Feeding both pond and fish: A pathway to ecological intensification of aquaculture systems

Abstract

The nutritious pond concept is a novel approach that enables the pond itself to contribute significantly to the diet of the farmed fish/shrimp. Our research shows that feeding the pond by balancing the carbon-to-nitrogen ratio can increase the contribution of naturally occurring food in the diets of the cultured animals, thus enhancing reliance and reducing production costs and environmental impact. Field trials are currently being conducted in Vietnam and Bangladesh to better understand nutrient transfer in aquaculture ponds. The results of these trials will inform the development of products for fish farmers that have high potential for scaling to other developing countries.