Fish Navy

The oceans provide food, raw materials, transportation, medicine, and countless opportunities for recreation and beauty. We are losing the battle to preserve these assets. Dozens of fisheries have been ruined by over-fishing, including such major species as Atlantic cod, Pacific sardines, and Caribbean grouper. Coral reefs and fish nurseries are disappearing at an alarming rate; in areas such as the Philippines and Jamaica, coral losses exceed 90%.

Dwindling fish stocks have led to the development of an intensive aquaculture industry with an increasingly unsustainable, factory-farming mentality. Waste streams from fish farms pour sewage and drugs into the coastal environment, mangrove wetlands are destroyed to create shrimp ponds, and local labor is overexploited. In the case of some species, more than three pounds of fish are harvested from the ocean to raise one pound of farmed fish.

On land, an onslaught of poorly managed pesticides and fertilizers threatens the safety of both crops and drinking water, while ambitious irrigation projects deplete streams and aquifers, spark international tensions, and lead to increasingly saline soils and rivers.

Reliance on fossil fuels have doubled carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere relative to pre-industrial levels, jeopardizing the stability of the global climate system. The uneven distribution of these resources across the globe causes numerous wars and lesser conflicts and hinders efforts to establish and maintain global peace. Of equal importance, combustion of coil, oil, natural gas, and their derivatives emits a stream of pollutants, including sulfur dioxide (a cause of acid rain), nitrogen oxides (precursors to toxic smog), volatile organics and other known potential carcinogenic compounds, heavy metals and other impurities, and fine particulates.

How would widespread adoption of the Aquaponic Energy Farm help ?

Widespread adoption of the Aquaponic Energy Farm model would bring the following changes:

Soil deterioration and water scarcity would be alleviated by movement away from intensive irrigation and towards recirculating hydroponic vegetable culture, which requires no soil and conserves water. Aquaculture waste streams would be contained and used to produce valuable crops, instead of suffocating stream beds, over-stimulating algal growth, depleting dissolved oxygen to dangerous levels, and leaking residues of antibiotics, hormones, and other additives into the environment.

Wind energy on farms produces agricultural products with zero net carbon dioxide emissions, while reducing vulnerability to supply interruptions. Small scale, local production of food would reduce long-haul trucking and shipping, saving additional energy and further contributing to cleaner air and water.

The safety of the food supply would be improved by increasing the market share for pesticide free crops that are grown on local, compact farms with greater scrutiny. Finally, a shorter journey from farm to plate means less potential for spoilage.

Where will Fish Navy build and test Aquaponic Energy Farms ?

Fish Navy is considering a number of locations for development of the Aquaponic Energy Farm and related concepts, including California, the Bahamas, and even New York City. The ideal site should have a good wind energy resource, zoning compatible with our intended use, a large amount of sunlight, and proximity to appropriate local markets.

Why farm fish ?

More than 70% of the earth’s surface is covered by water, creating a vast potential food supply from aquatic sources, which tend to have a lighter environmental footprint than land-based food systems. In recent years, the international scientific community appears to be reaching a consensus that, properly managed aquaculture can be more environmentally benign than alternative food production methods.[1]

In most of the world, fish is a much cheaper protein source than land-grown meat, and is therefore an increasingly critical resource for people the world over. Globally, fish and shellfish provided approximately 16% of the protein consumed by humans (in 1993). In developing countries, this figure is about 21%; in more than 20 developing countries located in Asia and Africa (including relatively populous countries such as Bangladesh, Indonesia, Tanzania, Ghana, and Uganda), the foodfish share of animal protein is one-third or more.[2] However, rapid improvements in fishing technology, coupled to increasing demand, has depleted many natural fish stocks. In response, both developing and developed countries are increasingly turning to aquaculture (in both fresh and salt water).

Globally, 29% (13%, if China is excluded) of fish and shellfish consumed by humans in 2001 was cultured.[3] Among the 25 developing countries with the largest aquacultural industries, the share of the national foodfish market from aquaculture covers a wide range, from less than 5% (Ghana; Cambodia; Nigeria; Pakistan; Uganda; Sri Lanka) to more than 50% (Armenia; China; Honduras; Laos; Nepal; Uzbekistan).[4] Globally, aquaculture provided 7.5 million jobs in 2000, but almost 95% of these jobs are in Asia.[5] The uneven penetration of aquaculture in food‑deficit regions indicates an opportunity for further expansion and improvement in methods.

