Future of Biofloc Technology in Bangladesh

With a rapidly growing population and corresponding food demand, expansion and intensification of aquaculture are happening in Bangladesh at a fast rate.

The aquaculture sector in Bangladesh is contributing to the nation’s economy, assisting in poverty alleviation, and supplying necessary nutrition.

However, the vast quantity of waste generated in aquaculture, combined with the extensive use of antibiotics and chemicals, has become a major cause of concern for both the environment and public health.

Thus, sustainable aquaculture solutions are urgently required to increase the output without compromising the quality and the environment.

Moreover, the latest innovations should reduce the aquaculture dependence on water and land and provide socio-economic support to the farming community.

Biofloc technology in Bangladesh has emerged as a promising solution that can help in achieving sustainability and other objectives.

Biofloc Technology

By definition, biofloc technology works on the principle of converting waste nutrients into biomass or feed ingredients with the help of microbes, which can be consumed by cultured animals such as fish and shrimp grown in the aquaculture system.

In the biofloc system, fish or shrimp feed on protein and release excreta.

This fish waste, along with leftover feed and other organic/inorganic products, accumulates and creates toxic substances such as ammonia.

Heterotrophic bacteria consume ammonia and convert it into protein.

However, to make this possible, a carbon source is added to the system, and the Carbon-Nitrogen C: N ratio is maintained to create the right conditions for the growth of heterotrophic bacteria.

This leads to the formation of floc.

Thus, heterogeneous bacteria assimilate nitrogenous waste or ammonia to produce new biomass, which is consumed by aquatic species cultured.

In addition, biofloc is found to have a probiotic effect on some species.

Benefits of Biofloc Technology

Water Quality and Exchange

Water exchange is a regular feature in traditional aquaculture systems, and it is necessary to remove waste and polluted water.

This happens because of the use of a large quantity of feed for fish growth.

This feed, containing protein with nitrogen content, affects water quality and makes the species susceptible to diseases.

Research and findings indicate that the biofloc system enables zero water exchange by converting waste into fish feed, thereby reducing water pollution.

It happens when heterotrophic bacteria consume nitrogen and reduce ammonia.

Supplementary Feed

For better output and a successful aquaculture business, supplementary feed is a must for farming communities.

However, the reliance on artificial feed is quite expensive.

The biofloc system is a great alternative to traditional supplementary feed.

According to studies, the biofloc method enabled farmers to reduce supplementary feed by 29% for certain species, such as L. vannamei.

Also, a 20% improvement in feed use was noticed in Fortilapia.

Immunity & Disease Resistance

Biofloc is known for containing a wide range of beneficial microorganisms that boost the immunity of aquatic animals.

Multiple studies have concluded that the nonspecific immunity of animals was improved significantly in biofloc systems.

Moreover, the presence of heterotrophic microbial mass helps in disease resistance among different fish species.

With no water exchange infrastructure required, no extra feed supplied, and reduced diseases, biofloc technology makes aquaculture more economical for farmers.

Plus, biofloc systems are environmentally friendly as no nutrient-rich water is released into the environment.

These are the benefits of biofloc technology.

According to reports in Bangladesh, biofloc technology has helped farmers to use as low as 3.3% of water and land compared to ponds for sustainable aquaculture.

Also, it has helped companies to get better output than conventional pond farming.

As for the future of biotechnology in Bangladesh, consistent research, studies, and innovations are happening at a fast rate to optimize the system further.

Organica Biotech is a leading company that provides advanced solutions for aquaculture.

The effective, sustainable, and eco-friendly aquaculture solutions include Bioflok.

Bioflok is a probiotic formulation containing a special bacterial community capable of degrading organic wastes and improving productivity.

In addition, it supports healthy flocculation, enhances water quality, prevents diseases, and increases output.

Also Read:

• Benefits Of Biofloc System To Meet Future Challenges
• The Future Of Sustainable Fish Farming
• Impact of Covid-19 On Fish Farming & Advantages of Biofloc Technology