Monogastric Nutrition: Aquaculture

 

The Agricultural Research Council aim to  enhance aquaculture through research, development and technology transfer by building a sustainable aquaculture community in partnership with all stakeholder including producers, processors, communities, universities, and public agencies.

ARC-API's Strategic Objectives

• Development of aqua feeds and feeding management practices to improve the growth, development, and nutrition of cultivated aquatic organisms.

• Investigation into feed ingredients as alternatives to fish-based ingredients to reduce the dependence on marine protein in aquaculture diet.

2.  Selective breeding and genetics

ARC initiated a bilateral collaboration between China and South Africa on genetic improvement of tilapia for sustainable aquaculture development. The initiative includes development of a selective breeding research facility. Aims of the initiative include:

• Supply quality seed to farmers; and
  

• Supply seed for restocking natural systems conservation and livelihoods (fishing).

SA-China Bilateral Collaboration workshop at ARC

Exchange visit in China

4. Aquaculture Farming Systems and Environments, Aquaponics

• Development of home-based (backyard) aquaponics systems for food security in collaboration with North West Rural, Environment and Agricultural Development

• Development of tank culture of fresh water crayfish Cherax cainii (Marron)

• Testing high-value species in aquaponics, including essential oil and medicinal plants

 5.  Aquaculture Health and Veterinary Services

• Develop and disseminate guidelines for fish health management.

• Develop a fish disease risk profile.

• Develop aquaculture risk management plan as part of   environmentally friendly fish farming systems for the improvement of sustainable rural livelihood

6. Harvest Tools, Technologies and Economics as well as Marketing

• Increase the supply of nutritious, locally available farmed aquaculture products that are affordable and meet the highest food standards of safety, wholesomeness, and nutritional value.
  

• Improve understanding of the factors and attributes that drive consumer preferences and choices for aquaculture foods to align new products to consumer preferences from farms to the markets.

• Develop innovative methods, technologies, and approaches to improve product processing, shelf-life, and packaging that promote human safety and product quality.

• Use taste panels to improve Consumer behaviour.

• Develop analytical methods for affordable rapid detection of microbial and biological toxins, chemical residues, and human pathogens of highest concern for farm-raised products.

• DST funded project of developing economic and business modelling tools, selecting and evaluating of appropriate catalytic aquaculture project for local innovation capacity building interventions.

• PhD-research project on: Development of tools to assist small-scale tilapia aquaculture farming in Limpopo.