Fish Waste Disposal In Desert Farming
When you think about desert farming, desert fish farming probably isn’t an activity that springs to mind. Desert farming conjures ideas of livestock grazing across dry, arid landscapes, or rows and rows of hardy, sun-worshipping crops.
And yet, desert fishing is becoming increasingly popular in North Africa and the Middle East, particularly in countries like Algeria, where overfishing and climate change has reduced the output from the Mediterranean. But farming and aquaculture fisheries in the middle of the desert bring their own unique set of challenges, especially with regards to waste disposal.
What is desert fish farming?
Although it sounds counter-intuitive, many deserts have deep, untapped reserves of water, which with the right equipment and technology, can be utilised as small, but highly efficient fisheries.
In the Sahara for example, huge aquifers lie underneath the seemingly unforgiving desert, and the Algerian government has recently begun providing support and incentives for farmers – including cheap loans & to help them set up their own aquacultures in the country.
Desert aquacultures have seen success in other areas of the world too, like Arizona in the USA, Mexico, and in Israel’s Negev desert. Plans are also underway for desert fish farms in India and Myanmar.
Why farm fish in the desert?
Many countries, particularly those in North Africa, are facing the challenge of a rising population and food is already in short supply. Fish is becoming increasingly popular too, as health advice encourages the general population to consume it for its benefits.
Climate change and overfishing in the surrounding seas make expanding fishing here un-realistic, so alternatives must be explored.
Desert areas offer large expanses of land to set-up large fisheries, and water can be re-used to irrigate and fertilise the surrounding land for more traditional farming, growing dates, olives and many other crops.
In Algeria, reports from the fisheries department of the Agricultural ministry suggest over 13,000 farmers have expressed their interest in a desert fish farm. Desert aquacultures are also beneficial because they’re not connected to the main water supply, so the problems of disease control and contamination are reduced.
The challenges of fish waste in the desert
One of the major challenges facing desert farmers who decide to set up their own aquacultures is the safe disposal of fish waste. Bio-hazards, infections and disease could lead to widespread outbreaks that have the potential to wipe out entire schools of fish.
Weather can also cause some fish to die off, and if they are left on the farm, they could contaminate healthy stock. Therefore, to deal with fish waste safely and efficiently & or any other agricultural waste & desert farms will need the very best aquaculture incinerators in order to be successful.
Incinerators for fish should be specially designed to deal with high fat and oil content found in fish carcasses. Our aquaculture incinerators have strong, monolithic cast refractory linings, to ensure the chambers can do their job properly and dispose of fish waste.
But more than that, giving the rural, off-grid and unconnected locations of many desert fish farms, aquaculture incinerators need to meet many other criteria if they’re to support this growing industry.
At Inciner8, we have a wide range of mobile incinerator solutions that are the perfect option for desert farming waste disposal. They can be easily shipped around the world and transported to these new fish farms as they set up.
We’re also focused on new technologies and innovative ways to get more from waste. As many desert farms will not be connected to the electricity grid, our incinerators can be powered using solar panels & ideal for desert locations.
We’re leading the way with waste to energy incinerators too, so a piece of equipment designed to safely destroy fish waste can also be used to power other areas of the farm, saving desert farmers money and effort.
By working closely with the rising desert farming and aquaculture industry, we can provide the most efficient and most effective incinerators for fish waste, keeping their farms safe and supporting their growth.
Want to find out more about the right aquaculture incinerator for your needs? Speak to one of our experts today.
