Grantee Research Project Results

Final Report: Development of Sustainable Aquaculture Practices in Tabasco, Mexico Using Novel RIAA Technology

EPA Grant Number: SU834368
Title: Development of Sustainable Aquaculture Practices in Tabasco, Mexico Using Novel RIAA Technology
Investigators: Fitzsimmons, Kevin , VanderLugt, Kyle R. , Garcia, Rafael Martinez
Institution: University of Arizona
EPA Project Officer: Page, Angela
Phase: II
Project Period: August 15, 2009 through August 14, 2011
Project Amount: $75,000
RFA: P3 Awards: A National Student Design Competition for Sustainability Focusing on People, Prosperity and the Planet - Phase 2 (2009) Recipients Lists
Research Category: Pollution Prevention/Sustainable Development , P3 Awards , Sustainable and Healthy Communities

Objective:

1. Development of RIAA system at the University of Arizona and then transfer to Universidad Juárez Autónoma de Tabasco (UJAT) and build a demonstration aquaculture – agriculture unit on the UJAT campus.
2. Transfer knowledge and start-up materials to build two demonstration aquaculture – agriculture units in indigenous communities in rural area of Tabasco.
3. Facilitate development of RIAA systems in rural communities of Southern Tabasco and evaluate the success of local farmers adopting multi-use concepts to grow fish and plant crops and provide an enterprise model documenting the cost – benefits of the integrated system.

Summary/Accomplishments (Outputs/Outcomes):

Integrated aquaculture and agriculture can provide a more sustainable production system in virtually any instance where plants are to be irrigated with fish effluents.  In situations where resources are limited, provision of fresh fish and nutrient rich effluent to irrigate and fertilize vegetables can be critical. In this investigation we collaborated with two indigenous communities to install and begin operation of integrated tilapia and vegetable plots, initially with Nile tilapia and habanero peppers. A third system was constructed on the campus of the Universidad Juarez Autonomo de Tabasco in Villahermosa, Mexico for training of students and to share with members of the indigenous communities when they were brought to the campus for workshops.

The first indigenous demonstration site at Caridad Guerrero was destroyed in a flood and had to be rebuilt. But after that, the projects have proven successful. The fish have grown quickly from fry to over 60 g and the peppers have begun to yield edible produce. The peppers had a limited value in the local community. However by assisting the community to pickle the peppers and sell in jars greatly increased the value and allowed the product to be sold to larger communities. A simple enterprise budget was prepared and demonstrated that the integrated system as built should have a pay-back period of 2.05 years.

Conclusions:

The project has proven to be very popular in the indigenous communities. The participants have continued the pepper plots for another planting cycle and the tilapia are approaching consumption size. The habeneros have been harvested without any additional fertilizers required. And we believe that the planting matrix, is becoming more of a soil, as additional fish effluent is added and the cropping cycle continues. Others in the two communities have followed closely, attended the workshop and are now considering constructing their own systems. The presentations at the aquaponics conference were heavily attended (about 200 people) and the newspaper article ran in the Sunday edition with a Monday follow up.

Supplemental Keywords:

Tilapia, aquaponics, Mexico, peppers, aquaculture

Progress and Final Reports:

Original Abstract

2010

P3 Phase I:

Development of Sustainable Integrated Aquaculture Systems With Assessment of Environmental, Social, and Economic Implications  | Final Report