In a sign of increased pressure on Chinese aquaculture activities due to tougher enforcement of environmental regulations, China’s leading seafood exporting region has announced one of its major firms has installed a recirculating aquaculture system (RAS).
The Fujian provincial Fisheries Technology Extension office, a government office, said local firm Fuzhou Song Tai Ecology Agriculture Development Co. is implementing the first phase – four RAS units – at LangQi Kun Teng Aquaculture Cooperative. A further 21 sites will be added in 2018 according to the office, in what it said will be a wave of adoptions of recirculating aquaculture systems.
RAS systems operate by filtering water from fish tanks so it can be reused, reducing the amount of water and space needed for aquaculture operations. RAS sites also use oxygenation systems.
Chinese aquaculture has long relied on earthen ponds,which have in turn been blamed for soil and water pollution.
