A River in a Pond: Enhancing Aquaculture with IPRS
LightCastle Analytics Wing
October 1, 2024
In-Pond Raceway Systems (IPRS) is an advanced method of pond aquaculture that merges the benefits of confining fish to a small pond area with the high production capacity of a flowing water system. IPRS aims to create a “river in the pond” effect, enabling the water to circulate and mix similarly to a natural riverine environment. This flowing water significantly enhances the pond’s production potential.
To generate this water flow, IPRS uses components that mix and move the water in a circular pattern around a dividing partition (baffle) in the pond. This process effectively recycles and refreshes the water, preventing discharge into the local environment. Consequently, IPRS lowers per-unit production costs, reduces risk, and significantly improves yield. Operating simply and in harmony with nature, IPRS offers greater predictability and profit potential than conventional ponds.
Figure: Overview of the USSEC Standard IPRS farm labeled with key components
The technology has the potential to double or even triple yields compared to traditional pond systems, achieving up to 70-80 tons per hectare in tropical climates, all while avoiding water and waste discharge into local waterways. IPRS is a more manageable and controllable approach, allowing for high yields and reduced environmental impact. Since its introduction by the United States Soybean Export Council (USSEC) in China in 2013, nearly 9,000 IPRS systems have been developed across 18 countries.
Figure: Flowing water principle “River in a pond”
Benefits of IPRS
Increased Production Potential: IPRS creates a flowing “river in the pond,” significantly enhancing the pond’s production capacity, potentially doubling or tripling yields compared to traditional pond systems.
Efficient Water Use: The system recycles and refreshes water within the pond, minimizing the need for external water sources and preventing the discharge of water and waste into local environments.
Lower Production Costs: By optimizing water and resource use, IPRS lowers per-unit production costs, making fish farming more economically viable.
Enhanced Fish Health: The continuous water flow improves oxygen levels and waste removal, creating a healthier environment for fish, which reduces disease incidence and improves overall fish health.
Environmental Sustainability: IPRS operates without discharging water or waste into local waterways, significantly reducing the environmental impact of fish farming.
Greater Predictability and Profitability: The controlled environment provided by IPRS offers more consistent and predictable yields, enhancing profitability for fish farmers.
Risk Reduction: IPRS reduces risks associated with water quality issues and environmental fluctuations by confining fish to a smaller area and ensuring a continuous flow of fresh water.
Scalability and Flexibility: IPRS can be scaled to different sizes and adapted to various climatic conditions, making it a versatile solution for fish farming operations.
Improved Resource Management: The system allows for better management of feed and other resources, leading to more efficient operations and less waste.
Higher Yields in Tropical Climates: Particularly in tropical climates, IPRS can achieve yields of up to 70-80 tons per hectare, significantly surpassing traditional pond farming expectations.
Key Considerations for Building an IPRS
Existing or planned ponds must have enough water volume to construct at least two, preferably three, raceway cells—two for production and an optional third for stocker development. Stockers can also be developed in other ponds, tanks, or raceways. The minimum pond volume for this system is 30,000 m³ of water, with a minimum depth of 2 meters (for three raceways). This volume can be achieved through various combinations of pond surface area and depth. Farms with smaller ponds can combine multiple adjacent ponds to meet this requirement.
The farm’s electrically powered components need a stable supply with minimal downtime. An essential component is an emergency auto-start generator, which must be adequately sized and rated to start and run primary operational equipment during power outages.
The farm must have access to high-quality fingerlings in the correct quantity, size, and species to stock all raceway cells. Farms starting IPRS management should plan with suppliers well in advance, as more stock is needed compared to traditional ponds. Alternatively, the farm can develop a plan to source fry and nurse them to the appropriate size in a nursery system or adapted IPRS raceway cell.
The business must secure sufficient capital to plan and fully construct IPRS raceway cells, purchase associated equipment (including backups), and cover operational costs such as fingerlings, quality feed, electrical power, labor, and other contingencies.
Social Impact of Widespread Adoption of In-Pond Raceway Systems (IPRS)
Increased Employment Opportunities: The implementation of IPRS can create numerous jobs in fish farming, equipment maintenance, and related sectors, boosting local economies and reducing unemployment.
Enhanced Access to Protein: By significantly increasing fish production, IPRS can contribute to greater food availability. Increased supply can also reduce prices, improving nutrition and food security, particularly in low-income communities.
Inclusive Economic Growth: Higher yields and increased efficiency can lead to greater profitability for farmers within rural communities. Higher disposable incomes are expected to raise living standards, improve water and sanitation practices, access to education, and better nutrition for families.
