BOYD, C. E.

CARLISLE, J.

HELMSTREET, W. G.

HULCHER, R.

NELSON, M. M.

OAKES, P.

ODOM JR, D.

QUEIROZ, J. F. de

WHITIS, G. N.

English

Repository Open Access to Scientific Information from Embrapa

Best Management Practices for Channel Catfish Farming in ÂiabamaClaude E. B oyd1, Julio F. Queiroz2, Gregory N. W hitis3, Richard Hulcher4, Perry Oakes5, Jimmy Carlisle6, Dickie Odom, Jr.7, M arshall M. N elson8, W illiam G. Hemstreet9IntroductionAquaculture grew rapidly during the past 50 years, and it is continuing to expand. This growth is possible because o f  an increasing dem and for fisheries products and failure o f capture fisheries to keep pace with demand. It is doubtful that aquacultural production can continue to increase fast enough to m eet the rising dem and for fisheries products (1). Channel catfish farming in the United States has followed the global trend with expansion from about 2,500 acres in the early 1960s to around 190,000 acres at present (2). In Alabama, catfish farming has increased from a few farms in the early 1960s to about 28,000 acres in 2002.Recent environmental concerns could greatly complicate the future o f  aquaculture. Although these concerns have been directed prim arily at marine shrimp farming and cage culture o f  salmon in marine environments, there has been at least one report criticai o f channel catfish farming (3). Concerns about aquaculture include wetland destruction, conversion o f agricultural land to ponds, water pollution, loss o f biodiversity, compe- tition for water use, use o f toxic or bioaccumulative chemicals, inadvertent fuel or other chemical spills, and negative social impacts(4). The main environmental concera about channel catfish farming is water pollution by pond effluents. Other environmental issues raised about aquaculture in general appear less problematic in catfish farmingAccording to federal regulations, effluents from aquaculture farms in the United States are subject to permitting under the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System pursuant to the requirements o f the Clean Water Act (5), but in some states, aquaculture effluents have not been subject to permitting. The United States Environ­mental Protection Agency (USEPA) has recently initiated rule-making related to aquaculture efflu­ents nationwide, and the channel catfish industry will have to comply with effluent regulations that were published by EPA in draft form in early Septem ber 2002, and are expected to be finalized by June 2004 (6).The A labam a Catfish Producers (ACP), in a proactive effort to m inimize the impact o f  pending effluent regulations, contracted with A ubum  U niversity to make an environmental assessment o f catfish farming in the State (7). This study suggested that pollution o f natural waters by catfish farming could be prevented or minimized through application o f reasonable practices to reduce the volum e and improve the quality o f effluents. A pplication o f specific management practices to prevent or lessen water pollution or other adverse environmental impacts is commonly used in terrestrial agricultura a;id other endeavors. Such practices are known as best management practices or BMPs. Many o f the BM Ps for catfish farming represent the most efficient way o f conducting production activities and may actually reduce production costs in the long run.1 Professor and Butler/Cunningham Eminent Scholar, Department of Fisheries and Allied Aquacultures. 2 Re­search scientist, Embrapa Meio Ambiente. 3 Extension aquaculturist, Alabama Fish Farming Center. “Chief, Min­ing & Nonpoint Source Section, Alabama Department of Environmental Management. 5 State Conservation Engi-neer, USDA, Natural Resources Conservation Service. 6 Director, Alabama Catfish Producers. 7 Past Chairman,Alabama Catfish Producers. 8 State Design Engineer, USDA, Natural Resources Conservation Service. 9 Re­search Associate IV, Alabama Fish Farming Center.' 