INTEGRATED FISH FARMING

Cattle-Fish Culture

Fish farming using cow manure is one of the common practice all-over the world. Countries like Hong Kong, Taiwan and Philippines have undertaken the integrated fish farming on a commercial scale and obtained considerable fish yields. Cowsheds are constructed in the vicinity of fishponds and the slurry from the biogas plants may be discharged into fishponds. A healthy cow excretes over 4,000-5,000 kg dung, 3,500-4,000 litre urine on an annual basis. Cow manure particles sink slower (6 cm/min) than any other livestock. This provides sufficient time for fish to consume edible portions available in dung. Manuring with cowdung, which is rich in nutrients result in increase of natural food organism-detritus and bacteria in fishpond. A unit of 5-6 cows can provide adequate manure for 1 ha of pond. In addition to 9,000 kg of milk, about 3,000-4,000 kg fish/ha/year can also be harvested with such integration.

Cowshed should be built close to fishpond to simplify handling of cow manure. Cow requires about 7,000-8,000 kg of green grass annually. Grass carp utilizes the leftover grasses, which are about 2,500 kg. Fish also utilizes the fine feed wasted by cows, which consist of grains. In place of raw cowdung, biogas slurry could be used with equally good production. 20,000-30,000 kg of biogas slurry is recycled in 1 ha water area to get over 4000 kg of fish without feed or any fertilizer application.

Last updated: 15-2-2007