Sustainable Practices: IPRS promotes environmentally friendly practices by minimizing water waste and preventing pollution, leading to healthier ecosystems and the long-term sustainability of production systems.
Skill Development: Adoption of IPRS requires training and education, leading to the development of new skills among farmers and workers. These skills will enhance their employability and empower entrepreneurial aspirations.
Market Diversification: The efficiency and scalability of IPRS can open up new markets for fish products, both locally and internationally, providing farmers with more opportunities and stable income sources.
Resilience to Climate Change: IPRS can help farmers better manage water resources and mitigate the impacts of climate variability, enhancing their resilience to climate change.
Policy and Regulatory Supports Required to Facilitate IPRS Adoption
The primary barrier to the widespread adoption of the IPRS system is the high installation costs associated with setting up the system. Since it is a fairly new technology, especially for Bangladesh, technical proficiency would also act as a challenge. An enabling regulatory environment can help address these issues. Key policy interventions might include the following:
Financial Incentives: Provision of subsidies, low-interest loans, and grants for the initial setup of IPRS, including the purchase of equipment and infrastructure.
Technical Assistance Programs: Establishing government-supported programs to offer technical training and ongoing support to farmers implementing IPRS.
Duty breaks: Since the majority of the system needs to be imported, the government could apply a duty break on the main components for a certain timeline, incentivizing entrepreneurs to adopt IPRS by reducing the initial setup costs and making the technology more accessible
Research and Development: Since there aren’t many use cases, it is essential to invest in R&D, particularly to find out best practices in the context of Bangladesh. Collaboration with academic institutions and private sector partners could be a way forward.
Regulatory Frameworks: Clear regulations and standards for IPRS operation need to be in place to ensure sustainable practices and protect environmental health.
Public Awareness Campaigns: Launching awareness initiatives through local-level government officers (UFOs and DFOs), to educate capable farmers and stakeholders about the benefits and best practices of IPRS.
Market Access and Support: Facilitate access to markets for IPRS-produced fish through labeling and certification programs.
Infrastructure Development: An uninterrupted supply of electricity is crucial for the success of an IPRS farm. Developing the electric supply system, particularly in rural areas is essential for the mass uptake of the technology.
Collaborative Platforms: Create platforms for collaboration among farmers, researchers, and industry experts to share knowledge and best practices.
Insurance Schemes: Develop insurance schemes to protect farmers against risks such as equipment failure or extreme weather events.
FoodTechBangladesh is a five-year aid-to-trade program running from September 2022 to August 2027, co-financed by the Kingdom of the Netherlands and coordinated by Larive International B.V. and LightCastle Partners Ltd. The initiative aims to advance the aquaculture sector in Bangladesh by fostering a partnership between private sector companies from Bangladesh and the Netherlands. This collaboration is designed to enhance trade relationships in the aquaculture field and strengthen Bangladesh’s global commercial positioning in the sector. The program works closely with the Department of Fisheries (DoF) in Bangladesh to leverage its extensive field-level presence for effective training dissemination across the country.
By utilizing the technical expertise of the Dutch aquaculture sector, FoodTechBangladesh seeks to showcase successful applications of modern farming technologies that can be scaled up for widespread use. The program includes the establishment of Four Centers of Excellence (CoEs), which will serve as demonstration farms. These CoEs will provide both on-site and online training to at least 1,800 fish and shrimp breeders and farmers, focusing on innovative and sustainable breeding and cultivation methods. One of the CoEs, located in Mymensingh, will use the IPRS (In-Pond Raceway System) to demonstrate the pre-nursery, nursery, and grow-out stages of farming for Tilapia and Carp.
As part of the program activities, research and trials will be conducted to adapt best practices to the Bangladeshi aquaculture ecosystem. Farmers will receive hands-on training and demonstrations on implementing IPRS technology. The goal is to establish a replicable use case for other private sector entities in the country. This private sector-led mass adoption initiative is crucial to increasing productivity, making protein sources more affordable, and improving the living standards of local farmers.
Author
This article was authored by Priyo Pranto, Business Consultant at LightCastle Partners. For further clarifications, contact here: [email protected]
WRITTEN BY: LightCastle Analytics Wing
At LightCastle, we take a systemic and data-driven approach to create opportunities for growth and impact. We are an international management consulting firm which creates systemic and data-driven opportunities for growth and impact in emerging markets. By collaborating with development partners and leveraging the power of the private sector, we strive to boost economies, inspire businesses, and change lives at scale.
