It’s not every day you get to learn about breeding Tilapia fish, and then help in harvesting fish eggs only to finish the day off with catching fish in order to move them to a new breeding pond. However, this is what class looked like for ISDSI students on Friday!
The morning started with meeting Lung Laa at Chiang Mai Aquatic Development Farm Co., Ltd., and walking around the grounds of the fish farm as he taught on good breeding practices, and how to harvest eggs and look after the fish until they are sold by the thousands to customers. Then, while the students took a closer look at fish eggs in different development stages in the hatchery, Lung Laa shared some of the challenges that have come with a long and very chilly cold season this year. He specifically noted problems such as females producing fewer eggs and many eggs dying. The students were soon given a short lesson on how to catch Tilapia fish with a small net and harvest eggs from the females’ mouths, before getting into the water to put into practice what they just learned. It took a few tries and watching the technique of the farm’s employees, but everyone got the hang of it and did a great job.
Studying fish eggs at different stages of development in the farm's hatchery
Having used up tons of energy it was time for lunch, and the students were treated to a delicious meal of fried Tilapia fish and soup. They then had the opportunity to engage in a conversation with Lung Laa and ask any questions they had about what they had experienced and learned about in the morning session. Some of the topics covered by the Q&A session included the history of the fish farm, use of hormones in order to change the sex of the fish, and the economical and ecological effects of the farm on the local area. It was then time to head back outside to a breeding pond that was mostly drained in order to help catch the last 50 or so fish that needed to be transferred to a different pond in order for the current one to be cleaned. While it was hard work trudging through mud and using baskets to trap the fish, it was also a great experience for the students to better understand everything that goes into running a well-run fish farm in Thailand. The students and instructors worked as a team to spot fish and catch them, and also got many laughs in along the way as mud splashed in every direction.
Overall, visiting the fish farm was a great experience for everyone, and the ISDSI students had the chance to learn hands-on what other students only get a brief understanding of from textbooks.
Harvesting fish eggs from female Tilapia
Working together to catch Tilapia fish and move them to a new breeding pond
After an awesome day of learning at ISDSI
