As the development of closed containment technology continues to gain momentum, I thought I’d take a look at another type of land-based fish farming – aquaponics. During my search I came across some inspiring examples of small-scale urban operations and I got to thinking, could this emerging trend, like general urban agriculture, be an integral part of the sustainable city of the future?

Aquaponics is the cultivation of plants and aquatic animals in a closed system, therefore a combination of hydroponics and aquaculture. The fish produce waste that feed the plants and the plants clean the water, which is returned to the fish habitat. While this method has been used for centuries in countries like China and Thailand, urban aquaponics has been catching on as a way to eat locally, create sustainable communities and enable food security.

Aquaponics Graphic

So what’s out there? There are only a handful of operations up and running at the moment, most of them in the Unites States, and more are appearing all the time:

Vancouver Island University, British Columbia
Students with the aquaculture program at Vancouver Island University started an aquaponics project a couple of years ago, starting with a basic “barrel-ponics” system. This type of system is a common starting project for those just getting into aquaponics. Students have now expanded their aquaponics project to include other types of systems: http://e.viu.ca/issue-2/aquaponics

Massachusetts Avenue Project; Urban Tilapia Farm & Garden
Home to Buffalo, Ohio’s first aquaponics system, this farm is currently raising 2,000 tilapia as well as a variety of vegetables. They are currently expanding the greenhouse to grow 30,000 fish a year and 100 pounds of vegetables per week.
http://www.mass-ave.org Watch a video on the farm.

Growing Power in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
The last remaining farm and greenhouse operation in the city of Milwaukee, and the epicentre of the urban agriculture movement, this two-acre farm has six greenhouses growing a variety of herbs, vegetables with three tilapia systems and six yellow perch aquaponics systems in their greenhouses. Unlike conventional hydroponics and aquaponics, Growing Power uses organic matter (worm compost) in their grow beds. This to provide a full range of nutrients to the plants. There are several types of aquaponics systems used and the 3 tier wetland system is the most popular because it is compact and inexpensive to build.
http://www.growingpower.org/aquaponics.htm

Sweet Water Organics in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Sweetwater Organics is a non-certified organic urban farm housed in a transformed abandoned industrial building that grows lettuce and basil, watercress, tomatoes, peppers, chard, and spinach along with tilapia and perch in an adaptation of Growing Power’s 3 tier wetland system. This model offers a glimpse into how unused urban spaces can be converted and used to supply sustainable protein to urban centres.
http://sweetwater-organic.com/blog

The University of the Virgin Islands Aquaculture Program
The University of the Virgin Islands Aquaculture Program has developed an aquaponic system through over 20 years of research into its design and operation. The system can produce over 10,000 lbs. of tilapia annually and a variety of vegetables and the program promotes several principles of aquaponics that can be applied to any size system, from hobby-scale to commercial-scale.
http://www.uvi.edu/sites/uvi/Pages/AES-Aquaculture-International_Aquaponics.aspx?s=RE

Swift Aquaculture in Agassiz, British Columbia
While not set up as a closed-loop aquaponics system, Swift Aquaculture is another great example of land-based closed containment fish farming which raises eight to ten tonnes of coho salmon per year and uses waste water from the tanks to grow watercress and wasabi. I had the chance to try this salmon last week at Nu Restaurant in Vancouver and it was excellent!
http://vimeo.com/6041764

Clearly there are a wide variety of systems in use, ranging from simple backyard inventions to large-scale commercially viable systems. Regardless of budget or location, aquaponics allows almost anyone to grow vegetables and fish.

So what do you think? Some cities allow residents to raise chickens and bees, are you ready to grow fish?

PS. If you have an aquaponics project up and running, tell us about it in the comments!

Next post: what would urban aquaculture look like in Vancouver? Large-scale urban aquaponics could be a key component for urban environmental and social sustainability. A small group of Vancouverites is working on a feasibility study/pilot project for an operation located in the Vancouver Downtown Eastside. More details to follow in the next post.

Tags: aquaponics, closed containment, farmed fish, perch, sustainable cities, sustainable seafood, tilapia