CHENNAI: With an aim to make aquaculture a profitable business for fish farmers, Tamil Nadu Dr J Jayalalithaa Fisheries University (TNJFU) will soon start popularizing Biofloc Technology, a minimal water exchange technology, among farmers.
The university has received Rs 25 lakhs from National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB) for the project, said Vice-Chancellor, S Felix.
He said the minimal water exchange technology offers numerous advantage on improving the growth performance of commercially important finfish and shellfish. The university has already developed nutritional fish feed for Vannamei Shrimp and Tilapia fish and by using the technology, farmers will be benefited by it immensely.
Commercialisation of Biofloc production Technology for developing eco-feed for Vannamei Shrimp culture will be very beneficial for fish farmers.
“A unique facility for developing Biofloc for the eco feed production of commercially important species by Paddle wheel raceway tanks and Photobioreactors has been developed at Advanced Research Farm Facility, Madhavaram. Once the project is completed, we will provide necessary training to farmers,” Felix said.
The technology reduces use of water, which was earlier changed on a regular basis. It brings down feed cost and the farmer does not require sunlight also and fish farming can be done indoors, he said.
Biofloc is thought to provide a package of microbial proteins and nutrients that is directly accessible to culture animals. Nutritionally biofloc biomass could provide a complete source of cellular nutrition as well as various bioactive compounds to enhance the immune performance of the animals.
He said the most popular type of open pond, also known as the paddle-wheel raceway pond, are also used for developing biofloc on a large-scale.
The greatest advantage of this type of culture system is that it is the most economical system. These systems are of low-cost and are fairly simple to construct. The project will be producing healthy pacific white shrimp and GIFT (genetically improved farmed tilapia) under biofloc meal based feed.