We are currently looking at what roles Oxygen plays in our lives. We started off the series with the most obvious, and currently most necessary, use of Oxygen. The medical use. We briefly discussed the most important aspects of how it is used and what challenges are currently faced by various industries.
This week we are going to look at how Oxygen plays an important part in the production of a certain food.
Fish Farming
In some discussions that I have had with people of various backgrounds with regards to the use of Oxygen. I have realized that in South Africa, one industry that almost never gets mentioned is aquaculture. Specifically relating to fish farming.
Fish farming is an exceptionally large industry that became necessary to increasing customer demand and diminishing fish stocks. The need for farming fish is perhaps due to the desire for a convenient way of obtaining specific species of fish. But the more likely scenario is that certain fish species have been over-fished to such an extent that the only way of obtaining them is to farm them.
Oxygen – The Relevance
Like land mammals and reptiles, fish need Oxygen to live. They obtain the Oxygen they need through the water environments that they inhabit. It may not be apparent to us at a glance, but the Oxygen content of water can vary greatly. And its not something you can easily see.
The amount of Oxygen that gets produced naturally in water is done so by the plant life in the water. It is the same principle as on land – CO2 gets converted to Oxygen. However, what happens in fish farming, is that the fish are kept in a much smaller area with little to no plant life that can generate the Oxygen necessary for them to live. You can think of it in the same way as this. Imagine you were on a submarine with a limited amount of Oxygen. Eventually after a certain period of time, that Oxygen runs out. Same thing with fish in a small contained pond.
The solution to this problem is simple. The farmer will install an Oxygen generation system that will diffuse Oxygen into the water for the fish. As the fish are the main product in this type of cycle, their physical well-being is of the utmost importance. A healthier and bigger fish equates to better profits.
The Product
The type of fish that is farmed is not of any significance with regards to the use of Oxygen. Even if salt water fish are farmed, it is possible to have a system that diffuses the right amount of Oxygen into the water. But generally, the cost of this process is so expensive that it is simply not worth it. In the case of salt-water fish farms, the fish are actually contained in a suitable stretch of water with netting used as the boundary. In this way the Oxygen that the fish needs is supplied by the ocean due to the currents that flow through the nets.
The three biggest species of farmed fish are salmon, trout and tilapia. You can find some subspecies of these fish in any supermarket in South Africa. This demonstrates how widespread the farmed fish and their associated products are. Now one can appreciate the role of Oxygen generation in aquaculture and how it affects one’s life.
Conclusion
As we continue in these series of blog posts discussing the role of Oxygen. We may be very surprised to learn that so many products are dependent on the gas. This is one of the main purposes of the blog. To bring attention to such a relevant product that we provide. Next week we will explore the use of Oxygen in the proper management of waste-water.