REARING TILAPIA FOR TUNA BAIT 



17 



with 1,274 per bucket, is an important, considera- 

 tion in ciilculatinfj the commercial feasibilit}' of 

 such a bait-reurinji project. If tlie growth rate 

 could be increased, the fishermen's preference for 

 the larger size would have less importance to the 

 producer — the cost of holding tlie fish to the larger 

 size being compensated for by the more rapid rate 

 of growth. 



1959 OPERATIONS 



The major expenses, not including the salary of 

 the biologist, incurred at the Paia plant in 1959 

 are listed below. 



In addition to the operating expenses incurred 

 in 1959, it was necessary to supply feed and water 

 for approximately 1 month in 1960 to the young 

 fish that were held over in order for them to reach 

 bait size. 



Capital improvements : ' 



Acclimatization tank $600. 00 



Filter tank 300.00 



Total 900.00 



Operating expenses : 

 1959: 



Feed— for adult fish 158. 57 



Feed — for .voung fish 446. 18 



Water 786. 00 



Electricity 417. 04 



Maintenance and care of grounds l.")0. 00 



Annual lease on plant area 240. 00 



Hauling bait fish to docksite 90. 00 



Subtotal 2.287.79 



1960: 



Feed— for young fish $60. 00 



Water 60.00 



Hauling bait fish to docksite 100. 00 



Sulitotal 220.00 



Total 2,507.79 



1 Borne by Maui Fisheries and Marine Products, Ltd. 



It would seem logical to amortize the cost of 

 capital improvements in 1959 over a 10-year period 

 and to charge a (>-percent interest rate on the total 

 capital investment, which is now $5,253.24. 



Total costs: 



Capital improvements $.'525.32 



Interest 315. 19 



Operating expenses, 1959 2, 287. 79 



Operating exi)enses, 1960 220.00 



Total 3, 348. 30 



The cost of producing bait in 1959 was $1.01 per 

 pound, or $7.06 per 7-pound bucket, when based 

 on the total estimated protluction of 474 buckets 

 and expenses of $3,348.30. Tlie higher produc- 

 tion cost per pound of bait in 1959 than in 1958 

 was due principally to greater expenditures for 

 water, electricity, and feed. 



If we assume that the plant could be operated 

 on a commercial basis with one man working half 

 time at an annual salary of approximately $2,000, 

 the cost of producing bait-size fish then becomes 

 $11.28 per bucket, or $1.61 per pound. 



The 2-year operation of the Paia plant was 

 successful with respect to the number of young fish 

 produced per female. It was not judged economi- 

 cally successful, however, principally because the 

 plant was too small. It is our belief that a plant 

 designed on a commercial scale for volume pro- 

 duction and with more efficient use of labor could 

 be operated profitably. 



APPLICATION OF RESULTS 



ESTIMATED COMMERCIAL 

 PRODUCTION COSTS 



It is hazardous to project these preliminary 

 data, but it is our opinion that a commercial plant 

 much larger than the Paia hatchery could produce 

 bait-size tilapia at a cost of about $1.00 a pound, 

 wliich should bring the price of bait within the 

 reach of tuna fishermen. 



This projection is based on a plant with 16,000 

 square feet of brood-tank space and 40,000 square 

 feet of fry-tank space, which is the size of phint 

 that the Hawaii Division of Fish and Game plans 

 to build with an appropriation of $130,000 

 granted for the purpose by the 30th Territorial 

 Legislature. Such a hatcheiy could be stocked 

 with 12,000 females and 4,000 males. Using the 

 best production figures fi-om the Paia liatchery, an 

 average of about 1,000 young per female per year 

 obtained in 1959, the total annual production 

 should be about 12,000,000 young. If the fish were 

 delivered as bait at a size when 2,000 constitute a 

 7-iX)und bucket, the hatchery should produce 

 6,000 buckets of bait annually. If the capital im- 

 provements were amortized over a period of 10 

 years, they would be prorated at $13,000 per year. 



Operation of the plant would require 2 men 

 working full time, at a cost of about $10,000 a 



