LEFT: Fish are forced into a single line as they pass through an automated counter. RIGHT: At the end of the process, fish are put into separate 

 containers or ponds according to their size. The live car on the far right receives graded fish. 



winter. He will look at the seasonal variations of 

 discharge, and the effect such discharges have 

 on receiving waters. His study will focus on 

 Beaufort County, near Spring, Bond and Muddy 

 creeks in the Aurora area. 



Such research is a necessary component 

 for shaping effective BMPs, agrees Hodge, the 

 DWQ official. 



But even before the draft BMP list is 

 finished, Hodge encourages hybrid striped bass 

 farmers to be proactive and use basic BMPs 

 to address water quality issues associated with 

 effluent. 



"Why not get ahead of the curve?" □ 



FOR MORE INFORMATION: 



Hybrid striped bass farmers must 

 occasionally conduct planned effluent releases 

 from ponds. To learn more about why and 

 how these releases happen, read Sea Grant's 

 free Blueprint publication "Effluents from 

 Hybrid Striped Bass Ponds," by Harry Daniels. 

 Go online to www.ncseagrant.org. From the 

 home page, click on the "Products" tab, and 

 then click on the "Free Publications" link and 

 download a copy. 



To learn more about aquaculture in 

 North Carolina, or to register for the 2006 

 North Carolina Aquaculture Development 

 Conference — to be held in Greenville Jan. 

 13-14 — visit www.ncaquaculture.org. 



FROM THE EXPERT... 



RONALD HODSON DISCUSSES CURRENT ISSUES FACING AQUACULTURE 



Ronald Hodson, director of North Carolina Sea Grant, is an international expert on 

 pond aquaculture. He is widely known for developing pond systems and breeding protocol 

 for hybrid striped bass. Before Hodson retires in June, Coastwatch magazine sat down with 

 him to hear some of his views on issues facing aquaculture today. 



CW: Offshore cages have been in the news a lot. Is this the future for aquaculture? 



HODSON: Offshore aquaculture and cage culture are being touted as the next big 

 thing for the production offish intended for consumption. The ocean can accommodate 

 cages easily, and it acts as a natural filtration system. You can also raise huge numbers offish, 

 much more so than in a tank or a pond. 



But we need several approaches to raising fish. Land-based aquaculture is easier to get 

 supplies to, and it is safer for the environment. With land-based operations, there is less risk 

 of losing fish into the environment — so diseased fish can't get out into the open ocean. 

 With land-based operations, it is easier to treat a crop if it has health problems. 



CW: Waste and water quality are big issues in aquaculture. What is the best solution? 



HODSON: Whether we have pond-based, offshore or recirculating aquaculture 

 operations, fish will still put out waste. It could be treated and put back in the water. Or it 

 could be put on the land as fertilizer, like pig or chicken waste. If fish are in an offshore cage, 

 waste is going to sink to the bottom of the ocean, get cleared away by the current and end 

 up elsewhere. We just have to develop the best technologies we can to limit that impact. 



CW: Some people might say that aquaculture has a bit of a "PR" problem. Why is that? 



HODSON: There is a perception among the public that aquaculture is bad because 

 they believe fish farmers use chemicals. In terms of using what we would call "chemicals," 

 fish farmers might use harmless things, such as salt. Or if a crop had a really bad case of 

 disease, a farmer might use copper sulfate to control bacterial or fungal diseases — but that 

 isn't a chemical that accumulates in fish tissue. 



Some people believe fish farmers use hormones because folks in production agriculture 

 sometimes use them. There is no one in the aquaculture industries that I know of who use 

 hormones in any way during production. Hormones are used to encourage spawning in 

 brood fish, which are not sold for food. Only their offspring are sold for consumption. 



Coastwatch I Winter 2006 I www.ncseagrant.org 13 