Capture of ornamental fish play an increasingly large role in the destruction of coral reefs, and culturing ornamental fish (of any variety) reduces the pressure placed on wild stocks, while providing an attractive revenue stream. The global ornamental and live fish trade is over $1 billion per year.

To many people, fish, and particularly shellfish, appear to be further down the ladder of sentience and therefore their consumption appears more morally acceptable than that of land-based meat animals. Agreement on matters of bioethics are notoriously difficult. At Fish Navy, we see a global transition to fish protein as part of a rational progression towards lower-trophic-order (and therefore higher-efficiency) foods, perhaps ultimately leading to a pure vegetable diet, and thence – in a yet‑unimagined future – to a pure energy diet.

Why include hydroponics ?

In the global ecosystem, plants and animals play complementary and mutually supporting (symbiotic) roles. The metabolic waste products of fish (e.g., CO₂, nitrates) are nutrients for plants, and vice versa – plant cultivation yields filtered water and releases O₂, both of which are critical inputs for fish cultivation. By integrating animal and plant cultivation, the natural ecosystem is more fully reflected, creating opportunities for increased efficiency.

The market for hydroponic vegetables is strong, and the experience at existing aquaponic installations is that vegetables account for 50% or more of total revenue.

Which species will be cultivated at the Aquaponic Energy Farm ?

Current plans call for the culture of koi (an ornamental carp), freshwater prawns, and possibly tilapia. The vegetables in the system are of equal or greater economic and nutritive value, and will include varieties such as green leaf lettuce, tomatoes, basil, okra, and certain fruits. In both cases, crops are chosen on the basis of proven aquaponic compatibility and maximum dollar per pound. The overarching goal, at the stages of the project, is to demonstrate an economically viable system.

Why is energy production important ?

Food alone is not enough for modern cultures. Communications, lighting, and refrigeration are some of the capabilities necessary to compete and participate fully in the today’s world. By integrating energy and food production, greater efficiency in both can be realized, and if more energy is produced than is needed for the production of food, then an additional commodity is created for consumption or exchange.

Energy and food are two sides of the same coin. The human body runs on energy, not on food – food is a carrier of energy. The pursuit of food without consideration of the energy inputs, outputs, and synergies is neither efficient nor sufficient.

Renewable energy technologies are well‑suited to the Fish Navy system because they depend upon inherently widely distributed (and therefore locally available) resources (e.g., sun and wind), and because they minimize pollution. But renewable energy is not always a low‑cost solution, so caution must be exercised to ensure that the overall productivity of the system is not hampered by an inappropriate choice of energy technology. Rather, Fish Navy pursues the most cost‑effective renewable technology available for our applications – typically wind.

Why include water purification and desalination ?

Clean water, together with food and energy, forms the trio of basic needs critical to any human culture, a truth readily apparent in today’s developing world, where as of 2000, 1.2 billion people lack access to clean water[6], and 1.7 billion are without electricity[7]). In all but the very driest areas of the earth, access to clean water is largely a question of available energy (for pumping, transport, and purification). Healthy aquaculture also requires water processing and filtration; thus, it is sensible to explore safe drinking water for humans as part of any integrated energy/aquaculture system.

Why is the small-scale important ?

By providing small-scale productivity, Fish Navy builds bottom-up stability and prosperity. Healthy large institutions can only be built on healthy small institutions.

The small-scale is most easily addressed. The trial and error methodology inherent in many design processes is more efficient at the small scale. Accordingly, the small scale is most appropriate for innovation.

Finally, any future journey of mankind into new realms – the sea, the planets -- will most likely begin, like any frontier experience, at a small scale.

Why is the system modular ?

The Fish Navy design philosophy favors small standardized components that are designed to easily connect to one another, and which can be multiplied to create larger systems. This modular philosophy promotes both expandability, allowing the smallest possible barrier to initial investment without excluding larger projects, and universality, because a system with optional components and variable sizing is adaptable to a range of economic and environmental conditions. Modular systems are typically easier to market and promote than custom systems, presenting a more attractive and coherent kit of parts to the potential user.

