Bustan aquaponics : Egypt's first working commercial aquaponic farm

Turkish Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, 2015

In aquaponic systems, plants treat the water by removing the nitrogen and phosphorus resulting from the fish farm and utilize it for growth as fertilizers so it is recycled rather than being discharged and polluting the environment; to minimize adverse impact of aquaculture to the environment. In the present study, two systems were investigated using Renewable Energy System for sustainability point of view: 1) Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture, IMTA– Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) System.2) IMTA– Floating Raft System (FRS) in comparison with traditional soil culture system. The study aims to highlight some of the technical, biological, social, and economic features of aquaponic systems in Egypt. Results showed that IMTA–FRS and IMTA–NFT systems achieved best average net income and thus were able to cover costs and achieve economic surplus capacity of 53% and 47% respectively. The ability of these two systems to withstand the burden of increased costs of production circumstances or...

Fish farming in Egypt is not formally recognized as an agricultural activity, so aquaculture cannot use water from irrigation canals. However, fish are raised as primary or secondary crops in combination with fruit and other plant crops. A study by the WorldFish Center found farms could efficiently use well water to intensively raise tilapia in aerated tanks and use the effluent to irrigate fruit trees, vegetables and flowers. Two other farms used water from nearby Nile irrigation canals to fill water storage reservoirs stocked with tilapia. Crops and fruit were the main source of revenue for these farms, and fish reflected a minor secondary crop.

Aquaculture & Fisheries, 2018

This report describes a study done in 2010 by researchers of the WorldFish Center on water use in Egyptian farms that apply aquaculture – agriculture integration. Two of the four farms that were monitored derived the main income from farming and selling fish, the two other farms were mainly agricultural farms that used reservoirs that were built to store irrigation water for growing fish. The volume of water in which fish were raised from fingerling to market size and that was subsequently used to irrigate agriculture crops was estimated. The water quality was monitored, the quantity and value of the fish and the value of the agricultural crop were determined. Estimates were made of the amount of fertilizer that was saved by growing fish in irrigation water. Report number CDI-12-005.

Egyptian Journal of Aquatic Biology and Fisheries

INTRODUCTION Globally, the agriculture and aquaculture are very important sources for food support. Recently, the limited water resources are the main constraint for aquaculture in arid/semi-arid regions. Hence, the global efforts encourage the integrated agri-aquaculture system. In Egypt, groundwater or surface water is now separately used for agriculture or aquaculture and other industries including human consumption. The government has tended to exploit the desert areas to maintain sustainable development and guarantee work chances for the youth.

2013

Egyptian fish farming has witnessed a spectacular development resulting in an industry that is number 7 worldwide and number 2 in tilapia production. As such the industry is an important contributor to Egypt's economy as well as a major provider of cheap fish protein. However there are a number of developments that potentially could result in a stagnation or even collapse of the industry.

The aquaponics systems focused on increasing economically and sustainability of indoor and outdoor fish farming. Aspect like sustainability, development and economically efficiency improve of farmer health we must reconsider the agriculture sciences, by this we understand that we must develops technologies friendly for the environment. Combining aquaculture with hydroponics we obtain a new innovation named aquaponics which respects principles of sustainable agriculture (wastewater bio filtration by plants) and gives us the possibility to increase economic efficiency with an additional production (organic vegetables) to produce the nutrient rich food.

In 2006/2007, National Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries established two simple and efficient small-scale fish farming models for farmers, fishermen, youth and families, particularly in rural areas. The first one was an educational aquaponic model in outdoor land area (75 m 2) located in the Fish Research Station Farm at El-Kanater El-Khayria, Kalubiya Governorate, Egypt. The main aim is to produce Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus and economical ornamental yucaa plants and several vegetable Plants: bell and cayenne pepper, squash, cabbage, eggplant brinjal and tomato, as field crop production. The total fish production was averaged 35.6 kg/m 3 / 16 weeks, with an average final individual weight 330.91 g. The total yield of yucca plant was 40 plant/8 tank (1.6 x 1.6 m each), meanwhile the total yield of bell pepper, cayenne pepper, squash, tomato, eggplant brinjal and cabbage were: 25, 37, 50, 90, 180 kg and 180 plants, respectively. The second one was small-scale fish culture in net-enclosures (15 m 3 each) at Lysa Gamalia village, Lake Manzalah, Dakahlia Governorate for small farmers and fishermen families (Backyard fish farming). The results revealed that, mixed Nile tilapia and silver carp, Hypophthalmichthys molitrix culture in net-enclosures model was more productive (183.92 kg/enclosure/5 months or 12.26 kg/m 3 /5 months) and economic (net return 878.44 LE/enclosure/5 months) than monoculture of Nile tilapia model (86.54 kg/enclosure, 5.77 kg/m 3 and 221.50 LE/enclosure/ 5 months, respectively). The present study demonstrated also that, in aquaponic system, plants and fish have less health problems than in intensive and semi-intensive culture systems.

Aquaponic system is the innovative production of fish and plants at the same time in one circulating system. Aquaponic system is the quick emerging practice worldwide, particularly in the Republic of South Africa (RSA). There is little information, if any, that relates RSA with aquaponics system. As such, this literature review looked briefly in soilless systems setups that make up an aquaponic system. However, the focus was made on aquaponics system particularly, toward understanding the system operational, sustainability and suitability RSA. The literature also looked at potential method such as aquaponics system model development to kick start and optimise aquaponics system productivity in RSA. Food sovereignty through aquaponics system has a great potential to address food and nutrition insecurity in RSA.