Effects of Stocking Larger-Sized Fish on Water Quality, Growth Performance, and the Economic Yield of Nile Tilapia ( Oreochromis niloticus L.) in Floating Cages

Md Shamsuddin, Mohammad Belal Hossain, Moshiur Rahman, Mst Salamun Kawla, Md. Farhan Tazim, Mohammed Fahad Albeshr and Takaomi Arai
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Md Shamsuddin: Department of Fisheries (DoF), Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, Dhaka 1000, Bangladesh
Mohammad Belal Hossain: Department of Fisheries and Marine Science, Noakhali Science and Technology University, Noakhali 3814, Bangladesh
Moshiur Rahman: Department of Fisheries (DoF), Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, Dhaka 1000, Bangladesh
Mst Salamun Kawla: Department of Fisheries Management, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh 2202, Bangladesh
Md. Farhan Tazim: Department of Fisheries (DoF), Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, Dhaka 1000, Bangladesh
Mohammed Fahad Albeshr: Department of Zoology, College of Science, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2455, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
Takaomi Arai: Environmental and Life Sciences Programme, Faculty of Science, University Brunei Darussalam, Jala Tungku Link, Gadong BE 1410, Brunei

Agriculture, 2022, vol. 12, issue 7, 1-19

Abstract: Earlier research has mostly focused on the impacts of stocking density on fish growth, yield, and survival rate; however, knowledge of the effects of stocking larger-sized fish, particularly Nile Tilapia, is lacking. This type of research is critically important for increasing food security, achieving sustainable goals, and facing the challenges of climate change in the near future. Therefore, we investigated the effects of initial stocking body sizes of Nile Tilapia ( Oreochromis niloticus ) on water quality, growth performance, and economic yield in tropical riverine cages for 120 days in two culture cycles. Nile Tilapia of three different body sizes (34.06 ± 0.22 g, 10.98 ± 0.09 g, and 5.47 ± 0.04 for the first cycle and 33.85 ± 0.01 g, 11.07 ± 0.05 g, and 5.38 ± 0.06 g for the second cycle, indicated as T1, T2, and T3) were stocked in the culture treatments where unique stocking density and feed rations were maintained. The results revealed that water quality parameters did not differ significantly ( p > 0.5) and were within a suitable range for Nile Tilapia culture. Treatments with larger-sized fish demonstrated a higher growth performance. The stocking fish size of 34.14–34.71 g was found to be the best among the three treatments regarding growth performance and economic return. As a result, except for T1 and T2 at a rural site and T1 at a semi-urban site, all of the treatments had negative allometry (b < 3.0), indicating that larger-sized fish and the rural site of the river are more suitable for cage culture. The rural site was found to be more suitable, possibly due to less variation of water parameters, more natural foods, and less pollution. The cages with larger-sized fish stocked had a higher net present value (NPV); internal rate of return (IRR); benefit–cost ratio (BCR); and rate on return (ROI), indicating that cage culture with larger-sized fish stocked is economically viable in the riverine system. Therefore, stocking the larger-sized fish (T1) and rural site are more suitable for cage culture.

Keywords: cage culture; relative condition factor; growth performance; stocking density; the survival rate (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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