Between 2008 and 2020, Bill West of Blue Iris Fish Farm in Black Creek, Wisconsin, worked on six related SARE grants involving aquaculture and yellow perch. A new report written by West includes a summary of the aquaculture research projects he has participated in and updates for each SARE project.
Although the target species of West’s SARE research was yellow perch, practitioners can apply the results of the projects to other species, including members of the genus Lepomis (true sunfish) and other members of the perch family.
“We have added new information that we’ve learned since the end of the projects,” said West. “As will be shown by this report, many facets need to be addressed to take a species from ‘egg to market’ successfully. Each completed grant advanced our knowledge of specific details in the process.”
Of course, indoor aquaculture operations exist (typically known as recirculating aquaculture systems or RAS), but West says most small to medium-sized fish culture operations are outdoor. Whether the aquaculture system is indoor or outdoor, West’s continuum of research has focused on figuring out how to supply feed-trained fingerlings and come up with a more precise “recipe for success.”
This document includes a summary of the aquaculture research projects that Bill West has participated in, as well as updates for each of those SARE projects, written by West himself.
Want more information? See the related SARE grants:
- Study to Reduce Parasitic Infestations of Yellow Perch in Flow-Through Outdoor Growout Systems (FNC08-731)
- Increase Sustainability on Fish Farms with the Development of Value Added Products from Fish and Fish Waste (FNC14-955)
- Developing a Self Funded Aquaculture Program for High Schools (FNC16-1064)
- Increasing Farm Income and Diversification By Converting Abandoned Manure Pits Into Aquaculture Production Facilities (FNC17-1105)
- Developing a “Cold Banking” system for perch which would provide an available supply of fish for indoor grow-out facilities throughout winter. (FNC18-1132)
- Developing a Production and Distribution Mechanism for Feed Trained Perch Fingerlings for Use in Aquaculture Grow-out Facilities (FNC19-1166)
This material is based upon work that is supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture through the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture or SARE.