Is Aquatic Farming For You
| [ ] [ ] | 1.
Have you developed a realistic written business plan with monthly objectives
and projected cash flows for the first year and annually for each of the
next three to five years? |
| [ ] [ ] | 2.
Do you own or have access to property needed for the proposed aquaculture
operation? |
| [ ] [ ] | 3.
Have you determined expenses for construction or improvement of the aquaculture
site? |
| [ ] [ ] | 4.
Do you own or have access to most of the necessary equipment (e.g., pumps,
nets, tanks, aerators, boats, predator control devices)? |
| [ ] [ ] | 5.
Can you secure the capital for start-up and operation at a reasonable cost? |
| [ ] [ ] | 6.
Will your lender accommodate your production/marketing cycle (which differs
from traditional row crops)? |
| [ ] [ ] | 7.
Is the profit potential for aquaculture higher than that of other possible
investments? |
| [ ] [ ] | 8.
Will the expected profit be adequate compensation for your labor and resources? |
| [ ] [ ] | 9.
Can you afford to wait 6 to 18 or more months for income until your first
crop attains marketable size and can be sold? |
| [ ] [ ] | 10.
Do you have an adequate cash reserve for unanticipated costs (e.g., equipment
failure, system modification, crop losses)? |
| [ ] [ ] | 1.
Are you willing to work long, hard, and irregular hours (e.g., 16 hours/day,
7 days/week)? |
| [ ] [ ] | 2.
Do you get along well and communicate effectively with people? (Small producers
not only grow fish or shellfish, they must also promote and market themselves
and their product)? |
| [ ] [ ] | 3.
Are you comfortable with mathematical problem solving and mechanical trouble-shooting? |
| [ ] [ ] | 4.
Will you seek help when needed ? |
| [ ] [ ] | 5.
Do you personally have the technical expertise with fish or shellfish to
manage the operation? |
| [ ] [ ] | 6.
Can you afford to hire an experienced technician? |
| [ ] [ ] | 7.
Do you know others in the business that will provide help or information? |
| [ ] [ ] | 8.
Does your state have an aquaculture association that you can join? |
| [ ] [ ] | 9.
Do you receive aquaculture periodicals? |
| [ ] [ ] | 10.
Are you willing to take a course in aquaculture or attend "how to"
workshops to become informed of current practices and new developments? |
| [ ] [ ] | 1. Have you assessed
the existing situation (e.g., market size and demands, potential competitors)
and determined an area where you can compete effectively? |
| [ ] [ ] | 2. Have you determined primary and
alternate markets? |
| [ ] [ ] | 3. Do you know in what form you will
market your product (e.g., alive, dressed, filleted)? |
| [ ] [ ] | 4. Can you continuously harvest and
market your product throughout much or all of the year? |
| [ ] [ ] | 5. Do you have the means to harvest,
handle, hold, and transport your product? |
| [ ] [ ] | 6. If desirable, can you join or form
an aquaculture cooperative? |
| [ ] [ ] | 7. Are you familiar with legal issues
of marketing your product? |
| [ ] [ ] | 8. Do you have the resources to construct
and operate a Health Department approved facility if fish will be processed
(e.g., dressed, filleted)? |
| [ ] [ ] | 1.
Is the proposed culture site an unrestricted area (e.g. not a right-of-way
or wetland)? |
| [ ] [ ] | 2.
Is the prospective culture site located near the market and processing facilities? |
| [ ] [ ] | 3.
Is the proposed site suitable for aquaculture (e.g., there is no history
of pesticide use in the area, the topography and soil type are appropriate
for economic construction, gas and power lines will not interfere with construction
or operation, you have all-weather access to your culture operation)? |
| [ ] [ ] | 4.
Can the site be made suitable for aquaculture production with an acceptable
amount of investment? |
| [ ] [ ] | 5.
Is the site sufficiently large for expansion if desired in the future? |
| [ ] [ ] | 6.
Have you explored the advantages and disadvantages of leasing vs. ownership? |
| [ ] [ ] | 7.
Do you live close enough to the culture site to visit and monitor as needed,
and to ensure security? |
| [ ] [ ] | 8.
Is the system designed and constructed specifically for aquaculture (vs.
recreation, aesthetics, irrigation, etc.)? |
| [ ] [ ] | 9.
Is an adequate supply of high quality water available and suitable for aquaculture
production? |
| [ ] [ ] | 10.
Will water quality and quantity remain suitable for continuous production
(e.g., the possibility is low that your shellfish lease will be closed due
to water degradation, flooding is not a problem)? |
| [ ] [ ] | 11.
Can you control water to, from, and within your system (e.g., can you drain
and fill ponds when needed, bypass a raceway, or adjust water flow when
treatments are needed)? |
| [ ] [ ] | 12.
Can you effectively manage wastes produced by your operation? |
| [ ] [ ] | 13.
Can you prevent wild fish, birds and other predators, diseases and parasites
from entering or impacting your system? |
| [ ] [ ] | 14.
Can you treat diseases and parasites that may infect your fish? |
| [ ] [ ] | 15.
Is an economical and dependable electricity source available? |
| [ ] [ ] | 1.
Will your neighbors and other user groups (e.g., recreational, commercial
fisheries) accept the aquaculture operation (the operation will not interfere
or be perceived to interfere with their interests)? |
| [ ] [ ] | 2.
Have you discussed your planned operation with the appropriate state agency(ies)
and your local Cooperative or Sea Grant Extension agent? |
| [ ] [ ] | 3.
Have you identified the permits required to construct and operate an aquaculture
operation? |
| [ ] [ ] | 4.
Can the required permits be obtained without excessive investment of money,
time, and effort? |
| [ ] [ ] | 5.
Can you obtain permits for an extended time and not have to renew them frequently
(i.e., could you improve a site and then lose access to it)? |
| [ ] [ ] | 1.
Have you determined what species you want to culture, and do you know its
biology? |
| [ ] [ ] | 2.
Have you explored the different production technologies available and identified
one that satisfies your interests and resources? |
| [ ] [ ] | 3.
Do you have the resources (financial, technical, and spatial) needed to
maintain and spawn adults, incubate eggs, and rear juveniles? |
| [ ] [ ] | 4.
Are dependable sources of fingerling finfish or shell? |
| [ ] [ ] | 5.
Can feed and other essential supplies be obtained locally, quick!y, and
at a reasonable price (e. g. , chemicals, antibiotics, algae)? |
| [ ] [ ] | 6.
Are suitable back-up systems available (e.g., for electrical outages, pump
failure, oxygen depletions)? |
| [ ] [ ] | 7.
Are disease diagnostic services and dependable technical assistance readily
available? |
| [ ] [ ] | 8.
Do you have access to a dependable work force for physical labor? |
| [ ] [ ] | 9.
Do you have appropriate predator control, including human poaching? |
| [ ] [ ] | 10.
Do you have adequate dry space to store essential supplies (e.g., feed drugs,
chemicals) and equipment (e.g., seines, pumps, generators)? |