Why is the system self-contained ?

The Fish Navy system is not an attempt to replicate an entire natural ecosystem, but materials (water, energy, nutrients) will be recycled as much as possible to minimize environmental damage. Universality is also enhanced by reducing dependence on external food and water inputs

Self-containment positions Fish Navy for the deeper future: the same technology that creates self-sufficiency in developing countries will apply to the self-sufficiency necessary for expansion of our species into new realms, including sea colonies, the Moon, and Mars.

Who else is doing this ?

Aquaculture and renewable energy are widely recognized as keystone technologies for the future. Integration of aquaculture and plant culture (aquaponics) is a common traditional practice in many parts of the world. Over the last several decades, an increasing number of small-scale, self-contained systems have been designed and tested in the United States, including in such varied climates as St. Croix, Virgin Islands; Marposa, California; Mt. Kisco, New York; Amherst, Massachusetts; etc.[8]

How is Fish Navy different ?

Our emphasis on wind power, modular construction, and integrated technologies stands apart from many similar efforts underway worldwide, where adaptation to local conditions and needs often guides the design philosophy. However, originality for its own sake is not a goal of Fish Navy. Our intent is to be a positive force for environmentally conscious and socially sustainable human development. We look to the far future as well as to the past, and we learn from the experience of others. We pursue integration of renewable energy and aquaculture in an efficient, modular, small-scale system because we think these goals are worthwhile.

Isn’t this a terribly complicated project ?

Not really. The production systems we plan to develop will be based on small and fairly simple components (tanks, pumps, wind turbines, pipes, etc.), obtained off‑the‑shelf or easily built from local materials. Added value will derive from the integration of components and the design of modular units. The development methodology will begin with established practices and pursue new directions in a trial‑and‑error process. If the technology were too complex to replicate, then Fish Navy would be ineffective in spreading its use to other regions and groups.

Why does Fish Navy have a New York office ?

Fish Navy was founded in New York. The city is cosmopolitan, with a remarkable cross‑section of the planet’s human population, providing Fish Navy with access to stakeholders, engineers, and scientists. New York is an important center of not-for-profit fundraising, home to many private foundations and motivated private donors. As Fish Navy transitions to pursuing our central mission on the farm, the development office may (or may not) be closed and/or moved elsewhere.

Who started Fish Navy ?

Fish Navy is a young organization, founded in 2003 by Dr. Ted Caplow. Ted holds a Ph. D. in environmental engineering from Columbia University (USA), an M.S. from the Center for Energy and Environmental Studies at Princeton University (USA), and a B.A. in sociology from Harvard University (USA). He has longstanding interests in energy, water resources, and development. Ted is a scuba diver and an experienced sailor.

How is Fish Navy funded ?

Fish Navy is a lean organization. Funds raised from government and foundation grants are pooled with contributions from individual donors. As the farm is developed, substantial revenue is anticipated from product sales. Additional revenue may accrue from consulting activity and from the visitor center.

Operational funding for the company’s first year has been provided by the founder. Fish Navy is applying to WSARE (Western Sustainable Research and Education, a USDA program) to support some of the core research and education tasks at the first Aquaponic Energy Farm. Similar applications are being made to a variety of private foundations and to other government grant programs.

Fish Navy’s goal is to raise approximately two to three hundred thousand dollars per year for 2005-2006.

[1]New, M. B. (2003) Responsible aquaculture: Is this a special challenge for developing countries?, Keynote address, World Aquaculture 2003, San Salvador, Brazil. Available at www.was.org/Library/English/NewBrazil2003.pdf

[2] Tacon, A. G. J. (1997) “Contribution to food fish supplied”, in FAO Inland Water Resources and Aquaculture Service, Review of the State of the World Aquaculture, FAO Fisheries Circular No. 886, Rome: FAO. Available at http://www.fao.org/docrep/003/w7499e/w7499e00.htm. Also see the biennial SOFIA series from FAO, available at http://www.fao.org/docrep/005/y7300e/y7300e00.htm.

[7] Reddy, A. K. N. (2000) “Energy and social issues” in UNDP World Energy Assessment, Energy and the Challenge of Sustainability, NewYork, NY: United Nations. Available at http://www.undp.org/seed/eap/activities/wea/index.html