A Joint Publication of the Arizona Aquaculture Association and

The University of Arizona Cooperative Extension Service

Kevin Fitzsimmons and George Brooks, Jr. Editors

Greetings. I am George B. Brooks, Jr., editor for this edition of Arid Lands Aquaculture (Formally Arid Lands Fish Production). It has been nearly a year since the last issue and we have a lot of catching up to do. For starters, my thanks to the regular editor, Kevin Fitzsimmons, for this opportunity.

Would you like to know more about growing fish and shrimp in the desert? If so, come to Aquaculture Arizona, an Aquaculture Open House on Tuesday June 2^nd 1999 at the University of Arizona Environmental Research Laboratory, time 9:00am to 1:30pm.

9:00am: Introductions

9:15am: First Session: The Conference on Tribal and Private Aquaculture in Arid Lands. Moderator: (TBA)

It has been suggested that it is time for the University of Arizona to host a conference on the issues surrounding successful aquaculture in Arid Lands. This includes water use, techniques, species, technical papers, markets, cost control, aquaculture/agriculture integration, aquaponics and tribal concerns. This first session is devoted to debating this concept to see if it is indeed an idea whose time has come.

10:15am. Second Session: Do we need an Aquaculture Association in Arizona? Session Moderator: Mark Lauch, Sweetwater Systems.

Arizona Aquaculture producers are very independent. It has been suggested that an Arizona Aquaculture association is not needed. Or if there is to be one, it should be a "Producers Association". The purpose of this session is to open active debate on the pros and cons of these questions. This session will also cover the history of Arizona aquaculture, regulatory needs and concerns, and a list of current Aquaculture license holders will also be distributed.

 12:00 noon: Full tour of the Environmental Research Laboratory.

If you need directions to the ERL please give Kevin a call. He may be reached at 520-626-3324.

Pat Dowd Principal Vechij Himdag MachchamakuD

With inspiration and encouragement from teachers John Fullen, Shelley Randell, Samuel Jackson and School Science Coordinator Joyce Baldwin, High School and Middle School students from Vechij Himdag MachchamakuD (New Pathways to Learning), an alternative High and Middle School on the Gila River Indian Community, competed in the recent (March 1999) 46th annual Central Arizona Regional Science and Engineering Fair. Nineteen Native American students vied for honors (Shawaron Riggins, Cristina Lerma, Secundio Fabela, Raymond Kyyitan, Steven Cooper, Dion DuBray, Becky Moreno, Helena Ochoa, Elizabeth Lewis, Mandy Enos, Jennet Riggins, Reynetta Enos, Charice Jackson, Jose Acevedo, Yvonne James, Jose Arrendondo, Pasqualeen Pasquale, Rolanda Cannon and Alicia Ochoa) with 9 well-thought-out projects. Of these, three were singled out for awards:

Shawraron Riggins and Cristina Lerma. Study of the growth and development of Tilapia eggs using image processing technology. HS (Honorable Mention)

Dion DuBray, Becky Moreno and Helena Ochoa. What is the impact on native plants from the development footpaths in a desert environment? HS (Honorable Mention)

Elizabeth Lewis, Mandy Enos and Jennet Riggins. Comparative analysis of the germination and plant development of the Desert Willow Tree using aquaculture production waste water as a treatment. HS. (2nd Place. Special Award Arizona Department of Agriculture.)

According to Mrs Baldwin "These were the only Native American students to enter this years fair and this first time experience really did open their eyes. They got to see what other students their ages were doing across central Arizona. Just as important, the students science projects allows for practical application of the new Arizona State Academic standards within the schools science and math curriculum."

Perhaps the schools principal Pat Dowd expressed it best: "Not only were they doing good science, but they learned about the environmental issues and preservation methodology that will be important for the future of the Gila River Indian Community. I am extremely proud of them!" Special thanks also goes to Sweetwater Farms who provided the Tilapia and Tilapia eggs for the students research.

By: Dr. O. E. Maughan. U of A USGS Cooperative Research Unit Leader.

