1. Innovations and Georgia Aquaculture
Gary J. Burtle
Animal & Dairy Science
The University of Georgia

2. Hybrid Catfish Project
Interest in Hybrid Catfish is gaining ground in the Southeast U.S.
Selling for 1.25 to 3.0 cents per inch depending on state and quantity
Highest prices in Alabama
Limited by fingerling availability

3. Spawning Hybrids
Need 5 yr old blue males, 4-5 year old channel females
Check females each week during spawning season and inject with carp pituitary
Inject male blue catfish with carp pituitary and dissect testes for in vitro fertilization after female is stripped of eggs, 3-5 females per male
Expect 3,000 to 4,000 fry per female

4. Hybridization Trial Results
50% of females will produce eggs by stripping after hormone injection
Male blue catfish can be stimulated with urine from female blue catfish
Harvest testes within 24 hours of stimulation, urine or hormone
Maintain 78 degree water for best results

5. Hybrid Stocking
Obtain hybrid fingerlings from hatcheries with disease control programs
Have fingerlings inspected for disease prior to purchase
Apply chelated copper rather than copper sulfate for hybrid ponds
Stock 6,000 to 10,000 per acre
0.05 to 1.5 pounds in 5 months

6. Vietnamese Catfish Basa, Pangasius bacurti
Grown in cages on rice bran and dried fish
Sold as frozen fillets
From 7 million pounds in 2000 to over 20 million pounds in 2001
Illegal label until October 2001

7. Basa

8. Cage Culture of Basa

9. National Bill Sets Label Law
Introduced in House in early 2001 passed Senate in October
Requires “catfish” to be from the family “Ictaluridae” and excludes “Siluridae” or “Pangasiidae”

10. Status of Imported Catfish Label
Basa fish sold as catfish perceived as illegal
July 2001, Vietnam orders all basa labelled as product of Vietnam, Mekon catfish, basa catfish, or pangas catfish.
October 2001, US Senate passes label law to require proper catfish labeling

11. Impact of Vietnamese Catfish
20 million pounds of fillets in 2001
23% of farm raised catfish fillet market
3% of US catfish market
Competition at time of US economic recession
Pond bank price below 50 cents per pound in Mississippi, 53 cents in Georgia

12. Fish Imports (1,000 lb) Sept 2000 2001 Jan-Sep Catfish Fillet 615
1,401
5,174
12,175
Tilapia
Products
7,499
5,552
40,787
50,007

13. Cold Storage Holdings (1,000 lb) Down 8 to 13% since 2000
Catfish
12,906
11,873
13,337
Saltwater
Total
278,085
240,879
240,713

14. Fresh Fish Prices at Fulton Market (Nov 30, 2001)
Catfish Fillet
$ 2.75 /lb
Cod Fillet
$ 4.00 /lb ($2.00 frozen)
Tilapia Fillet
$ 3.90 /lb
Hybrid Striped Bass Fillet

15. Tilapia Culture Several Recirculating Systems in Georgia
Some small hydroponics systems also in Georgia
Processing in North Carolina by Southern States Cooperative
Systems are in a mile radius of Valdosta

16. Economics of Tilapia Culture
Based on capital provided by others
Must have land and positive net worth
Must be identifiable as a farmer
Approximately $20,000 net per year per system as a goal
Only available through Southern States Cooperative

17. Freshwater Prawns Machrobrachium rosenbergii
An exotic shrimp from Malaysia
Tropical
Lives in freshwater for part of its life-cycle

18. U. S. Prawn Culture Of interest for over 25 years
Limited by the availability of seed stock
Cultured in Texas, Kentucky, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee, recently in Georgia
Average production 500 to 800 pounds per acre.
Maximum production about 2,500 lb/A.

19. Prawn Production in Ponds
Prepare pond for stocking
Stock 10,000 to 30,000 juveniles per acre
Fertilize for first 30 – 60 days
Feed a sinking feed during months 2-4
Monitor and control oxygen and pH
Use narrow ponds less than 2 acres in size
Harvest before water falls below 60 degrees

20. Proper Sized Juvenile Prawns
60 day old, 95/oz
28-35 day old, 250 to 280 per oz
Uniform size very important
Careful handling and stocking are essential to juvenile survival
Avoid overcrowding

21. Feeding Prawns Start with cottonseed meal and N-P-K
Use sinking catfish feed for 500 to 800 lb/A
Use shrimp diet for higher yields
Monitor zooplankton with net during first month
Feed over entire pond area
Estimate feed rate based on prawn samples

22. Water Quality in Prawn Ponds
Aerate continuously
Keep oxygen above 3.0 ppm
Monitor pH twice each day
Flush with water to keep below 9.0 (Use pond water of low pH if possible)
Add gypsum to lower pH, 1,000 to 2,000 lb/Acre added as needed

23. Harvest Procedure Seine most of prawns with water at 1/2 depth
Use 1/2 inch mesh seine, grade with bar grader, 62/64 width
Consider partial harvest one month before end of season
Final harvest requires pond draining

24. Economic Sketch Breakeven at 1,000 lb/A is about $5.00 per pound
Juveniles cost $1,500 to $3,000 per acre
Feed costs $300 to $550 per acre
Aeration costs $200 to $400 per acre
Labor cost $800 to $1,200 per acre
Variable cost total$2,800 to $5,100 per acre

25. Litopenaeus vannamei

26. Conditions for Culture
0.5 to 2.0 parts per thousand salinity
Recirculated water or small, aerated ponds
Establish bacterial food source as well as feeding an adequate sinking pellet
Warm water temperatures would require indoor culture in Georgia
Indoor culture may prevent disease outbreak

27. Current Status of Perry Project
Contact William MacGrath
Georgia Marine Shrimp Project
Looking for Cooperating Farmers for Phase 2 of project
Economics available in next 12 to 24 months