Eels are long fish with scaleless skin that resemble long snakes. The carnivorous fish in the light chestnut brown color live their entire lives in freshwater. Eel farming is a low-cost project that is also simpler than other fish-rearing businesses.
Due to its wonderful flavor and high protein content, eel fish is a favorite fish all over the world. So, it can be profitable to start an eel fish farm. Here’s the complete guide on how to start an eel fish farming business with low investment.
How to Start an Eel Farming Business?
Eel culture on a small scale is generally a low-investment business. It is also simpler and more lucrative than a number of other fish farming businesses. Actually, the business does not require expensive water bodies and specially prepared, expensive feed. Even with tanks in your backyard, you can start this fish-related business. There are two types of eels, which differ in their breathing patterns. They are air breathers (Monopterus) and water breathers (Anguilla).
Male and female young eels often spend up to 12 years and up to 18 years, respectively, in freshwater rivers and streams. Some species may live even longer. When they achieve sexual maturity, their skin color changes to a silvery color, they put on weight, and they migrate thousands of kilometers offshore in search of spawning grounds where they can reproduce. Eels only reproduce once throughout their lifetime.
Is Eel Farming Profitable?
The aquaculture of eels is thought to be worth over US$1 billion globally, making up 65% of all eel output. The biggest producers of eels are China, Taiwan, and Japan, but substantial amounts are also raised in Europe and North America.
Eels are a significant food fish today all over the world. Eels are a delectable protein source that is getting increasingly popular worldwide, particularly in India. So, starting a small eel farming business might be quite profitable for fish producers.
How to Do Eel Fish Farming:
Secure the water body for eel rearing first. Eels can be raised in a tank or a pond. First, add clean, fresh water to the tank or pond. In short, you have to get glass eels. Glass eels are catchable in the ocean, and you can also buy them from hatcheries. Scoop nets and traps are typically effective tools for catching glass eels.
Keep the glass eels in the smaller aquariums after getting them. Here, you should check whether the eels are clear of disease. Cod roe-based artificial meals are used to wean the eels and later dry starting feed is used to wean the eels.
Transfer the eels to a juvenile production unit with larger tanks (6-8 m2) and stocking densities (50-75 kg/m2) when they weigh about 5 g. The eels can currently digest dry meal pellets (1 mm).
Eel Farming: Feed Supply and Management
Eels can be raised using natural feed that is readily available in the area. In addition to being affordable, it is also environmentally friendly. For instance, a good and natural way to manage the problem is to feed the golden snails to the eels. For glass eels, you can also use prepared feeds in the form of a wet paste, and for the later phases, you can use pellets that have been extruded or steam-pressed.
Grading must be done on a regular basis while raising eels in ponds or tanks to prevent cannibalism and food competition. The eels must be graded every six weeks. You must also divide them into several size categories. The larger eels will eat the smaller eels if you keep them all together.
Commercially available fish grading apparatus come in a variety of designs, but they all operate on the same principles. They consist of an entrance that the fish swim into, followed by various-sized gaps that keep the larger fish from swimming out to other tanks or out to be ready for harvesting while allowing the smaller fish to return to the ponds or tanks.
Harvest and Post-Harvest Management of Eels:
To ensure that each eel is big enough to have a market worth, you must grade the eels' sizes before harvesting them. Grading should be done with as little stress as possible to protect the eel's health. Large eels that are prepared for harvesting should be placed in tanks with clean water to flush out any potential pollutants that can impair the flavor of the eels. Moreover, cease feeding them 1-2 days before harvest.
The eel farming industry needs effective post-harvest management. The eels must also be managed based on their intended usage. The eels that will be eaten right away should be frozen. Place the fish inside oxygen-filled bags. There should be enough water in the bag to maintain the moisture of their skin. After that, they are prepared for delivery to the market. Eels intended for smoking are typically sent alive to the processing facilities.
You need to carefully clean the tanks following each harvest. Additionally, before starting fresh eel farming once more, use the sun-drying method for a few days.
Profit Analysis in Eel Farming Business:
In India, eel fish typically costs between Rs 300 and Rs 1000 per kg. The cost varies depending on the product's quality, form, kind of packing, etc. Let’s say you sell your eel for Rs 700 per kg in the market, then by selling 10 kg of eel fish, you will earn Rs 7,000. Let’s now assume you sell 10 kg of eel fish every day for a month or for 30 days, then you will earn Rs 2,10,000.
