South African farmer claims ‘unprecedented’ success

A LAND based pilot scale fish farm in South Africa has grown yellotwtail kingfish from egg to 2.5kg in 12 months, said the pioneering farmer behind the project.

Andre Bok, of Aqua Management Systems, told Intrafish that his East London farm had achieved unprecedented production efficiencies in land based farming.

Bok started his farm in 2008 with a dusky kob venture, and generous investment, which was easier to come by then. However, he said investor ignorance led to the failure of many enterprises.

Having overcome subsequent financial difficulties, Bok has forged ahead with the farm’s technical progress and, he said, it is now proving to be industry leading internationally.

‘The breakthrough came with a prescribed feed formulation and careful feed application. The results were almost too good to be true,’ he said.

The farm’s dusky kob is now being grown from egg, spawned by on-site broodfish, to an average size of 1kg in 12 months.

Yellowtail kingfish, meanwhile, is being grown to an average size of 2.5kg in 12 months at a temperature of 21.5 deg C.

Based on his success, Bok has secured the financial backing to commercialise his operation at the East London Industrial Development Zone.

He believes the commercial scale farming of both species will be economically viable and said ‘international markets beckon’. Last June, Bok gave a talk at the World Aquaculture Society conference in Cape Town, during which he advised farming entrepreneurs that due diligence must be ‘very strong on the technical front – they must understand the farm’s true production potential’. ‘Don’t paint a picture of confidence when you know it’s untrue. ‘Over the last 10 years we’ve learnt a huge amount and now this is the strongest position ever to invest in the industry,’ said Bok.