Monitoring quantity and quality of striped catfish pond effluent

The production of striped catfish and other fish species in ponds has several possible impacts on the environment, one of which is caused by the discharge of pond waste water (effluent), which is enriched with nitrogen and phosphorous compounds as result of feeding and fish faeces. To restrict the impact of effluent on the environment, organisations such as the Global Aquaculture Alliance and the World Wildlife Fund have recently started certification programs that have defined standards for fish farms that strive to produce responsibly, which include limiting the impact of the fish farming activity on the surrounding open waters. This article reports the results of a study in which pangasius pond effluent quality and quantity were monitored with the objective to develop simple but still scientifically reliable methods to assess the impact of pond effluent on the waters surrounding the farm.