RAS tech: Engineering the future

First trialled for carp in Japan in the 1950s, recirculation aquaculture systems (RAS) underwent a revival in the 1980s as technological advances made them more viable, and have become increasingly popular ever since. Fish Farming International looks at their application today and the advances giving the technology a growing future.

According to the Lux Report, “Blue Revolution: The Fast-growing $7.2 Billion Water Treatment Opportunity in Aquaculture” produced in February 2015, RAS production has increased considerably in the past 15 years, as aquaculture has grown by an exceptional 8.3 percent per year.

RAS systems currently account for 6 percent of total production in China, and 12 percent in both the United States and Europe. The report predicts that by 2030, aquaculture will meet 62 percent of global fish demand, 40 percent of which will be supplied by advanced recirculating systems.