Report of the FAO TECHNICAL WORKSHOP on ADVANCING AQUAPONICS: an EFFICIENT USE of LIMITED RESOURCES
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SLC/FIAA/R1214 (En) FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Report ISSN 2070-6987 Report of the FAO TECHNICAL WORKSHOP ON ADVANCING AQUAPONICS: AN EFFICIENT USE OF LIMITED RESOURCES Saint John’s, Antigua and Barbuda, 14–18 August 2017 Cover photo: Local restaurant owner helps pack his daily box of aquaponic lettuce from a smiling worker at Indies Greens (©FAO/Stankus) FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Report No. 1214 SLC/FIAA/R1214 (En) Report of the FAO technical workshop on advancing aquaponics: an efficient use of limited resources Saint John’s, Antigua and Barbuda, 14–18 August 2017 Subregional Office for the Caribbean FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS Bridgetown, 2017 The designations employed and the presentation of material in this information product do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) concerning the legal or development status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The mention of specific companies or products of manufacturers, whether or not these have been patented, does not imply that these have been endorsed or recommended by FAO in preference to others of a similar nature that are not mentioned. The views expressed in this information product are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of FAO. ISBN 978-92-5-109975-9 © FAO, 2017 FAO encourages the use, reproduction and dissemination of material in this information product. Except where otherwise indicated, material may be copied, downloaded and printed for private study, research and teaching purposes, or for use in non-commercial products or services, provided that appropriate acknowledgement of FAO as the source and copyright holder is given and that FAO’s endorsement of users’ views, products or services is not implied in any way. All requests for translation and adaptation rights, and for resale and other commercial use rights should be made via www.fao.org/contact-us/licence-request or addressed to [email protected]. FAO information products are available on the FAO website (www.fao.org/publications) and can be purchased through [email protected]. iii PREPARATION OF THIS DOCUMENT This report describes the activities and outputs of the FAO technical workshop entitled “Advancing Aquaponics: an efficient use of limited resources”, an activity under the Technical Cooperation Project (TCP/SLC/3601) Towards a Caribbean Blue Revolution in response to the request from the Governments of Antigua and Barbuda, the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, Barbados, Saint Kitts and Nevis. The workshop was held in Saint John’s, Antigua and Barbuda, in the period 14–18 August 2017. This report was prepared by Raymon Van Anrooy, Fisheries and Aquaculture Officer, FAO Subregional Office of the Caribbean, Austin Stankus, FAO Consultant, and Larry Francis, Owner/Operator of Indies Greens, Antigua. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Numerous individuals contributed to the successful organization and implementation of this technical workshop which resulted in the present publication. All of them are gratefully acknowledged for their efforts and contributions during the preparatory phase and the workshop itself. Special thanks go to Indies Greens for their hospitality, the Ministry of Agriculture, Lands, Fisheries and Barbuda Affairs of Antigua and Barbuda for the support provided to the organization of the workshop, and to Ms Sonya Thompson and other colleagues of the FAO Subregional Office for the Caribbean for their unwavering support. Thanks are given to many colleagues who kindly provided background information, articles and expertise, and assistance with travel and other logistical and financial arrangements. The support of the Major Area of Work on Efficient Resource Use under the revised Strategic Framework of FAO is kindly acknowledged. In memory of Hophni Sargeant, a worker of the Fisheries Division of Barbados and well-known cricketer, with whom it was an honour to work and whose enthusiasm and kind nature were an inspiration to continue towards our collective goal. Heartfelt condolences to those who knew him best. iv FAO. 2017. Report of the FAO Technical Workshop on Advancing Aquaponics: an efficient use of limited resources. Saint John’s, Antigua and Barbuda, 14–18 August 2017. FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Report. No. 1214, Bridgetown, Barbados. ABSTRACT A technical training workshop on advancing aquaponics was held in Saint John’s, Antigua and Barbuda, in the period 14–18 August 2017. Fourteen international participants were present from five countries (Antigua and Barbuda, the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, Barbados, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis). The workshop was an activity organized under the Technical Cooperation Project (TCP/SLC/3601) Towards a Caribbean Blue Revolution in response to the request from the Governments of Antigua and Barbuda, the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, Barbados, Saint Kitts and Nevis. The five-day workshop was convened by FAO and consisted of lectures, demonstrations and hands-on activities supported by aquaponics experts from Indies Greens, a commercial aquaponic farm that doubles as a teaching and demonstration system, and was supported by FAO technical officers and aquaponics consultants. Recommendations were gathered based on participant feedback and included: (i) FAO support for follow up activities; (ii) further development of tools for modelling and record keeping; (iii) networking support; (iv) severe weather risk mitigation support; (v) improvements to the workshop structure; and (v) clarification on certain terminology. v CONTENTS ABSTRACT ......................................................................................................................... iv ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS ............................................................................. vi BACKGROUND ................................................................................................................... 1 WORKSHOP PARTNERS ................................................................................................... 3 WOKSHOP PROGRAMME ................................................................................................. 3 RECOMMENDATIONS ...................................................................................................... 5 OPENING REMARKS ......................................................................................................... 7 COUNTRY REPORTS ......................................................................................................... 8 APPENDIX 1: WORKSHOP AGENDA ............................................................................ 15 APPENDIX 2: EXPANDED PROGRAMME .................................................................... 16 APPENDIX 3: LIST OF PARTICIPANTS......................................................................... 30 APPENDIX 4: GROUP PHOTO ........................................................................................ 33 APPENDIX 5: FAO WELCOME REMARKS ................................................................... 34 APPENDIX 6: COUNTRY SURVEY FORMS ................................................................. 37 APPENDIX 7: PARTICIPANT SATISFACTION SURVEY ............................................ 41 APPENDIX 8: KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDES AND PRACTICES (KAP) ....................... 44 APPENDIX 9: CALCULATOR (EXPLANATION AND SCREENSHOTS) ................... 50 APPENDIX 10: FAO AQUAPONICS MANUAL AND PUBLICATION PORTFOLIO . 55 APPENDIX 11: SELECTED PHOTOS OF THE WORKSHOP ........................................ 57 APPENDIX 12: SELECTED PRESS RELEASES AND NEWS CLIPS ........................... 60 vi ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS BAMSI Bahamas Agriculture and Marine Science Institute DMR Department of Marine Resources (Saint Kitts) DO Dissolved oxygen FAO Food and Agriculture Organization GDP Gross Domestic Product IBC intermediate bulk containers KAP Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices NGO Non-governmental Organization NPK Nitrogen-Phosphorous-Potassium (fertilizer ratio) PV Photovoltaic (solar) RAS Recirculating Aquaculture Systems SIDS Small Island Developing States TCP FAO Technical Cooperation Programme 1 BACKGROUND Aquaponics is an emerging technology that supports integrated aquaculture and vegetable production. It combines the two most efficient methods in their respective fields: recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) and hydroponics. Aquaponics combines these two proven technologies in order to gain synergy, increase revenue and decrease inputs. In traditional RAS, both water and fish wastes are discarded, adding to production costs and leading to environmental impacts in some cases. On the other hand, hydroponics requires the constant exchange of water and additions of chemical fertilizers. Aquaponics combines these two production systems: nutrient rich aquaculture water is recirculated through standard hydroponic growing beds. All of the nutrients required by the plants are supplied through the fish wastes, thereby eliminating the need for fertilizer. The plants clean the water for the fish, thereby eliminating the need for water exchanges. Aquaponics is a labour-saving technique, saving traditional agriculture work such as ploughing, tilling and digging, and is therefore appropriate for all genders and many age groups. In addition, aquaponic systems can be located inside the home thereby providing a secure