Methane and fish farms for the urban environment

Karin Kloosterman, from Israel21c




There's nothing fishy about it. Israeli Prof. Yonathan Zohar has spent a lifetime researching fish production and has a solution that might stop the world's dramatic decline in fisheries. Hip "green" environmentalists and sushi lovers will like it too. Zohar has created fish farms for the urban environment. His special self-contained fish pools can be built close to fresh food markets, in city warehouses and even in your condominium.

"It is clear that the consumption of seafood and fish is on the rise, because of the great health benefits... but now we are over-harvesting," warns Zohar, director of the Center of Marine Biotechnology at the University of Maryland. "We need to change that practice and become more efficient in a way that is compatible to the earth."

Zohar, who was born in Jerusalem and is a graduate of Hebrew University, thinks his solution is ideal. In the basement of the center in Baltimore, he has built a series of high-tech fish pools. They are filled with freshwater from the tap, and have been adjusted with salts and buffers to mimic the marine environment.

Using advanced concepts of microbiology, Zohar has entrained special microbes to live in symbiosis with the fish in order to digest their waste. Aerated by plastic plugs that house the microbes, the fish pools are bio-secure and contaminant free, according to Zohar.

In addition, part of the solid waste that is created by uneaten food or microbial byproducts is converted into methane and used as biofuel, says Zohar. This is significant. Zohar was one of the original team to develop the technology of fish farming in floating cages at sea in Israel.

These cages have become deeply controversial because the waste created by the farmed fish pollutes the surrounding seawater. In addition, the waters where the fish are raised are often heavily polluted with heavy metals such as mercury, leading to problems such as the recent toxic sushi scare in the US.

"I am trying to develop the next generation technology, to address cages and nets in light of environmental concerns," he says. "It is clear we are over-harvesting the ocean and running out of fish. We've focused on an alternative land-based method that can be used in the urban environment."

The urban fish pools, each about the size of a children's pool with higher walls and a roof, can be put into operation anywhere Zohar stresses. "They can be placed in the mid-West or in Las Vegas," he says.

These urban fish pools certainly address the problem of declining fish populations. According to the Food and Agricultural Organization, about 75 percent of the world's commercially fished species are either depleted, overfished or fully fished. If current trends continue, the fisheries will collapse by 2050.

The pools can also address another environmental issue - our carbon footprint - how far food needs to travel before it arrives at the dinner table. Eating locally is becoming not only fashionable in the United States; some people consider it to be more important than eating organic.

Zohar is now looking for an investor to build a pilot plant. But the idea is not a dream - a prototype, replete with living fish, now resides in Baltimore. There, he is growing Mediterranean gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata), also known as dorade royale, or aurata.

And the taste? "Our fish were tested by local seafood restaurants and were highly praised for their taste, texture and freshness," says Zohar. "We are currently shifting our focus to additional high value marine fish, to include the European seabass (bronzini) and cobia."




Copy rigt To origional publication , The Indian Newsapaper , Hindu

http://www.hindu.com/seta/2007/10/25/stories/2007102550091600.htm

Small biosystem integration with less land

Model farmer coaxes more crops from less land M. J. PRABU

In the last five years he has sold earthworms worth about rupees one lakh

— PHOTO: IISR

Role model: Mr. Sebastian (sitting) of Kozhikode explaining to visitors about his rain water harvesting tank. Big farmers have more land, finance and manpower at their disposal when compared to small and marginal farmers who grow their crops in 3-4 acres and still succeed in getting a good yield.One such small farmer is Mr. K.O. Sebastian, in Kozhikode district of Kerala who has rubber, coconut, areca nut and black pepper in his four-acre land. Absence of information Even though he slogged in his farm to raise crop productivity, absence of proper scientific guidelines proved to be a major obstacle for him as he did not know the ‘nitty gritty’ of successful farming. He approached the Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) of the Indian Institute of Spices Research (IISR), Kozhikode for help. The KVK research team identified that low productivity due to unscientific crop management practices, lack of crop diversification and enterprises, unavailability of quality planting materials and low price for agricultural commodities were the main problems the farmer was facing. Training programme He was advised to attend a training programme at KVK and the nucleus planting materials of rooted pepper cuttings, bush pepper plants, nutmeg and seed ginger were supplied to him by the institute, according to Dr. T.K. Jacob, scientific officer of KVK. A project on vermi-composting was also prepared for him and the local panchayat sanctioned a loan of Rs.1 lakh with 25 per cent subsidy. Technical guidance on the manufacture of vermi-tanks and African earthworms for the units was also supplied. Coirpith compost In the last five years Mr. Sebastian has sold earthworms worth about Rs.1 lakh to a number of farmers in Kozhikode, Kannur, Malappuram and Wynad districts. He was advised to convert large quantities of coir pith, into compost which was available locally in his farm. Training on coir pith composting and ‘pithplus’, an effective fungal culture from Central Coir Research Institute, Alappuzha was given to him for composting. He converted four tonnes of coir pith into quality compost. In addition he has also started azolla cultivation to meet the fodder requirement of his cattle. At present he is producing 2-3 kg of azolla daily. “Azolla feed has increased milk yield in my cattle. The excess azolla is put into vermi-compost tanks, which is consumed by worms to produce nutrient-rich compost. I have also tried cooking azolla as food and found it as tasty as any other vegetable preparation,” he said. Cost-effective Acute water shortage forced him to construct a cost-effective, semi-permanent tank of 60,000-litre capacity with silpaulin sheets in which rain water was preserved and has released a number of fishes into the tank to generate additional income. Mr. Sebastian has also formed a club under NABARD, sponsored by a local co-operative bank. Named Vikas Volunteer Vahini (VVV), “the club is useful to interact with other like minded farmers in my area and to guide them,” he said. Experience sharing The main aim of the club is to strengthen farmer-to-farmer linkage and share the experiences of progressive farming practices among themselves, he explained. Mr. Sebastian was conferred the Model Farmer award by the Department of Agriculture, Government of Kerala. Readers can contact Mr. K.O. Sebastian, Vadakkekallunkal, Muthukadu (Post), Peruvannamuzhi, Kozhikode 673 528, Kerala, and Dr. T.K. Jacob can be reached at Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Peruvannamuzhi Post,Kozhikode, Kerala - 673528, email: jacobtk@spices.res.in, mobile:94475-39967, phone: 0496-2662372. Printer friendly page
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