Aquaponics facilities are generally more profitable than the recirculation aquaculture systems (RASs) that have sprung up in the US in the past decades.
So point out Daniel Grosse and Geri Unger, who have recently published an extensive piece of research comparing the fortunes of the two sectors in the US and beyond, on behalf of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission."The major hurdles are long-term investment, overpromising, and underdelivering – especially initially," she says.
Many of the aquaponics producers were making more money from plants than from seafood. And some of the plants are grown to be smoked, not eaten. "Businesses that were turning a profit tended to be in aquaponics and their profits came not from the fish or the shrimp, but from plants – lettuces and cannabis in particular," reflects Grosse.
During their research, the largest aquaponics producer they visited was Superior Fresh – which grows leafy greens in water fertilized by salmon waste in Wisconsin. "Superior Fresh do not make their money from salmon – it's a loss leader – the salmon are there to provide the nutrients for the plants," says Grosse.
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