By Jimmie Hepburn.

1. The Aquavision concept of organic
carp & backyard fish farming
With reference to applying a holistic
approach to developing aquaculture
sustainably
Jimmie Hepburn
Aquavision
www.aquavisiononline.com info@aquavisiononline.com

2. What’s on your mind?

3. Or this…….?

4. What’s organic carp or backyard fish
farming got to do with saving the
planet?

5. The story starts a long time ago…

6. The impact of aquaculture?

7. A whole complex of impacts……

8. MSc in Human Ecology….
How can
aquaculture in
Scotland
develop toward
sustainability?

9. Our remit today is to sketch out a
map which could help …….
Towards a
Sustainable
Finfish
Aquaculture
Industry for
England

10. The “S” word
SUSTAINABILITY!
 We need a direction – we
need a map

11. Where will our protein come from in
50 years time?
 The arrival of the third millennia – when people
realised that the world has finite resources and it is our
responsibility to manage these resources for future
generations
 We need to avert the collapse of global fisheries
through developing a comprehensive sustainable
development strategy
 We will need to develop sustainable aquaculture
systems on a massive scale – to feed the world’s
population and it’s growing affluence

12. How sustainable is a fish farm?
COMMUNITY
DEVELOPMENT PROCESSES
SUSTAINABLE
AQUACULTURE
ENVIRONMENT
ECOSYSTEM
PROCESSES

13. Ecosystem Processes
 Ecosystem Structure –
boundaries & integration
 Ecosystem Function
Cycles and feed back-
input / output balance
 Ecosystem Management
within the farm to
produce fish products –
ecological intensification
or diversification

14. Community Processes – how people
organise themselves
Community processes outside
the farm General / global
issues on
sustainability
Sustainability
issues
Community Specific/ local
sustainability
processes inside issues
the farm
Practical The work of sustainable Developing &
Solutions development applying theory

15. Intensive or extensive ?
Characteristics Extensive Intensive
Aquaculture Aquaculture
Inputs Low High
Self-sufficiency Closed system Open system
Waste Useful - recycled Hazardous
No. of Spp. Several One
Energy input Low High
Market Near to farm Far away from farm
Economy Subsistence Capital intensive
Diversification Considerable scope Limited scope

16. Semi intensive- the answer?
Extensive Semi - intensive Intensive

17. Effective communication
 We need to speak to the
‘right’ people
 Information flow in one
direction e.g. trade
association and regulator
 Stakeholders not fully
integrated
 People can change there
minds e.g. the development
of a furunculosis vaccine
 A question of
attitude…knowledge
function

18. Effective networking
 Value of networks
 Action Centred Networks to reach
a decision through consensus –
which are characterised by:
 Stake holder equity
 Multi disciplinary team
 Participation / learning essential
 Committed to the specific task
 Link pin organisation – to drive
the initiative through
 Example: Soil Association
development of an organic
aquaculture standard

19. How do we put theory into practice?
Ideas Feedback
Theory NETWORKS Practice
Feedback Deeds

21. How sustainable could Upper Hayne
be?

22. Organic conversion...why?

23. Organic Regulation
 35 certification standards in the world (19 in
Europe)
 28 are independent organisations (e.g. Soil
Association)
 Problems of harmonisation and dilution of
standards

24. Global production of organic
aquaculture 2008
America Europe Asia Africa Aust/
NZ
No. of 47 123 752 1 12
producers
Vol. (T) 7,000 24,500 19900 2000 <1000
Trend X X XXX XX X

25. 2000
4000
6000
8000
10000
12000
14000
16000
0
Ch
ina
U
Ire K
l
Ec and
ua
Vie dor
tn
No am
Ma r
da w ay
gas
Hu car
ng
a
Gr ry
eec
Fra e
n
Au ce
Ho stria
nd
ura
s
Sp
ain
Ita
l
Bra y
zi
Isr l
Ge a
rm el
D e a ny
Sw nmar
itz
erl k
Th and
aila
nd
Pe
Ind r
on u
esi
Cro a
ati
a
Certified production 2008
t/yr

26. 20
30
40
50
60
70
0
10
Ch
ina
UK
Ire
la
Ec nd
uad
Vie or
tn a
No m
Ma rw
da a
gas y
Hu car
ng
ar
Gr y
eec
Fra e
nc
Au e
Ho stria
nd
ura
s
Sp
ain
Ita
ly
Bra
zil
Isr
Ge ael
rm
D e a ny
n
Sw mark
itz
erl
a
Th nd
ail
an
d
Pe
Number of operations
Ind ru
on
esi
Cro a
ati
a
No. of operations per country

27. Organic Aquaculture Production
 UK – current certified
fish/shell fish
 Salmon
 Trout
 Charr
 Bivalves
 Carp

28. Why carp?
 Not to make a quick
buck!
 Globally carp is farmed
and eaten widely
 A relatively easy species
to farm the whole system
– sustainably
 We need to move on
from ‘Stone Age’
aquaculture

29. Growing carp organically

30. More questions than answers!
 Is it possible to fulfil the
current organic standard?
 Adequate and cost effective
protein supplements
 DO levels affecting
productivity
 How to boost productivity of
ponds
 Develop appropriate markets
 Processing challenges
 Economic viability of semi
intensive carp culture

31. Carp for the table – a future?
 It can be done and there
is a potential market
 There is a need for
enthusiastic producers
and researchers to give
semi insensitive carp (&
other spp.) serious
consideration
 Small scale production?

32. Backyard Fish Farming (BYFF)
 2 million garden ponds
in the UK
 A nation of fish keepers
or hunters
 Until now aquaculture
has been left to the
professionals
 Is there an opportunity?
 Definition
 Existing BYFF

33. Similarities between ornamental fish
culture and table fish culture
 Could be similar sized systems
 Basic components are the same whether at pond
scale or within a recirculation system
 People are already ‘farming’ fish
 Can be intensive or extensive grown
 Must be relative easy to do (yet to be proven by
BYFF)

34. Differences between ornamental fish
culture and table fish culture
 Bio mass
 Water quality criteria
 Management
intensification – e.g.
water flows, water use,
 Aesthetic e.g. –
herbaceous border
versus the vegetable
patch

35. Two approaches to BYFF
 Intensive: recirculation
system – tank or small
pond (up to 35000l)
requiring active filtration
 Extensive: large pond for
rearing fish – (above
50m )
2

36. Species which could be considered for
growing in a BYFF system
 Carp
 Tilapia
 Sturgeon
 Grass carp
 Tench
 Catfish
 Trout
 Eel
 Perch
 Zander

37. Small is beautiful
 Will not fill the fish protein
gap
 Could be a valuable
education tool to raise
awareness of the issues &
change behaviour?
 Rising interest – courses at
Upper Hayne – people
wanting to do a wide range
of projects, could this help to
solve the problem?

38. Has the problem been solved?
 Not yet!
 For aquaculture in England to
develop sustainably, a holistic
approach is needed in all the main
spheres (e.g. social, economic,
ecological etc.) and in addition,
must be driven by committed
effective networks – all for the
benefit of our future generations
 The aquaculture of the future will
likely play an increasingly wider
role – farming our still freshwaters
or growing fish in our back garden
are just two such examples!