The growing wave of aquaculture
Thanks to public-private partnership efforts that are going swimmingly well, the local aquaculture industry is overcoming challenges that could potentially boost the state's production of fish stocks, eliminate reliance of imported stocks, and improve Hawai'i's ability to be more self sustainable.
Fish farming dates back to ancient times, with the creation and operation of walled Hawaiian fishponds. Today, these ponds are admired as sustainable features that were part of the ancient system known as ahupuaa, the basic self-sustaining unit shaped by geography.
Modern aquaculture is now identified as the farming of both plants and animals in salt, fresh or brackish water. Currently, a total of more than 30 aquatic plant and animal species are being raised for research or commercial purposes in Hawai'i. According to the state Department of Agriculture, the commercial aquaculture sector has expanded from 13 farms in 1976 to 100 in 2003.
That number continues to grow, due to an increasing demand for fresh, local products and the high consumption of seafood in the islands. Today, aquaculture has become the fastest growing segment in local diversified agriculture, grossing record sales of $34.7 million in 2008.
To cope with the demand, University of Hawai'i at M?noa scientists and researchers have stepped up to work alongside farmers, and state and national aquaculture personnel, to share their expertise.
At the Hawai'i Institute for Marine Biology (HIMB), Director Jo-Ann Leong says her colleagues-Clyde Tamaru, Robert Bidigare, Gordon Grau and Robert Toonen-are focusing on targeted sectors for greater development in aquaculture, based on the industry's track record to date. They include:
" High value seafood products including opihi.
" Macroalgae or seaweeds for food or specialty chemicals.
" Year-round production of specific pathogen-free broodstock and seedstock.
" Marine and freshwater aquarium species for export.
" Offshore and open ocean production of fish and pearl oysters.
Research and educational activities are also expected to accelerate, as new technological improvements are developed to sustain the rapid expansion of the industry, said Leong. She adds that long-term projects will concentrate on the development of 1) disease-resistant strains of aquacultured species, 2) appropriate and sustainable food supplies for different stages of the life cycle for new animal species, and 3) environmentally friendly aquaculture methods.
Meanwhile, with funding support from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Sea Grant College Director Gordon Grau of HIMB has been focusing on developing feeds for fish that help them grow optimally with the least possible impact on our ecosystems.
"Most fish require feeds that contain fish meal, which requires us to take fish out of the ocean, taking away food for other fishes to eat. Also, capturing fish to make fishmeal is a petroleum intensive activity," said Grau. "Another challenge to sustainable aquaculture is the inevitable adding of nutrients to ecosystems. Our aim is to design feeds without fishmeal that promote optimal and efficient growth with minimal loss of nutrients to the environment. "
Grau works in collaboration with colleagues at a USDA lab at Auburn University in Alabama to compound the feeds for tilapia (see sidebar below), which are then evaluated by both his lab and university and government partners in the U.S. and Japan. Last year, more than 400 million pounds of tilapia were imported into the U.S. from Central and South America, China and the Philippines. Grau says this is a large and rapidly growing source of food for the American diet.
HIMB researchers have also teamed up with their colleagues at the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR) to intensify efforts using limited resources while keeping projects cost-effective. At CTAHR, experts there continue to be a resource for the local aquaculture community, providing technical assistance to backyard growers and commercial growers.
The Aquaculture Research and Extension Unit in the Department of Molecular Biosciences and Biological Engineering, led by aquaculture specialist Tamaru, are engaged in a variety of aquaculture research and extension activities. Some current projects are:
" Aquaponics 101: Distance Learning Course Design and Construction.
" Development of sustainable food waste vermicompost-integrated aquaponic farming systems for cultivation of taro.
" Collaborative effort for utilizing biofuel byproducts.
" Sustainable Aquaculture for Food Security in Hawai'i: Survey and Improvement of Farm Production and Post Harvest Practices for Biosecurity and Food Safety.
" Diversifying Freshwater Aquaculture Products for Hawai'i: Two Crossover Species, the Red and Black Pacu.
" Establishing water quality parameters to address wet weather flow impacts, pathogens and strategies in a priority urban watershed.
Among his many responsibilities, Tamaru is principal investigator of a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration supported project on how to improve the hatchery output of the Hawaiian pink snapper or opakapaka-a favorite of many locals. "Research on this bottomfish is being conducted at HIMB and hinges on the species ability to naturally spawn from captive broodstock that is held at Coconut Island," said Tamaru. "Due to its overfished status, the bottomfish fishery is now governed by the federal Magnuson-Stevenson Act, so the state has been mandated to devise ways in which the fishery can be restored by at least 20 percent."
In collaboration with the Division of Aquatic Resources, Tamaru and researchers at M?noa are developing hatchery and nursery techniques for the production of opakapaka juveniles that can meet commercial-scale requirements. "We hope to transfer those technologies to appropriate end users for either public or private use," said Tamaru.
Research has also proven helpful for local farmer Hukilau Food, significantly improving its moi hatchery outputs that now average 300,000-400,000 per hatchery run. "The joint use of resources and free exchange of information should be an example of how both industry and land grant universities can benefit," shared Ryan Murashige, Hukilau Foods hatchery manager.
