Fish Hatchery Management - fisheries & aquaculture

HAI CHItRY REqUIRLMLNI'SIf earthen ponds are being considered, sandy or gravel soils should beavoided. Soils that compact well should be considered where concretestructures are proposed.Hatchery labor is an expensive item in rearing fish and good hatcherydesign, including use of mechanized equipment, can eliminate a large percentageof the labor.Many items of equipment are available today that can dramaticallyreduce hand labor in the fish hatchery. Consideration should be given forautomatic feeding, loading and unloading fish, transporting fish betweenfish rearing units and access to rearing units with vehicles and motorizedequipment. As an example, raceways can be designed so that vehicles haveaccess to all points in the facility. Raceways built in pairs provide a roadwayon each side so that vehicle-drawn feeding equipment can be utilized.A suitable hatchery site should include sufficient land area for potentialexpansion of the facilities. Hatchery planners often overestimate the productioncapacity of the water supply and underestimate the facilityrequirements.BuildingsThe principal buildings of a fish hatchery include an office area for recordkeeping,a hatchery building, garages to protect equipment and vehicles, ashop building to construct and repair equipment, crew facilities and a laboratoryfor examining fish and conducting water analyses.The hatchery building should include facilities for egg incubation andfry and fingerling rearing and tanks for holding warmwater pond-rearedfish prior to shipment. Storage facilities must also be considered for feed,which may require refrigeration. Separate facilities should also be providedfor chemical storage. A truck driveway through the center or along oneside of building is convenient for loading and unloading fish. Primary considerationshould be given to the design and location of buildings andstorage areas to create a convenient and labor saving operation.Table 4 provides a summary of suggested standards for fish hatchery siteselection and water requirements along with hatchery design criteria.