Tilapia Farming

Submitted by fyl on 16 February, 2008 - 10:14.

I am looking for information on Tilapia farming. An internet search has offered me a lot of "business info", some requirements and such. I am looking for the following specifics:

  1. Where do you get fry in Nicaragua?
  2. Other projects operating here
  3. How to integrate tilapia farming into other crops. I saw, for example, a reference to using the same water for tilapia and tomatoes but with no explanation. It does seem like nutrients (nice word for fish shit) from the tilapia water would be useful for growing other crops.

Tilapia wasn't on the Geek Ranch agenda until we started looking for solutions for one area that has standing water at least part of the year. The idea of using the water to do something useful came up and having fresh fish to serve plus possibly some to sell seems worth a bit of research.

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Sounds like an interesting idea

Submitted by trieckman on 17 March, 2008 - 19:57.

Another place that looked like it had some good info. http://aquanic.org/index.htm

Nica Holdings/Coral Gables, FL

Submitted by se_vnt3 on 27 February, 2008 - 18:05.

Mares Nica Noruegos, S.A.(NICANOR)

David Senna, General Manager

Km. 15.5 Carretera Norte, Managua

(505)882-0476

(505)883-3542

jds@ibw.com.ni

Tilapia Fish Farm

% US OWNERSHIP: More than 90% US ownership and 76% US capital used to found company.

# OF EMPLOYEES: ~100

Information courtesy of: BUYUSA.GOV

- "If you obey all the rules, you miss all the fun" Katherine Hepburn

Thanks for the responsible .50 centavos

Submitted by TDoug on 16 February, 2008 - 20:03.

While visiting Ometepe in December it was expalined to us that the non-native Tilapia were eating the Guapote eggs and thus hurting the species. As a lover of Guapote, that was disturbing news. I doubt that we will see much, if any, effort to preserve the fragile Nica ecosystem under the current regime.

my .50 Centavos

Submitted by Pinolero2 on 16 February, 2008 - 20:15.

For those of you who own land in Nicaragua, Tilapia Farming(on a small scale) is a good source of food and a local income. Anyone that has a small Parcel anywhere in Nicaragua can build a small pond and raise Tilapias,best of all your Local Marena should be able to provide the fry.(young fish)along with a brief overview/Capacitacion on how to feed them,when to harvest them etc. This type of program was implemented about 6 years ago in the nearby towns of Esteli, towns like Pueblo Nuevo,El Jicaro, Limay just to name a few,have been very succesful raising Tilapias for their own comsuption and to sell, in their neighboring towns as well.

There is 1 major exporter of Tilapias in All of Nicaragua the name is Nicanor best known as Empresa Mares Nicas Noruego S.A. they finally got the concession from the goverment to run their bussines,which in my Nicaraguan Opinion, should have never done it, Unsupervised.

Their Operation is in Ometepe, San Ramon, to be exact(in case you ever want to check them out) I got a chance to visit their cages last year,while fishig the "Ometepe 2007" fishing tournament(Which our Team got 3rd,and 1st Biggest fish), very interresting how they run their cage system.

There has been great controversy over this issue,since is a non-native species being raise over one of the biggest body of fresh water(second to the great lakes I beleive, I could be wrong). Eventhough the company says,that tilapias have been raise on cages over bodies of water all over the world without any major damage to the Native fish species,and acuatics plants, None of them come close to having as much mass and bio-diversity of fresh water species like Lake Nicaragua, furthermore none of the other Countries have "Fresh Water Sharks" which they Do attack the cages and let FREE thousands of Tilapias in the process. This we(our Fishing team) were told by one of the Cage keeper we spoke to, that day. The people who feel the impact are the Local and sport Fisherman,who have seen a dramatic drop in the catch ratio of the "Guapote" Mojarra, Robalo, Sabalo Real just to name a few species. in the area of Ometepe.

Tilapias are an excellent source of food, nice firm white meat, when done responsibbily, it is an excellent alternative to buying your fish at the super market,best of all you have them right on your back yard, they don't come any fresher than that.

Just wanted to share a bit on Tilapia farming.

FAP

The only way to responsibly

Submitted by nuestragringa on 27 February, 2008 - 20:31.

The only way to responsibly raise tilapia is by using closed ponds, not connected to native waterways. Tilapia are easy to raise, and are a great source of protein. You can have 2 ponds, one is drained after harvesting the tilapia,(and used for fertilizer) and the other is put into production. I read this in some farming book, probably on my bookshelf, but can't remember which one.

The Ometepe tilapia problem will only get worse, as these fish are so easy to raise that they are almost indestructible. They are very efficient feeders, and compete with native species for food. Naturally there are escapes, regardless of what Patrick Bolanos (former President Bolanos' nephew and part owner of the NICANOR company says) says. I would not be surprised if someday tilapia is the most abundant species found in Lake Cocibolca, and there are few guapote and other traditional species, much like Lake Victoria in Africa has become overrun with a different species similar to the tilapia. http://www.american.edu/TED/VICTORIA.HTM

Mr. Molina of thge Ometepe Biological Station is completely against the tilapia farm, and he has lived with it since its inception.

I agree

Submitted by fyl on 28 February, 2008 - 06:15.

While it may be too late for a lot of waterways in Nicaragua, our idea is only for a closed pond. Of course, our goal is not to built the most profitable fish farm in Nicaragua so it is a bit easier.

We have a water problem. For part of the year, there is just too much water in one area resulting in, well, a swamp. As the area is surrounded by areas a bit higher, there is no "natural" way to drain it. Thus, the fish pond idea.

In reading, it sounds like harvesting at six months typical. Until we have a year watching available water we won't know for sure but the right approach may be to just grow tilapia six months each year. And, of course, add them to the restaurant menu.

I have always enjoyed doing the things I don't know how to do. That is, once I know how to do something, I want to move on and learn something else. Well, the Geek Ranch is proving to be the perfect fit for me.

New things...

Submitted by nuestragringa on 17 March, 2008 - 18:41.

Sounds like fun!!!!

Appreciate the 10 centavos

Submitted by dirtbag on 16 February, 2008 - 20:18.

from an angler. Thanks. I don't know anything about fish farming. The Salmon Farms in British Columbia province of Canada, had lots of them and they decided (protracted battle) to get out and move elsewhere. Mostly because of the heat from enviornmentalists,lots of desease proven and documented, transferred to wild Salmon. The same went for Trout Farms.We have zebra mussells but Not Fresh water Sharks! I had to chuckle at that uppercut to fish farming of Tilapias, anyway, there is a lot of Tilapias for sale these days in the fish markets of Toronto. It is a delicious fish and we have a diverse multiculturism-read people that eat fish- in Toronto. In Guyana they have a fish somewhat like Tilapia as far as Gods natural supply of water, allthough much smaller,it's called "Hassa", the most ugliest fish you could find. AND the most sweetest tasting...(isn't it always the way!)..they have nests in swamps, rice paddy's etc, great to see young kids hustling from door to door selling really welcome tasting fish, as long as its fresh, in a basket overhead and best of all caught it themselves either with a net or just their hands.I'm sure where there is a natural supportive, even medium, body of water you could make a home for fish. I can remember salmon fishing, poaching mostly, in Scotland growing up,selling our gains to the chef at the local posh hotel.Haddock, Salmon, and Cod are in my taste buds forever. How could you farm them?

useful link

Submitted by Pinolero2 on 16 February, 2008 - 11:47.

http://www.iica.int.ni/

FAP

Thanks

Submitted by fyl on 16 February, 2008 - 19:01.

Great link. Not sure how I missed it before.