The Aquaculture Research and Extension Unit has also begun to introduce aquaponic technologies, where both plants and fishes are simultaneously cultivated. The technology integrates aquaculture and hydroponic food production methods. "Beyond the actual food (vegetables) harvested from this innovative, integrated technology, I'm excited about how aquaponics creates synergy among unlikely collaborators," said Tamaru. "It is currently being used as a means to address and raise awareness as to what it would take for our island state to become self reliant in producing its own food."
Working with staff at the Hawai'i State Hospital, Tamaru helped establish a combination of static hydroponic and aquaponic systems called "Horticulture Therapy" for the patients. Mini enterprises have been developed where the patients sell to hospital staff their garden-grown vegetables that are fertilized by the waste of tilapia swimming leisurely around in tanks. The patients effectively generate sufficient income, keeping the units economically self-sustaining.
"Although still in the development stage, the aquaponic systems have had a transformative impact on our patient and staff populations alike," attested Tiffany Kawaguchi, director of psychological rehabilitation at the Hawai'i State Hospital. "In looking at this project in the grand scheme of things, this collaborative venture represents the beginning stages of building a genuine 'community.'"
Personnel in the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Graduate Education's Aquaculture Program, led by coordinator Benny Ron, are also helping to create more awareness. Last August, with the assistance of a grant from NOAA, they hosted the 2010 International Workshop on Aquaculture & Tilapia in Hilo on the Big Island. The three-day event, a first of its kind, featured workshops and demonstrations by various experts throughout the Pacific and three prominent scientists: Gideon Hulata (genetics and fish breeding programs, Israel), James Rakocy (aquaponics, Virgin Islands) and Wilson Lennard (aquaponics, Australia).
About 75 attendees from Hawai'i, the Pacific and the U.S. mainland participated. Well received by many, the UH Manoa Aquaculture Program plans to continue to offer these aquaponics workshops on Maui, Kauai and other islands in the Pacific. "Attendees picked up a lot of new information from the event, which in particular clarified the fitness of the tilapia to aquaculture conditions in the Hawai'i and the Pacific region," said Ron. "It showed the participants the value of this species in aquaponics systems, and strengthened the evidence the tilapia is hardy, and a relatively easy fish to grow in every farm."
Along with the high demand for aquaculture products in Hawaii, there has been strong interest from community groups and individuals to further their own training and experience. At UH M?noa, there are various programs and resources available to the public:
Undergraduate Aquaculture Curriculum
In the Department of Human Nutrition, Food and Animal Sciences, aquaculture courses include Aquaculture Production, The Biology and Culture of Freshwater Prawns and Marine Shrimp, and Aquaculture Business and Entrepreneurship. There are also plans to create an aquaculture certificate program for undergraduate students. Contact: Professor Spencer Malecha (smal1113@aol.com).
Center for Excellence in Sustainable Aquaculture
Housed in the Sea Grant College Program, the Center for Excellence in Sustainable Aquaculture conducts a wide range of outreach and education activities in Hawai'i and around the Pacific. Bob Howerton, one of five Sea Grant aquaculture extension specialists, is helping families who are interested in learning how to produce fresh fish and vegetables in their backyards, especially those who of Native Hawaiian ancestry. He works closely with families to set up low-cost, small-scale, integrated aquaculture-agriculture systems. The program aims to help families return to a healthier lifestyle while saving money and resources they would normally expend to acquire less-healthy sustenance. For information, see the website at http://sa.seagrant.soest.hawaii.edu/
Aquaculture Technical Assistance
Aquaculture and aquaponics experts with CTAHR's Cooperative Extension Service have organized workshops for field site demonstrations and provide one-on-one consultation to various groups who are involved with establishing systems, particularly educators in STEM fields. Contact: Clyde Tamaru (ctamaru@hawaii.edu).
Aquaculture Training and Online Learning
To be launched in 2012, the Aquaculture Training and Online Learning project will offer a certificate program in aquaculture with UH M?noa Outreach College. With support from the NOAA, the project is under way to develop unique online courses, workshops and e-learning games, which will help to expand the number of people with aquaculture and fisheries training over the next few years. Courses will utilize cutting-edge technologies and provide an introduction to aquaculture, fisheries in the Pacific, genetics, aquaponics, engineering, coral restoration, fish nutrition, native Hawaiian fishponds, and utilize partnerships across the Pacific for hands-on internships. Contact: Benny Ron (bennyron@hawaii.edu).
AquacultureHub.com
Benny Ron with the UH M?noa Aquaculture Program spearheaded the development of a new social network known as aquaculturehub.org (www.aquaculturehub.org ). "The Hub" connects scientists, farmers, hobbyists and interested community members around the world to "educate, learn, share and engage" online. Launched in 2009, the website now has more than 700 members worldwide. Members can create special topic interest groups, share videos or photos, and take part in critical discussions about issues important to aquaculture, aquaponics and world fisheries.
For other resources and information on the aquaculture industry in Hawai'i, visit the state's Aquaculture Development Program website at http://hawaii.gov/hdoa/adp. For more information on both the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, and the Hawaii Institute for Marine Biology, at UH M?noa, go online to www.ctahr.hawaii.edu and www.hawaii.edu/himb.
For more information, contact:
Jo-Ann Leong at (808) 236-7401 or joannleo@hawaii.edu
Gordon Grau at (808) 236-7408 or grau@hawaii.edu
Clyde Tamaru at (808) 342-1063 or ctmaru@hawaii.edu
