What is Fish?
Fish are aquatic, craniate, gill-bearing animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish as well as various extinct related groups.
Best Fish To Farm In South Africa
Trout
The most successful aquaculture species, trout, are severely limited by two factors: suitable water and temperature. Trout, originating from cool, clear, fast-flowing river systems, find themselves in a hostile environment in our widely seasonal climate.
Trout will not survive temperatures greater than 21°C for any length of time. And even if a lower temperature can be maintained, the lack of oxygen is a limiting factor at high altitudes.
Therefore trout, be they for angling or aquaculture, are unlikely to be viable in any area other than where they are now.
Tilapia
Tilapia is a more complex issue. The species of most interest to aquaculture (Oreochromis niloticus, O. mossambicus, and Tilapia really) are severely limited by low temperatures.
O. niloticus and T. Kendall will not survive for long at below 12°C. Given the high altitude of the South African plateau, this rules out about 60% of the country.
The map alongside provides an idea of where low river temperatures during winter months would exclude tilapia.
Even in warmer areas, such as the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal coastlines, periodic extreme cold spells can reduce the water temperature to lethal levels, resulting in mass mortalities of these species.
Is fish farming profitable in South Africa?
Fish farming in South Africa is an environmentally friendly and profitable way to produce a variety of seafood.
Primary considerations for fish farming in South Africa are land requirements, wastewater treatment, and climatic conditions.
What fish are farmed in South Africa?
South Africa has emerging aquaculture. It consists mainly of culture of freshwater species such as crocodiles, trout, catfish, tilapia, and ornamental fish as well as marine species such as abalone, prawns, oysters, and mussels.
What is the most popular fish in South Africa?
The large variety of fish and shellfish caught in South African waters include kingklip, snoek, red roman, hake, cod, sole, and tuna, to name some of the more popular ones.
Other much-loved delicacies from the sea are abalone, oysters, mussels, prawns, langoustines, calamari, shrimps, and crayfish (rock lobster).
What is the demand for fish in South Africa?
The demand for fish in Africa, according to Aqua-Spark’s new Aqua Insights report, will exceed the current 10 million tonnes and reach up to 29 million tonnes annually.