Commercial ponds are ponds constructed primarily for farming fish for commercial purposes. Commercial ponds are mainly used for aquaculture, which is the cultivation of the natural produce of water, like fish or shellfish. The different species of fish farmed in commercial ponds are catfish, tilapia, crawfish, shrimp, trout, bass, and salmon, to name a few. Aquaculture is not a recent phenomenon. Commercial ponds have been used for aquaculture as far back as pre-2000 BC when the Chinese, Japanese, Romans, Egyptians, and others commercial farmed in large ponds. Today, commercial production of both freshwater and saltwater fish is very common around the world. However, in the United States much of the fish consumed are caught from natural waters and not commercially farmed. The practice of commercial fish farming, though, is rapidly becoming more prevalent. The key to the success of a commercial fish-farming exercise starts with the proper design and planning of the commercial pond. Commercial ponds should be properly designed and built on a ground with proper clay content and enough of a water supply to last for up to ten years. While constructing a pond for commercial purposes, the critical factors to be borne in mind are the construction costs, cost and ease of operation, and productivity. While water availability and soil characteristics are obvious candidates for attention during the planning and design of a commercial pond, other aspects like the topography of the land, pesticide residues in the land, drainage, chances of flooding, and classification of the land as wetlands are other equally important aspects that need to be considered. Commercial ponds can be divided into three types: embankment or levee ponds, watershed ponds, and a hybrid between these two. Levee ponds, which are built on flat lands, are the most common. Watershed ponds are typically built in hilly areas. Hybrid ponds are constructed in areas with gently rolling topography. Small ponds of less than ten acres in area are commonly reported to be easier to manage than large ponds. Also, longer life expectancy has been observed in commercial ponds that are deeper. |
