The presentation concerns farmers' attitudes and experiences in working with water recirculation systems. In the early eighties, some Danish and Dutch entrepreneurs initiated the commercial development of this new form of fish farming, to meet the requirements concerning the environment and the lack of space in overpopulated countries. Two of the most important advantages are:

1. an optimal exploitation of the resources like water and energy
2. avoidance of the emission of damaging material

Now, some 20 years later, the pressure of nature & environmental organisations is high on activities that use natural resources. Is the recirculation system an acceptable way to produce fish on an environmental friendly and sustainable way?

Allmost all the waste products, from food and those produced by the fish, are degraded by purification plants and removed from the water. Although it is possible to re-use the cleaned water, there is still a clear requirement for more research.

Besides the experiences and the wishes of the fish farmers, NGO’s, the government and consumers dictate more and more demands, recommendations and rules for how the fish farmer has to produce fish. Examples include the way the fish is reared, welfare issues, impact on nature....

For the profession to be able to meet all of these demands, it is necessary to develop and to improve the systems we use today. At the end of this session, we must work to identify the needs of the fish farmers for research and technological development.

It is good not only to look at the engineering and the function of recirculation systems but also at the research for introducing new species, the use of all waste products and the fish product itself (quality, taste) and how to put the product in the market (chain approach, corporation between the links, etc). 

Wim van Eijk is a policy advisor on inland fisheries and aquaculture of the Dutch Product Board (this is an umbrella organisation for the Dutch fishing industry). He is for a couple of years the General Secretary of the Dutch Association of Fish Farmers (NeVeVi).

Contact details: Treubstraat 17, Postbus 72, 2280 AB  Rijswijk (Netherlands). Tel: +31 (70) 3369607, Fax: +31 (70) 3999426. E-mail: weijk@pvis.nl