea. This study examined the presence and spatial distribution of 14 antibiotics in the surface waters of the south Caspian Sea during summer of 2020. Our findings revealed that antibiotics were widespread in this region, with total concentrations reaching up to 3499.9 ng/L. The detection frequencies of the studied antibiotics ranging from 22.0% to 67.0%. Trimethoprim, ofloxacin, and sulfamethoxazole were commonly detected, with detection frequencies exceeding 56.0%. Ofloxacin (235.8 ng/L) and Erythromycin-H2O (2.3 ng/L) had the highest and lowest detected concentrations among the studied antibiotics. Furthermore, fluoroquinolones exhibited notably higher concentrations compared to other antibiotic groups. The highest concentrations of most antibiotics were found in surface waters collected from Ramsar and Chalus stations, located in the middle section of the coastline. Across all transects, the distribution of antibiotics exhibited a decreasing trend towards the sea, indicating that coastal and inland aquaculture, as well as municipal wastewaters, were probably the primary sources of antibiotics in this area. Multivariate analysis revealed that antibiotics, phosphate, nitrate, and COD were all positively correlated with stations Ram-1, Ram-20, Cha-1, Cha-20, and Tor-1, where the highest antibiotic levels were recorded. Risk assessment indicated that clarithromycin, ofloxacin and enrofloxacin posed medium to high risks to aquatic organisms. These findings offer essential baseline information and valuable insights for the comparative assessment of future antibiotic data in the south Caspian Sea.

Balancing aquaculture and estuarine ecosystems: machine learning-based water quality indices for effective management.

This study delves into the environmental impact of inland aquaculture on estuarine ecosystems by examining the water quality of four estuarine streams within the key inland aquaculture zone of South India. In this region, extensive and intensive aquaculture practices are common, posing potential challenges to estuarine health. The research explores the predictive capabilities of the Gaussian elimination method (GEM) and machine learning techniques, specifically multi-linear regression (MLR) and support vector regressor (SVR), in forecasting the water quality index of these streams. Through comprehensive evaluation using performance metrics such as coefficient of determination (R2) and average mean absolute percentage error (MAPE), MLR and SVR demonstrate higher prediction efficiency. Notably, employing key water parameters as inputs in machine learning models is also more effective. Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) emerges as a critical water parameter, identified by both MLR and SVR, exhibiting high specificity in predicting water quality. This suggests that MLR and SVR, incorporating key water parameters, should be prioritized for future water quality monitoring in intensive aquaculture zones, facilitating timely warnings and interventions to safeguard water quality.

Reducing baseline toxicity in fishery product-related sediments from land to sea: Region-specific solutions are required

Eastern China is a major producer of fishery products (including inland aquaculture, coastal mariculture, and coastal fishing products). The quality of the products is affected by hydrophobic organic contaminants (HOCs) in the sediments. Based on in-vitro luminescent bacterial assay, the baseline toxicity (BEQBio) of 56 common HOCs were assessed in the present study. Specifically, the BEQBio of sediments declined from land (31–400 mg/kg) to sea (9.1–270 mg/kg). However, the toxicity contribution explained by the HOCs increased gradually from land (0.70 %) to sea (10 %) using Iceberg Modeling. In the inland pond, current use HOCs (pyrethroid pesticide (PEs), organic tin (OTCs), and antibiotic) exhibited considerable concentrations, although their toxicity contribution was very small (0.076 %), thus more regulations on the use of HOCs should be proposed and further screening is needed to confirm the major toxicants. In coastal mariculture area, the toxicity contribution of current use HOCs further declined (0.010 %), whereas environmental background HOCs, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), became increasingly significant, with the contribution ratio increasing from 0.37 % to 2.4 %. To minimize the negative impacts of PAHs, optimization of energy structure in transportation and coastal industry is required. In the coastal fishing area, the phased-out persistent organic pollutants (POPs) remained a major concern, in terms of both concentration and toxicity contribution. The phased-out POPs explained 7.0 % of the toxic effects of the sediments from the coastal fishing area, due to historical residue, industrial emissions, and their high toxicities. For this reason, it is critical to improve the relevant emission regulations and standards, so as to eventually reduce the unintentional discharges of POPs.

Aquaculture Ponds Identification Based on Multi-Feature Combination Strategy and Machine Learning from Landsat-5/8 in a Typical Inland Lake of China

Inland aquaculture ponds, as an important land use type, have brought great economic benefits to local people but at the same time have caused many environmental problems threatening regional ecology security. Therefore, understanding the spatiotemporal pattern of aquaculture ponds and its potential influence on water quality is vital for the sustainable development of inland lakes. In this study, based on Landsat5/8 images, three types of land features, namely spectral features, index features, and texture features, and five machine learning algorithms, namely random forest (RF), extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost), artificial neural network (ANN), k-nearest neighbor (KNN), and Gaussian naive Bayes (GNB), were combined to identify aquaculture ponds and some other primary land use types around a typical inland lake of China. The results demonstrated that the XGBoost algorithm that integrated the three features performed the best among all groups of the five machine learning algorithms and the three features, with an overall accuracy of up to 96.15%. In particular, the texture features provided additional useful information besides the spectral features to allow more accurately separation of aquaculture ponds from other land use types and thus improve the land use mapping ability in complex inland lakes. Next, this study examined the tendency of aquaculture ponds and found a segmented increase mode, namely sharp increase during 1984–2003 and then slow elevation since 2003. Further positive correlation detected between the area of aquaculture ponds and the phytoplankton population dynamics suggest a likely influence of aquaculture activity on the lake water quality. This study provides an important scientific basis for the sustainable management and ecological protection of inland lakes.

