PROJECT NAME:
Alternative Animal Husbandry: Fish Farming
PROJECT MANAGER:
Prof. Dr. Şenol GÜZEL
PROJECT TOPIC:
It is planned to use our existing cold water and warm water resources more efficiently and to provide economic input by promoting different fish farming as an alternative to trout farming in Burdur and its surroundings, and by highlighting alternative species in aquaculture.
PROJECT PURPOSE:
Almost all of the production in our country's fresh waters consists of the cold-water species rainbow trout. The presence of only one trout species in cultured fish farming causes problems in marketing and consumption. This project aims and targets to promote the farming of other alternative trout species in waters with the same farming conditions. Our country has significant amounts of warm water, hot water, industrial cooling waters, and thermal water resources suitable for fish farming. However, the production of warm water and hot water fish in these resources is almost non-existent. This project foresees providing economic input to our country by using our warm water, hot water resources, industrial cooling waters, and thermal waters in fish production.
PROJECT REGIONAL CONTRIBUTION:
The fact that Burdur is located in the Lakes region and is rich in bitter and fresh water resources brings aquaculture to the forefront. In our region, rainbow trout is mostly farmed. The farming of alternative species is supported by our Ministry of Agriculture, with a support of 1.5 TL per kg. The introduction of different species with appeal and taste, such as red-spotted trout, into the fish market is important for the sector. Additionally, businesses that farm trout in cages have to empty their cages in the summer months due to the warming weather. It is planned to contribute to the economy by utilizing the idle cages and the workforce that becomes available by farming warm water fish in these empty cages in rotation. Furthermore, it is foreseen to promote the farming of alternative species such as carp, tilapia, or black fish in the warm water resources and ponds in our region.
PROJECT SOCIAL CONTRIBUTION:
One of the carnivorous fish with high quality and high customer demand, the red-spotted trout (Salmo trutta), will be farmed under our country's conditions and especially marketed as kilogram fish, contributing to reaching our 2023 target of 500,000 tons of farming production.
Black fish is naturally found only in the Asi basin in our country and is considered an exotic species in other basins. Therefore, the Ministry of Food, Agriculture, and Livestock only allows the farming of this species outside this basin when closed circuit systems are used. With this project, the production of black fish in drip-type closed circuit systems will be tested under our country's conditions, and the results will be presented to the fish farming sector.
Tilapia is the most produced species in the world and is a species that is resistant to environmental conditions and farmed in warm waters (24-28 OC). In this context, its production is important to bring species diversity to the farming sector and to support rural development.
Our country has the potential for warm water fish farming, and for this purpose, water resources suitable for fish farming can be used from our country's water resources. In this context, both the efficiency of using these resources will be increased and the production of fish farming will be enhanced.
Aquatic products are among the indispensable elements of healthy nutrition. Especially in the fight against obesity, the World Health Organization emphasizes fish and aquatic products as a good source of animal protein. However, when per capita consumption data is examined, it is seen that the habit of consuming aquatic products in Turkey is even behind that of underdeveloped countries. In this context, dissemination studies aimed at increasing consumption need to be conducted.