Troell, M. et al. (2006). Abalone farming in South Africa: an overview with perspectives on kelp resources, abalone feed, potential for on-farm seaweed production and socio-economic importance. AQUACULTURE, University AbstractThe South African abalone cultivation industry has developed rapidly and is now the largest producer outside Asia. With a rapid decline in wild abalone fisheries, farming now dominates the abalone export market in South Africa. Kelp (Ecklonia maxima) constitutes the major feed for farmed abalone in South Africa, but this resource is now approaching limits of sustainable harvesting in kelp Concession Areas where abalone farms are concentrated. This paper gives an overview of the development of the South African abalone industry and analyses how abalone farming, natural kelp beds and seaweed harvesting are interlinked. It discusses options and constraints for expanding the abalone industry, focussing especially on abalone feed development to meet this growing demand. Kelp will continue to play an important role as feed and kelp areas previously not utilised may become cost-effective to harvest. There are many benefits from onfarm seaweed production and it will probably be a part of future expansion of the abalone industry. Abalone waste discharges are not at present regarded as a major concern and farming brings important employment opportunities to lower income groups in remote coastal communities and has positive spill-over effects on the seaweed industry and abalone processing industry.

Over 1,000t fresh weight of Ulva was cultivated on South African abalone farms in 2007, primarily for feed, but in one case to allow partial re-circulation by nutrient removal. The potential of this new commercial crop is analysed. Material is collected from natural free-floating populations and at least four species are commonly grown, with different ecophysiological characteristics. A brown epiphyte, Myrionema strangulans, causes a disease of the Ulva, which is currently managed by farmers by restocking. The main potential threat is that some farmers are wary of integrated systems, fearing they may promote disease in abalone, although Ulva has been grown in abalone effluent and fed back to the abalone on one farm for 6 years without adverse effects. Opportunities exist for the expansion of Ulva cultivation via further spread of the abalone industry, the inclusion of seaweed raceways in proposed fish-farming activities, or the potential for the inclusion of high quality cultivated Ulva as a constituent in aquafeed. A conservative estimate of production over a full year from these raceway systems was 26.1 g dw m −2 day −1 (2006) and 19.7 g dw m −2 day −1 (2007), similar to maximum figures for total annual microalgal biomass production in outdoor systems.

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This study reviews the development and conventional qualitative analysis of aquaculture in Africa, specifically by reviewing the aquaculture sector of key players (Egypt, Nigeria and Uganda) as a reference for South Africa; an aspiring key aquaculture player in Africa based on the launch of Operation Phakisa-South African version of the blue economy initiative. The key players were identified based on current annual production output and critical success factors, thus used as a benchmark for South Africa. Qualitative factors reviewed are critical success factors of the aquaculture sector of the selected countries that are widely germane to aquaculture development. These factors include production outputs (tons) and value ($); cultured species; prevalent aquaculture production systems; types of aquaculture, i.e., freshwater and mariculture; aquaculture development challenges related to fish seed, fish feed, land and water availability; aquaculture market and trade and provision of enabling environment through policies and frameworks. These factors were qualitatively reviewed and analyzed in ranking the aquaculture operations of the key players and South Africa to elucidate the critical success factors and challenges.