Fish-farming techniques can work on small scale

GEORGIA - The gurgling tanks in Pat Duncan's greenhouses are filled with colorful fish and lush water hyacinths. Nearby, herbs are growing hydroponically, sustained by the nutrient-laden water from the fish tanks.

Duncan, the aquaculture specialist at Fort Valley State University, hopes that her fish-production research will provide Georgia farmers with an alternate source of income.

And with the latest compact recirculating systems costing as little as $1,000 to $2,000, fish farming can be an option for just about anyone, from Atlanta condo dwellers with basements to 1,000-acre south Georgia plantation owners.

"We're here to help Georgians with any type of aquacultural systems they set up, whether it's in ponds, raceways, recirculating systems or in cages," Duncan said. "In Georgia we have marvelous urban markets nearby."

Source: Winston-Salem Journal