permaculture

[Steve Waldron <woodydebris@gmail.com>]

I am in the process of opening a natural aquarium shop in Seattle
where teaching aquaponics principles is a goal.  Some of the weak
points of aquaponics have been well addressed here (e.g. fish food
inputs, overcrowding the fish population, idealism vs. the laws of
thermodynamics).  I would like to see more investigation in other
tasty fish species, particularly fish that can be raised on a
plant-based diet, e.g. black pacu of the Amazon and large South
American loracariids (sucker mouth catfish).  There are whole suite of
algae-eating, vegetarian fish that are prized food fishes in their
native habitats that have not yet been studied for the suitability in
an aquaponics system.

The great strength of the aquaponics system is that it really grabs
people's attention and gets them interested in feedback loops and
plant/animal synergies.  It's subversive eco-pedagogy at its best.
In urban communities, even ones as eco-conscious as Seattle, a system
like aquaponics can become a portal towards eco-literacy.  Aquapponics
as system in of itself will not save the world, but a more
ecology-minded human population can.  Thank you and best regards.
- Steve Waldron