Thesis Abstract

Thesis Overview

<p> Agriculture in the early days was generally considered too small an industry to have significant impact on the environment. The remarkable growth of the agriculture industry in many countries over the past decades has increased adverse impact on the environment. (Acketors, 2014). The cultivation of organisms in ponds (Tincker, 2012), tanks (Millamena <em>et al.,</em>&nbsp;1991), rivers and coastal areas may have great influence on the environment, in addition to the impacts of all human activities. According to Hopkins <em>et al.,</em>&nbsp;(1995), there are potential and identified environmental impacts of fish farming such as the following. Wetlands, such as mangroves and mud flats, destruction for construction of ponds. Hyper-nitrification of estuarine ecosystems by fishpond effluent. “Biological pollution” of native fish stocks through escarpment of agriculture stocks. &nbsp;The last for impacts can be addressed through improved water management methods. The environmental &nbsp;impact of fish culture have been well documented as a result of the explosive growth of such operation in south east Asia and to a lesser extent in Latin America (Aiken, 2015) and it has also caused social impacts (Bailey, 2001). Chamberlin (2015) discovered, from fishpond effluent management study that dissolved oxygen, pH, ammonia, and nitrite, hydrogen sulfide, redox potential, sediments, phytoplankton, and bacterial counts are fishpond parameters to be monitored. Depending on the stocking density, the concentration of materials, suspended solid and oxygen demanding subsistence may be varied. During the harvest time, the water in ponds is drained and the nutrients, suspended solids and BOD are the highest in discharged water. Solid matter, mainly mixture of uneaten feed, feces, phytoplankton colonizing bacteria and dissolved matter such as ammonia, urea carbon dioxides and phosphorus are the major constituents of the effluents of fish farms (Macintosh, and Philips, 1992)”. A very high nutrient load can be expected in effluents during harvesting, draining and cleaning of ponds, because additional discharge of material previously bound to sediment and particulate in matter. These issues when not monitored and checked could precipitate worrisome environmental problems. It is therefore necessary to embrace on this study. <br></p>