STEVE VANGORDER WITH RODALE IN PENNSYLVANIA DEVELOPED THE RAS AROUND 1978. PROFESSIONALS AT THAT TIME ALL SAID THAT IT WOULD NEVER BE PRACTICAL FOR COMMERCIAL USE. HOW WRONG THEY WERE! STEVE TAUGHT SOME OF MY TRAINING COURSES AT WHICH FOLKS FROM MANY COUNTRIES ATTENDED.

NOW IS TRANSITION TIME TO SIMPLIFY TO THE NATURAL - ECOLOGICAL BALANCE IN WHICH PLANTS AND ALGAE CLEAN UP THE WATER. SHREDDED PLASTIC, STYRAFOAM OR OLD PLASTIC IN DISCARDED BUCKETS OR BARRELS OXYGENATE AND ARE HOST FOR NITRIFYING BACTERIA. HOLES ARE CUT IN SIDES FOR PLANT GROWTH - VEGETABLES, HERBS, LETTUCE OR NURSERY PLANTS.

THE WATER IS PUMPED FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE FISH TANK TO THE TOP OF THE BUCKETS. 30 WATT PUMP/100 POUNDS OF FISH. THIS CAN BE SOLARVOLTAIC OR WINDMILLS WITH A JUNK VEHICLE ALTERNATOR FOR PUMPING.

WITH RESPECT,

CHARLIE JOHNSON, DVM

From: BADIANE ABDOUL <badianeabdoul@yahoo.fr>
To: "sarnissa-african-aquaculture@lists.stir.ac.uk" <sarnissa-african-aquaculture@lists.stir.ac.uk>
Sent: Wednesday, October 3, 2012 7:05 PM
Subject: Re: [Sarnissa] Request for Technical Support!!

RAS is now essential for the development of aquaculture in Africa. ok the cost is high (energy, tech, food, etc...) but it is very profitable. So it's not small investors who will be able to build but only leading investors can afford to have.

With regard to the cost of production per kg for my case the RAS I head in Côte d'Ivoire, it is about 1000 f cfa (but the sale price is excellent) can be higher cages or ponds production. But how many production you can do in the year with the RAS while for cages or ponds you can do more than 2 harvests.

Our RAS have only 0.4 ha of growing and we produces 3,000 tonnes year. 0.4 ha of Pond cant do it.

Environment impact of RAS is less than cages or pondsfarms. The little water that comes out is treated and reused

The problem of the RAS in Africa is they have never been managed by capable people. Make fish farming would never mean that can handle a RAS it takes a high-tech

your post does not take into account many factors. Think that the RAS will not work in Africa is really stopped the development of this sector.

BADIANE Abdoul Aziz
Aquaculture Specialist /Consultant
Supervisor production HydroFish

06 BP 316
Abidjan 06
Côte d' Ivoire
Tel: (+225) 22 40 25 12
Fax: (+225) 22 40 32 20
Mobil: (+225) 58 48 93 00

De : African Tilapia <africantilapia@gmail.com>
À : sarnissa-african-aquaculture@lists.stir.ac.uk
Envoyé le : Mercredi 3 octobre 2012 9h09
Objet : Re: [Sarnissa] Request for Technical Support!!

Dear All,

Well said Nick!

Many of the people selling such systems are technical sales people with little or no background in Aquaculture in Africa, and some simple calculations would show their systems are not competitive with traditional pond-based or cage-based production techniques. These RAS systems depend on reasonable cost grid power supplies, and in Africa obtaining these is expensive, and the supply is extremely unreliable. Back-up generators just add to the cost, and are often so poorly maintained that their reliability in an emergency situation is suspect.

Unfortunately these “white elephants” are not only giving RAS a bad name, but also (from an investment aspect) Aquaculture in general, and South African systems in particular an unsavory reputation.

While there is no doubt that RAS has a place in the overall scheme of things, most applications of these technologies are usually only cost-effective for tasks such as hatcheries and holding systems. In Africa, with such a wealth of still unexploited sites for gravity fed ponds and quality waterbodies for cages, it will be long time before RAS can produce fish at the same price.

Adrian Piers

Agriculture, Fisheries and Aquaculture Consulting

East African Community and SADC Region

Phone ++260 965 445464 (Zambia)

Email tilapia@zambia.co.zm

From: sarnissa-african-aquaculture-bounces@lists.stir.ac.uk [mailto:sarnissa-african-aquaculture-bounces@lists.stir.ac.uk] On Behalf Of Nick James
Sent: Tuesday, October 02, 2012 6:49 PM
To: sarnissa-african-aquaculture@lists.stir.ac.uk
Subject: Re: [Sarnissa] Request for Technical Support!!

Dear Stephanus

I am intrigued to know the aquaculture credentials of the "South African Engineering company" that did the design of your project. Did they show you a working model of their design that was fully operational? If they did not, were they able to give you referral to an overseas or inter-African example of where their design parameters were working?

I ask because SA is getting a reputation for high-tech system designs that simply do not lead to profitably operational fish farms.

A 500 tonne/pa. tilapia farm is considerable in terms of production and infrastructure requirements...BUT it is the way that it is done that will make the difference between yet another white elephant...and a viable aquaculture unit. We are getting a little tired of these "engineer-designed" set-ups designed by people who have never kept a fish alive in their lives, as they are giving RAS aquaculture in Africa a bad name.

regards

Nick

Nicholas P E James
Rivendell Hatchery
PO Box 6146
Grahamstown
6141 South Africa
Cell 082 575 9781

email nickjames@intekom.co.za
WEBSITE http://www.rivendellhatchery.co.za/

----- Original Message -----

Dear William,

Allow me to take this opportunity to introduce my selves. I am Benedictus Stephanus from Namibia. We are battling to get an Fresh water Fish farm off the ground at the Naute Dam for the last 4years. Of the challenges we have are more of technical support base. Thus we are in need of a technical partner which could take care of the technical requirements of the project.

We look forward towards the valuable support from the forum at large.

Kindly,

Benedictus Stephanus
Executive Chairman
Naute Aqua Fish Farms cc
Mobil: +265 856 095 352
Email: bstephanus@iway.na

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