Bio-programming

In hatchery design, bio-programming is the process by which the fish production plan (bio-plan) is defined and then used to determine the design criteria around which the hatchery facilities are to be designed and built. The bio-programming process is critical to the success of the project as it allows for a thorough review and definition of key production related criteria and operational preferences early in the design process, setting the stage for successful design and ultimately, the operational success of the facility.

The process begins with confirmation of the client provided bio-plan which includes definition of fish species, strains, and life stages of fish to be reared and the production goals associated with each. PR Aqua works closely with our clients to set realistic values for each of the key production parameters, including fish sizes and quantities, survival assumptions, stock isolation criteria, and growth rates, to map out an achievable production timeline and growth schedule. These in turn are used to determine the optimum size and number of culture systems required to allow our clients to achieve their production goals.

With the scale of the facility set, the specific water quality requirements of each fish stock and the hydraulic requirements of the selected tank sizes are analyzed to set optimum water flow rates for each culture system. A water use strategy may then be developed to optimize the use of the available water and energy resources. Water use strategies will take one of three forms: flow-through, partial re-use, or recirculation. Mass balance calculations are employed to estimate the impact of water treatment systems on water quality. Each of the water use strategies is discriminately applied to achieve a balance between the often conflicting objectives of reducing water use for sustainability, improving control over culture conditions, minimizing mechanical and operational complexity, optimizing water quality, and minimizing risks.

The end result of the bio-programming process is a working fish production and facility plan that incorporates our clients’ preferences for operational flexibility and production risk tolerance, and allows the achievement of all production objectives in a cost effective manner.

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