Briefing: Intensive inland aquaculture ponds: challenges and research opportunities

This briefing presents an overview of inland aquaculture scenario that focuses on challenges of aquaculture farming, contaminant transport and the future of aqua farming in a broader perspective of environmental geotechnics. Un-engineered aquaculture practices are a cause of concern, and special attention is necessary in waste water management, cross-contamination with the adjacent environment, sludge–subsoil interaction, pond embankment slope failure, leachate migration into the vadose zone, geoenvironmental remediation strategies and geotechnical engineering aspects of engineered pond construction.

Productivity versus environmental sustainability: A broadscale assessment of freshwater aquaculture's technical efficiency and ecological efficiency in China's inland provinces

AbstractPromoting the productivity and environmental sustainability of aquaculture is critical in ensuring its healthy development. This study assesses freshwater aquaculture's technical efficiency and ecological efficiency in China's 19 inland provinces from 2008 to 2019, aiming to reveal its productivity and environmental sustainability status. We employ the three‐stage Data Envelopment Analysis‐CCR (T‐DEA‐CCR) and three‐stage Slack‐Based Measure‐DEA (T‐SBM‐DEA) methods to explore the technical efficiency and the ecological efficiency while accounting for environmental conditions and random errors. The average technical efficiency and ecological efficiency during 2008–2019 are 0.857 and 0.702, respectively, indicating substantial scope for enhancing the productivity and environmental sustainability of China's inland aquaculture. We further investigate the regional development using the club convergence, finding that the provincial‐level technical efficiencies have already achieved population convergence while the ecological efficiencies diverge into two clubs, suggesting that Chinese freshwater aquaculture's productivity and environmental sustainability have different development pathways. Acknowledging the pivotal roles of environmental protection and growers' training in aquaculture's productivity and environmental sustainability, policymakers may institute funding and recognition to foster the adoption of innovative, environmentally responsible practices by operators.

Cassiopea andromeda (Cnidaria, Scyphozoa) in the subtropical eastern Atlantic

Abstract This study provides the first records of the upside-down jellyfish Cassiopea andromeda (Forskål, 1775) in the eastern Atlantic supported by molecular analysis. Specimens were observed, recorded, and sampled in an inland aquaculture facility in September 2023 in Tenerife Island (Canary Islands). This new record officially demonstrates the geographical expansion of C. andromeda, and the introduction of a new potential invasive species in the Macaronesia oceanic island system.

The early history of freshwater fish production and consumption in Thailand

The history of freshwater fish production and consumption in Thailand were reviewed in the late 1970s. While aquaculture had a history of more than a century in the country it had only started to expand relatively recently because of the abundance of wild fish in former times. Historical aspects of freshwater capture fisheries and freshwater aquaculture in Thailand, and the development of irrigation in Central Thailand which played an important role in facilitating the development of inland aquaculture in the country were reviewed. While dam construction led to the demise of the flood plain capture fishery, it provided a controlled water supply necessary for the subsequent development of aquaculture. The study informed the development of education and research in aquaculture at the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT). More recent developments in Thai aquaculture are outlined. Malnutrition in developing countries and fish in the Thai diet at the time of the study were also reviewed.

Growth performance and physiological responses of striped catfish (Pangasianodon hypophthalmus) under different carbohydrates supplemented biofloc aquaculture systems

Biofloc technology is booming in inland aquaculture sector across the world especially in the places where water scarcity is high and land cost is expensive. Currently, the lack of appropriate selection and application feasibility of suitable carbohydrate in water quality management and fish health in biofloc aquaculture system are the major concern for wider adaptability of the technology. Therefore, the present experiment investigated the effect of different carbohydrate sources on overall wellbeing of striped catfish (Pangasianodon hypophthalmus) fingerlings. The experiment was randomly designed in four treatments (T1, T2, T3 and T4) and one control in triplicates in indoor tanks (1.0 m3). T1, T2, T3 and T4 groups supplemented with tapioca flour, sugarcane bagasse, molasses and jaggery, respectively under biofloc system at C:N ratio of 15:1, whereas the control group was not supplemented with carbohydrate source. Pre-acclimatized 525 fingerlings (7.2 ± 0.03 cm, 7.4 ± 0.003 g) were randomly stocked (35 nos. m−3) in the tanks and reared for 90 days. Overall, better water quality, fish performance and health status were observed in all the carbohydrates supplemented treatments than the control. Higher abundance of heterotrophic bacteria (5.88–118.18%) and biofloc associated microorganisms in jaggery supplemented biofloc, significantly (P ≤ 0.05) reduced total ammonia nitrogen, nitrite‑nitrogen, and increased nitrate‑nitrogen concentrations than other treatments. In the T4 treatment, jaggery supplementation enhanced biofloc volume, which influenced enhancement of fish body weight gain, specific growth rate, and improvement of feed conversion ratio than other biofloc treatments. Enhanced gut microbial population and digestive enzymes activity in fish significantly enhanced protein efficiency ratio, apparent net protein utilization, and flesh protein content in the T4 treatment. Fish showed significantly (P ≤ 0.05) higher haematological, immunological, and improved antioxidative responses in the T4 treatment than other treatments. Consumption of biofloc significantly (P ≤ 0.05) improved intestinal villi microarchitecture as higher villi surface area, width and height were detected in the T4 treatment. Collectively, the findings suggested that jaggery was the suitable carbohydrate source in terms of overall improvement of the culture system including growth performance and health status of P. hypophthalmus, if applied appropriately in biofloc aquaculture system. The present study comprehensively addressed carbohydrate sources, biofloc formation, total ammonia nitrogen management, fish growth and health resulting in better adoptability of biofloc technology by farmers in aquaculture.