The Arizona Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit maintains a small research effort in aquaculture as well as conducting research in other areas of wildlife and fisheries ecology and management. In the recent past (1997-1998) four students have completed doctoral degrees on aquaculture subjects in the unit and in other entities within the College of Agriculture. They are George B. Brooks Jr., Celecina M. Azevedo, Souad Mohammed Sharif and J. Jed Brown. Dr. Sharif completed her work under the direction of Dr. Peter Ffolliott in Renewable Natural Resources, Dr. Brown completed his work under the direction of Dr. Edward Glenn in Renewable Natural Resources, and Drs. Brooks and Azevedo completed their work under the direction of Dr. O. Eugene Maughan in Wildlife and Fisheries Resources. Dissertations were:

Azevedo, C. M. 1998. Measuring the uptake of 15N by plants in an integrated aquaculture and agriculture system. The University of Arizona. 122 pp.

Brooks, Jr., G. B. 1998. The potential for Macrobrachium rosenbergii culture in arid regions. University of Arizona. 124 pp.

Brown, J. J. 1998. Halophytes for the treatment of saline aquaculture effluent. The University of Arizona. 138 pp.

Sharif, S. M. 1997. Economic feasibility of introducing pulsed flow aquaculture into the irrigation system of cotton farms in Arizona.University of Arizona. 160 pp.

Drs. Brooks and Sharif remain in Arizona but Dr. Brown has left the state to accept employment with National Marine Fisheries Service in the Washington D.C. area and Dr. Azevedo has returned to her position on the faculty at one of the state universities in Brazil. Each of these former students are, no doubt working diligently preparing the information contained in their dissertations for publication in the scientific literature.

The unit also maintains a cooperative effort with Dr. Aecio D'Silva (a 1993 U of A graduate) of the Advanced Aquaculture Biotechnology Program in the College of Agriculture at the University of Arizona and with Dr. Robert Howerton of the Hawaii Sea Grant Program. This effort is directed towards applying the principles and concepts of integrated aquaculture to real farm situations. For the last several years, we have been advising four Hawaiian entrepreneurs in the development of a research and demonstration aquaculture/agriculture project on the island of Molokai. The project has been very successful and is currently expanding to incorporate other producers on Molokai and the development of a new project on the island of Maui. This model project has generated a great deal of interest, especially on other Pacific islands and in Brazil.

The Arizona unit is currently evaluating the eleven years of data that have been collected since we began to work with aquaculture. This evaluation is a first step in setting new priorities and directions for our research efforts.

An Arizona Aquaculture Association:

By: Mark Lauch Fisheries Biologist Sweetwater Farms and Alan Hayes Manager Sweetwater Farms

Recently Sweetwater Farms attended an informal meeting at the Department of Agriculture to address needs and concerns of several livestock industries regulated by the department. Producers representing beef, poultry, ostrich/emu, fish, and others attended.

As the only attendee from the aquaculture industry, I felt a bit short handed and biased in the opinion and ideas expressed as I could only address my facilities concerns. Sweetwater spoke on behalf of the aquaculture industry by truly on behalf of its own experience. Had a proper Aquaculture Association been in place, a broader range of topics and concerns could have been breached.

Obviously the concerns at every production facility are different. Generally we are producers of either cold-water or warm-water species. Truth be known, we all have needs and concerns individual to our respective facilities and the species we produce. The concerns of a trout producer are obviously different than Tilapia. Tilapia producers different in needs and concerns than catfish facilities. Differences aside, we all have a wealth of experience to be gained upon by other producers and a need for centralized communications.

It became obvious after that meeting that fish producers in Arizona stand alone in their needs and concerns. No centralized voice or lobbying poser exists to express the need of the industry. While our industry is small, we need to have a voice to keep it viable. Dr. Kelly Grant enlightened me when we discussed the legislative process. As a regulatory body, the Department of Agriculture has no power to "change" existing rules and regulations (i.e., policy) even if they believe it is in the best interest of an industry. An association or group of individuals representing an industry must first express concerns to the department. The department lobbies on behalf of the industry to the Legislature for needed changes. In short, no voice equates to no change!

Some producers prefer to stand alone for various reasons. Past conflicts and competition between local producers, failed attempts at a proper association, feelings of regulatory neglect and so on have left producers disillusioned. May be it’s that I’m a little younger or naive but these old fears held by some producers and other industry members seems to limit the growth of our industry more than any other single factor. Alone we cannot change rules and regulations that negatively effect "our" industry. As well, we have no power to enact legislation which to work for "our" benefit.

