Catfish Farming: Cage Culture
Members
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Wang Tian Yi 171686
Girija Selvaraja 175813
Zhafri bin Zakaria 171159
Muhammad Nor'izzat Hanafi bin Shamsul Huda 173701
Wan Azleen Normaya bt Wan Azmi 167218
Cage culture
Catfish
Methods
- Uses existing water resources but encloses the fish in a cage
- Allows water to pass freely between the fish and the pond
- The early practice was developed in South East Asia in 18th century
- Called catfish because of its barbels that resembles a cat's whiskers
- Species can be found in America, Africa and Asia
- Can have up to four pairs of barbels
- Able to produce different sounds and capable to distinguish pitches and velocities (to sense danger and find food)
- Raised as food in tanks, channels or cages with running water
- Production in Malaysia is supported by Department of Fisheries
- In Pahang, Selangor and Perak among others
- Prepare a stretch of farmland large enough to hold suitable catfish ponds
- Provide an adequate supply of water
- Aerate and heat the pond
- Stock the pond with fingerlings, baby catfish about 4 to 6 inches long
- Feed the fish every day, letting them have everything they can eat for 20 to 25 minutes
- Gather some breeding-age catfish and place them in a separate pond to spawn
- Add spawning containers to the pond
Advantages
Disadvantages
- Flexibility of its resources
- Allows farmer to use existing water resources
- Provides vast amount of oxygen
- Small financial investment
- Cage materials are not expensive
- Easy practices
- direct observation of the fish's behaviour
- Water quality problems
- High fish densities leads to reduced dissolves oxygen
- Wild fish nearby may transmit diseases
- Cause catastrophic losses
- Attractive to predators, vandals and poachers
- Caged fish do not have access to natural food
Further research about catfish
U.S. Catfish Institute
- Catfish reared and fed with pellets have a good source of protein in contrast to other type of food
- It is proved to be healthier than any other type of fishes
Journal of the American Medical Association
- Consumption of one to two servings a week may decrease the risk of heart attack
- Contains fatty acids that can reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease
Pioneer Agro tech Centre (PATC)
- Bio - Aqua specially formulated for the development of the livestock industry and the local catfish hatchery
- Save on cost and speed up the harvest period