According to a recent media report, India’s aquaculture sector has increasingly adopted Biofloc Technology (BFT) and Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS).
- These practices, while on one hand offer the advantages of intensified production, sustainability and reduced environmental impact, but on the other they also are able to keep away diseases.
- The Department of Fisheries, Government of India, is promoting and encouraging the adoption of these approaches among farmers by providing subsidies through various schemes at national and state level.
Biofloc Technology (BFT)
- It is a closed tank-based fish farming approach which cleans the water in fish tanks by using beneficial bacteria (known as floc).
- Heterotrophic bacteria are used to convert organic waste into microbial biomass, which can then be consumed by the fish or shrimp.
- This process keeps the water clean without needing to change it often and at the same time reduces the risk of disease as well in the fish.
- Water stays cleaner, hence farmers do not need to depend on external use of chemicals or antibiotics.
- BFT also saves money on feed, as fish can get extra nutrients from the recycled waste, making it sustainable, cost-effective and environmentally friendly for fish farming.
Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS)
- It is also a closed-loop tank-based farming that recycles water after filtration.
- It filters and cleans the water in the tank, removing waste and keeping it safe for the fish to live in.
- It has automated set up of culture tanks with both mechanical and biological filtration units, and effectively prevents the entry of pathogens from external sources.
