Part of LACQUA2018, one of the key speakers is Dennis DeLong, who told The Fish Site: “I have seen a great need and hunger for unbiased, science-based education in recirculating aquaculture systems from people in Latin America; these workshops are well-received and are meeting that education need.”
DeLong, who is offering a practical session on the design, construction and operation of RAS, is looking forward to a number of talks including one on Dr Raul Piedrahita, who will be presenting RAS theory represented by required unit processes, and one by Dr Maddi Badiola, who will be addressing energy efficiency and economics of the systems.
The organisers of the workshop, which will be in Spanish, state: “RAS is the latest sector in aquaculture to have attracted attention and considerable venture capital. This workshop is designed for a broad audience. We will seek to provide non-biased, research-based information to those that are interested in, or those using, recirculating aquaculture fish production systems. The information presented comes either from the first-hand research results and experiences of the presenters or those of collaborators or colleagues around the world.
Agenda
An intro to RAS
- Defining recirculating systems
- RAS compared to other production options
- Reasons to use recirculating technology
Critical considerations prior to designing RAS
- Impact of feed on growth, metabolism and water quality
- Critical water quality parameters
- Tank hydraulics
- Solids waste generation
- Dissolved nutrient generation
- Oxygen uptake
- Disease control
Component options for use in RAS
- Solids removal
- Nutrient removal
- Dissolved gas addition and removal
- Heating and cooling of air and water
Designing your system
- An introduction to the mass balance design approach
- Examples from around the USA and Europe
Management
- Monitoring and control
- Daily operations
- Harvesting and fish transfer methods
- Emergency systems and procedures
Waste management issues
- Waste generation
- Waste treatment options
- Waste disposal
Economic considerations
- Capital investment costs
- Variable costs
- Fixed costs