I have attended past association meetings as either a purchaser or producer of fish in the State for the last five years. I understand many of the producers concerns and disillusionment. One fact stands above all else. If you always do what you have done, you will always get what you have always gotten.

I have listened to the need and concerns of my facility and others in the industry and know we all deserve more. Maybe with an "Association of Producers" we can resolve some past differences and create a more viable and profitable industry.

A Word from the Arizona Department of Agriculture

By: Dr. Kelly Grant Assistant State Veterinarian Arizona Department of Agriculture

The State Veterinarian's Office is pleased to have the opportunity to contribute to this newsletter once again. As you are probably aware, the State Veterinarian’s Office is responsible for administering the aquaculture regulations, which includes issuing licenses. The license renewal process for 1999 is coming to a close and there are presently 52 licensed establishments.

The process for obtaining a license is as follows. Upon request, a set of application forms, copy of the regulations and a detailed description of the application procedure is mailed to the applicant. There are five license types: Aquaculture Facility for the growth and harvest of aquatic animals; Fee Fishing for harvesting aquatic animals from a privately owned body of water for a fee; Transporter for transporting live aquatic animals; Processor for anyone that cleans, reshapes or containerizes live or dead aquatic animals for distribution or resale; Special License for educational or research institutions. The applicant then submits the application(s) and fee to our office for review. As long as the species to be cultured is not on the restricted species list of Arizona Game & Fish, the review and approval process only takes a matter of a few days. The licensee is subject to inspection by the State Veterinarian’s Office.

The aquaculture regulations also require that each aquaculture facility obtain an annual health certification of the aquatic animals at the facility. The facility should contact the State Veterinarian’s Office to request the certification. Our office will arrange to have an on-site inspection done by someone qualified to certify the aquatic animals as free of certain infectious diseases. At present, there is only one veterinarian, in private practice, that has the qualifications to perform the certification exam. Appropriate lab work is done at the University of Arizona. Fees for the certification are paid to the State Veterinarian’s Office, who then reimburses the inspector and laboratory.

Dr. Willer and I are always pleased to talk with anyone in the aquaculture industry. Our office receives a considerable number of calls from people who are interested in aquaculture. Feel free to call if you have any questions or concerns that you would like to discuss.

Shrimp farms in Gila Bend have made a big splash lately in the popular press. The success that Gary Wood and Tark Rush have had at their farms demonstrates that commercial quantities of shrimp can be raised inland. On April 15 and 16, Gary hosted a seminar to discuss further expansion of his operations and potential cooperation with other farmers interested in shrimp aquaculture. Gary and Tark are quick to point out that shrimp production is difficult and risky. Both have spent many years learning and operating conventional shrimp culture operations before modifying this knowledge to low salinity culture. We wish them both continued success and look forward to this exciting new aspect of Arizona aquaculture.

Another hot spot in state aquaculture is the growth in high schools (see Vechij Himdag MachchamakuD Success at the Central Arizona Regional Science Fair). The UA hosted eight high school FFA aquaculture teams for a competition in March. Team events included water quality testing, plumbing skills, harvesting, processing and packaging, fish identification and a general exam. Everyone involved had a great time and the faculty were amazed at the knowledge and skills demonstrated by students. Next year we hope to have the competition on a nation wide basis so the state winners will be able to compete at the annual FFA convention.

 Production of fish in Arizona has been fairly static in the last couple of years, with an estimated $2,400,000 in sales. Shrimp production has been the only increasing sector. Further expansion of markets seems to be the priority for the existing producers. Several projects to increase interest in-state will be discussed at the June meeting. Expansion of the Arizona Aquaculture Web site http://Ag.Arizona.Edu/azaqua/ may also provide higher visibility to operations in-state. The Web site is now getting 10,000 requests for information per week.

Aquaculture Arizona, June 2, 1999 Environmental Research Lab, Tucson.

Aquaculture America, Feb. 2-5, 2000 Marriott Hotel, New Orleans.

International Symposium on Tilapia in Aquaculture, Sept. 2-5, 2000 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.