Technology keeps catfish jumping and profits steady

by Helen Taylor, Content Manager, In-Situ Inc, USA

Andy Jones compares the catfish industry to the jagged graph of a heartbeat displayed on an EKG machine. The peaks and valleys of that pulsating line are a vivid metaphor for the fluctuating fortunes of a seasonal business dependent on live animals and a dynamic market.

Jones is in a good position to make the connection. As a second-generation catfish farmer, he’s seen first-hand the highs that come with booming demand and the lows of a devastating fish kill. His father, Austin, started Bear Creek Fisheries in Moorhead, Mississippi, USA, in 1982, and after receiving his Master’s in Agribusiness, Jones officially joined the family business he’d worked in since childhood.
 

That was more than a decade ago. Since then, Jones has continually looked for ways to protect the physical health of his stock and the economic health of his farm. And as one who’s never shied away from technology, he’s found that while manpower is important, advancements in automated pond management have put him ahead of the game.

Challenge
Bear Creek Fisheries specialises in fingerling production. Every June, Jones fills 100 ponds with young fish hatched by his brood stock. They’re fed through the summer and fall until they’re six-to-eight inches long and then sold to as many as 200 food fish producers to raise until they’re ready to harvest in about a year’s time.

Jones says they might raise 50-to-75 million fingerlings a season. At that volume some mortality is inevitable, but Jones shoots for at least a 75 percent survival rate. In a rough year, it’s been as low as 60 percent, and in his best year, 84 percent made it.

That’s impressive when you consider the many threats young catfish face – namely oxygen depletion, disease and predation from birds.

“Herons, egrets, pelicans, cormorants – the birds eat you alive,” says Jones. “But the biggest challenges are loss of electricity, which can cut out the aerators, and disease.”

During the day, the fish thrive on oxygen produced through photosynthesis. But when the sun goes down and the temperature drops, oxygen levels fall, and it’s up to electric-powered aerators to agitate the water and keep them stable. An undetected electrical outage or equipment failure can be catastrophic.

Oxygen monitoring is also critical to disease prevention. While Jones wants to feed his fingerlings as much as possible, he doesn’t want to stress them out and make them sick.

Read more HERE.

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