Controlling pollution from floating cage culture in reservoir and lake using SMART-FCC system

Abstract

Floating net cages culture (FCC) activity is growing rapidly and becoming one of the largest national freshwater fish producers. Most of the lake/reservoir in Indonesia has been utilized for aquaculture in the FCC system. The positive impact of the FCC includes opening up employment opportunities and increasing the income of farmers and labourers leading to the economic improvement of local community. However, there are negative impacts caused by uneaten feed such as water quality degradation, blooming of macrophytes and algae, hydropower turbine damage due to corrosion, a decreased in the abundance of fish species and others. For this reason, environmentally friendly FCC might offer a solution to control or reduce the release of uneaten feed. One of these technologies is SMART FCC that integrates fish culture and hydroponic or called aquaponics systems applied in open waters of reservoirs/lakes. The main advantage of SMART FCC is its ability to reduce FCC waste because the uneaten feed is not dispersed into the waters, rather it is collected and settles in SMART FCC. The deposited wasted feed can be used as liquid organic fertilizer for the hydroponic plants. At the end, the fish farmers get not only harvested fish but also gain additional benefits and profits from organic plant production.

Environment-friendly floating net cage culture research in Indonesia

“…Smart or loop bio-phytoremediation FCC is an FCC with water management through recirculation and plants. This aquaponic system has been modified to be applied in open waters such as reservoirs or lakes [18,19] Smart FCC combines feed storage techniques with waterproof materials and water recirculation, which can also be applied to double nets [20]. The Smart FCC is an FCC that can reduce the input of organic pollutants from wasted feed and fish excretion [18].…”

“…The remaining feed that is collected at the bottom of the pond is lifted by sweeping and pumping and then accommodated in a holding tank, and then distributed to hydroponic plants as a source of plant nutrition (Figure 8) [18,19]. [18,19] The Smart window cage system using water spinach as a hydroponic plant and biofilter can reduce the content of P-PO4, N-NO3, and organic matter after passing through the aquaponic plants respectively from 6.3-84.8%; 4.1 -77.7% and 8.8-90.71% [18]. This windowed Smart FCC still needs construction improvements, especially the system for lifting waste so it does not interfere with the water quality and technology that makes it easier to harvest fish.…”

Water Quality and Eutrophication in Jatiluhur Reservoir, West Java, Indonesia

“…This system adopted a modified aquaponic system so that it can be applied in open water. In this system, the remaining feed and the fish excretion were accommodated with a waterproof layer and then removed by sweeping and pumping [44]. Simulation [7], through dynamic modelling, stated that control and restoration of eutrophication in reservoirs must be integrated.…”