SBIR-STTR Award

Modified Partitioned Aquaculture System (P.A.S.) to Produce High Value Fish for Human Consumption
Award last edited on: 3/31/2021

Sponsored Program
SBIR
Awarding Agency
USDA
Total Award Amount
$700,000
Award Phase
2
Solicitation Topic Code
8.7
Principal Investigator
Robert Glennon

Company Information

J M Malone & Son Inc

1156 Malone Lk
Lonoke, AR 72086
   (501) 676-2800
   information@jmmaloneandson.com
   www.jmmaloneandson.com
Location: Single
Congr. District: 01
County: Lonoke

Phase I

Contract Number: 2015-33610-23534
Start Date: 00/00/00    Completed: 00/00/00
Phase I year
2015
Phase I Amount
$100,000
Competition from foreign countries has driven down the price paid for catfish forcing many domestic catfish farmers to leave the business of seek alternative species of fish to produce. There is a great interest among such fish farmers in producing high value species such as bass, sunfish and crappie for human consumption. However, these high value species have behavioral characteristics that make producing them in conventional open ponds unprofitable. In-pond confiment systems such as the partitioned aquaculture system (P.A.S.) developed for catfish production can produce high yields of fish and overcome the behavioral issues related to these species. Because such high value species require better water quality than catfish and higher feed protein levels, modifications must be made to in-pond confinements to improve solid waste removal and nitrogenous waste processing. A prototype in-pond tank was designed and built by J.M. Malone and Son, Inc. Solid waste collection and processing apparatus installed on the prototype will be evaluated to determine their cost benefit relative to improved water quality. Replicated tank studies will be conducted to test the effect of three levels of solid waste removal and processing apparatus on water quality. Appropriate modifications to the prototype design will be designed and fabricated. A protocol for construction of a commercial system will be drafted and a cost analysis will be performed.

Phase II

Contract Number: 2018-33610-28627
Start Date: 00/00/00    Completed: 00/00/00
Phase II year
2018
Phase II Amount
$600,000
The traditional fish farming industry in the U.S. is currently faced with rising costs, labor shortages, competition from lower cost imports, increasing environmental regulation, and decreasing water supplies. Sales of the domestic channel catfish industry alone fell from $423 million in 2011 to $301 million in 2014. Catfish acreage in Arkansas which totaled 30400 acres in 2007 (NASS 2008), was reduced to 8200 water acres in 2013, down 1500 acres (15%) from 2013. Currently, catfish production in Arkansas is estimated to be less than 5000 water acres. As profit margins are shrinking in the catfish industry, many Arkansas fish farmers are searching for alternative species with greater profit potential. Largemouth bass (LMB) is one such H.V.S. It is estimated that there are around 2000 acres currently in production of LMB food fish in Arkansas and no more than 3000 acres in production throughout the United States. The majority of market size LMB produced in Arkansas are sold live to ethnic markets in Chicago, New York and Canada. Although it is estimated that LMB production costs can range from $4 to $5 per pound, farm gate prices exceed $5.00 per pound and the demand has exceeded the supply for several years. LMB production in open ponds is restricted by significant obstacles related to their behavior and biology. LMB fingerlings must be crowded and trained to accept formulated feed at a young age. Many fish farmers do not have the facilities or expertise to house and maintain these fish during the feed training process and prefer to purchase 6 inch advanced feed trained fingerlings. However, production of advanced fingerlings is variable and costs often exceed $1.00 per fish. This variable production and major cost risk arises from the low survival following the introduction of 2 inch feed trained LMB fingerlings into open ponds. It is not uncommon for 40 to 50% of the stocked fingerlings to lose the learned pellet feeding behavior shortly after being transferred from crowded feed training tanks to open ponds resulting in large losses due to cannibalization and starvation. Ponds are typically stocked in early June and summer temperatures prevent the frequent seining and grading of the fingerlings to prevent cannibalism. Our experience at J.M. Malone and Son, Inc. has shown LMB fingerlings at this stage are also very susceptible to bacterial infections which have proven difficult to treat in open ponds. As a result, survival of 2 inch feed trained bass fingerlings to 6 inch advanced fingerlings averages 25-40 %. We have also observed that advanced LMB fingerlings are very susceptible to predation by herons and cormorants. Sub adult LMB require high protein feeds, well oxygenated water, will not tolerate poor water quality or low oxygen events and are highly susceptible to blue green algae toxins. Feed intake is greatly reduced in the warm summer months when nocturnal oxygen concentrations approach 40% saturation and afternoon pH exceeds 8.5. Feed conversion ratios are often greater than 4 or 5 and yields in ponds rarely exceed 2000 lbs/acre and are often as low as 1000 lbs/acre. Many of the obstacles limiting LMB production in open ponds can be overcome when the fish are confined to an intensive tank or raceway. However, most fish production in Arkansas and the southeastern U.S. occurs in traditional open ponds. The Partitioned Aquaculture System (P.A.S.) developed by Clemson University, is an example of intensive confinement using a pond-based system. Although several variations of the P.A.S., such as the split pond production system and the in-pond raceway system, have been adopted by the catfish industry, these systems have not been widely accepted due to the high cost of construction and the low prices being paid for catfish (approximately $1/lb). There are nearly 2000 acres of P.A.S. variations devoted to catfish production in Mississippi, Alabama and Arkansas accounting for less than 2% of the total acres of catfish prod