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Water in the resource: the new installation will rid fish farms of antibiotics
Russian scientists have created the first domestic system for improving water quality in aquaculture farms. Its use reduces the risk of infections on fish farms, which means that producers do not need to use an antibiotic. In addition, optimal parameters of the aquatic environment can increase the density of fish and accelerate growth. First of all, the development is planned to be used for the cultivation of particularly sensitive categories of organisms, such as fry or juveniles. According to experts, the technology has already proven its effectiveness in other countries. It remains only to confirm the claimed properties of the domestic invention in practice.
Improving water quality on fish farms
Scientists at MGUTU named after K. G. Razumovsky have created two new installations for comprehensive improvement of water quality in aquaculture farms. They purify the water and fill it with the substances necessary for fish. This significantly reduces the likelihood of infections and, consequently, the need for antibiotics. Special treatment also makes it possible to increase the capacity of livestock, increase its survival rate and accelerate growth. Currently, fish producers use foreign equipment for these purposes or assemble their own devices using artisanal methods. The solution, patented by the university's specialists, is the first universal system of its kind in the Russian Federation.
— The developed devices solve one of the most acute problems of closed systems — comprehensive and effective maintenance of water quality. Their implementation will allow Russian enterprises to increase their competitiveness and increase the production of valuable protein products. The patent for the complex allows us to conduct applied tests on feeding and studying fish behavior in model controlled conditions," said Boris Fedorov, head of the MGUTU Research Department.
First of all, the development is planned to be used for breeding organisms that are particularly sensitive to water quality. For example, fry or juveniles.
In technology, ultrasound and ultraviolet radiation are used to achieve the desired properties of water. The devices presented by the specialists are designed for different types of fish farms. One can be immersed directly into a fish pool, while the other is installed in a closed water supply system, which is increasingly used by aquaculture producers.
The first device is more compact. It saturates the water with ozone for disinfection and creates a directional flow to prevent stagnation and evenly distribute the parameters of the medium, and can also carry out flotation, a gas purification method that removes fine suspended particles.
The second, more powerful device, operates under pressure. It carries out multi-stage water treatment, including deep purification by pressure flotation to remove the smallest contaminants, as well as intensive ozonation for disinfection and subsequent degassing to remove spent ozone and other gases harmful to fish.
— Currently, there is no unified approach to such systems in the Russian Federation. Many manufacturers use homemade devices. We expect to apply our development where ideal water quality is required, for example, for growing planting material. The technology reduces the risk of infections by regulating the level of acidity and other water parameters. The installation, which is immersed in a pool with fish, improves water quality by 16.7%, and the device for a closed cycle by 27%," said Alexander Gorbunov, head of the Eurasian Center for Hydroecology and Organic Fish Farming (NEC "Green Aquatechnologies").
The equipment provides efficient, agent-free water purification and disinfection, which complies with strict regulations. The conducted scientific and economic experiments at the swimming pool complex in the Leningrad region, as well as in the fry shop and the UZV in the Kaluga region showed an increase in fish survival from 6 to 12%, respectively, the developers said.
Economic indicators
The aquaculture industry plays an important role in solving the global food shortage problem. Improving the efficiency of recycled water supply and reducing wastewater discharge are the main factors contributing to the development of modern fish farming systems, said Dmitry Tortev, a member of the expert council of the State Duma Committee for the Protection of Competition.
Such systems have already proven their effectiveness abroad, said the head of the Smart Supply Chain segment of the FoodNet working group NTI Sergey Kosogor. At the same time, the domestic development is even superior to its analogues in some ways, as it destroys a wide range of harmful microorganisms. It is promising for practical implementation, especially considering that its small-scale production has already begun.
— It is necessary to take into account the features of ultrasound, since this is not a universal method of destroying fungi in water when growing fish. It can be an addition to an existing disinfection system, improving the quality of fish protection. However, under certain conditions, it can stimulate an increase in the total number of microorganisms in the water. Separately, when implementing it, it is worth considering and analyzing energy costs, whether the method of combating parasites will be competitive for industrial use," he told Izvestia.
The leading expert of the FoodNet market agrees that the prospects of the development will depend on its economic indicators NTI Alexey Cook. Since it is impossible to talk about its applicability without correlating income and expenses.
— An excessively sterile environment can be a disadvantage, but this does not matter much in the industrial production of fish. Because we need not the most resistant to diseases, but the most benign individuals, which will still be eaten long before natural death," he noted.
If the domestic system is not inferior in its properties to the American and European ones, it will be very useful, but unambiguous conclusions can be drawn on it only after its practical application, said Morteza Yousefi, associate professor of the Department of Veterinary Medicine at RUDN University.
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