Collected reprints: Abstract 2547

Collected reprints

Abstract

Dehasque, M.; Ooghe, B.; Wille, M.; Candreva, P.; Cladas, Y.; Lavens, P. (1995). Automation of live food in industrial hatcheries: zootechnics and economics. Aquaculture International 5: 179-182

The intensive larval rearing of marine fish is completely dependent on live food (mainly rotifers and Artemia during the first feeding period. Live food production is a very intensive and costly matter (Olsen et al., 1992; Gatland, 1995). Production outputs are not always satisfactory and are a function of many variables. Production techniques can be simplified and kept more constant by the installation of automated systems and standard operation procedures, thus guaranteeing more predictable outputs. The goal of this short communication is to compare, in a commercial operation traditional live food production techniques with an automated production system, especially in terms of labour intensity, output efficacy and production costs. Thalassa Foods SA, a relatively big sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) and sea bream (Sparus aurata) hatchery in Greece, was chosen for the case study. Their daily rotifer and Artemia consumption during peak production is 3 billions and 20-30kg cysts day^-1, respectively. Their food production was adapted as follows.

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