4 ALABAMA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATIONThe ACP contractcd again with Aubum  U niversity to conduct an environmental audit o f  selected catfish fanns to determine the practicality o f  installing BMPs. This effort further supported the use o f  BMPs for lessening pollution loads in pond effluents. The ACP has cooperatively provided assistance in support o f the Alabama Departm ent o f Environmental M anagem ent’s (ADEM ) efforts to rely on effective BMPs to the extent possible, and ADEM  recognizes ACP stewardship in supporting development o f practi- cal, reasonable, and effective aquaculture BMPs to ensure the protection o f water quality in A la­bama. A ubum  University, ACP, ADEM, and the United States Department o f Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) collabo- rated in preparing a formal list o f BMPs.The activities leading up to formalization o f  the BM Ps are provided in the table.To the extent allowed by EPA rules, ADEM  intends to rely on these EPA recognized BMPs in im plem enting any mandated regulatory or water quality requirements, including inspections and any potential compliance action, if  needed (8). ADEM  anticipates that catfísh producers who implement and maintain BMPs will m eet or exceed any ADEM  effluent standard. ADEM  has committed to work in cooperation with the ACP to update the BMPs, if  needed in the future.. The BM Ps may be obtained from the NRCS website (http:// www.a!..ircs.usda,gov/S Osections/Engineerin g/BM P/index.htmO. Since som e farmers m ay not find it convenient to use the website, the BMPs are prcsenicd in this manual.References(1) B oyd .C . E. 1999. Aquaculture Sustainability and Environmental Issues. World Aquaculture 30:10- 13.(2) Annonymous. 2000. Status O f World Aquacul­ture 2000. Aquaculture M agazine Buyer’s Guidc And Industry Directory 2000, 29:6-42.(3) Goldberg, R. andT. Triplett. 1997. Murky Waters: Environm ental Effects O f Aquacul­ture In The United States. Environmental Defense Fund, Washington, D.C. 196 pp.(4) Boyd, C. E. and J. W. Clay. 1998. Shrimp Aquaculture And The Environment. Scientific Am erican 278:58-65.(5) Boyd, C. E. 2000. Water Quality -  An Intro- duction. K luwer Academic Publishers, Boston, M assachusetts. 330 pp.(6) Federal Register. 2000. Environmental Protec­tion Agency, Effluents Guidelines Panei. Federal Register: June 16, 2000 (Volume 75, N um ber 117, Pages 37783-37788). Office O f The Federal Register, National Archives And Records Administration, Washington, D.C.(7) Boyd, C. E., J. Queiroz, J. Lee, M. Rowan, G. N. W hitis, and A. Gross. 2000. Environmental A ssessm ent O f Channel Catfísh, Ictalurus Punctatus, Farm ing In Alabama. Journal O f The World Aquaculture Society 31 (4):511-544.(8) Boyd, C. E. and R. F. Hulcher. 2001. Best M anagem ent Practices For Channel Catfísh Farm ing In Alabama. Ala. Agr. Exp. Sta., Aubum  University, Highlights O f Agricultural Research 48(Fall): 1-4.Activites Leading up to Formalization of BM PsActivity DateEnvironmental assessment 1997-1999Farmer meeting to discuss environmental assessment October 1999Fnvironmenta! audit 1999-?nnnFirst draft of BMPs March-May 2000Review of draft BMPs by selected farmers,extension agents, and researchers May-Juiy 2000Revision to prepare second draft of BMPs August-Sept. 2000Farmers meeting to review draft BMPs October 2000Revision to prepare third draft of BMPs Nov.-Dec. 2000Review of draft BMPs by employees of ADEM, NRCS, Jan.-April 2001and USEPAEPA/ADEM aquaculture site visit in Alabama March 2001Revision to prepare fourth draft of BMPs April August 2001Farmers meeting to review draft BMPs October 2001Revision to prepare fifth draft of BMPs Nov.-Dec. 2001Final editing of BMPs and installation on NRCS website Jan.-Feb. 2002EPA recognition of ACP BMPs for Alabama Sept. 2002Publication of manual 2003

Best management practices for channel catfish farming in Alabama.

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Best management practices for channel catfish farming in Alabama.

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