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Earthen fish pond construction and bunding

An earthen fish pond is the basic infrastructure unit of Indian inland aquaculture. Its construction follows standard hydraulic engineering principles for impounding water, draining the pond fully for harvest, and resisting seepage and overtopping. Pond engineering guidelines from FAO and ICAR-CIFA are widely used by state fisheries departments.

Principle

A fish pond is created by raising earthen dykes (bunds) to impound water at the desired depth. The dykes must be impermeable enough to hold water against seepage and stable enough to resist the hydrostatic pressure of the impounded volume. Water-control structures allow controlled inflow and complete drainage at harvest.

Implementation

The inlet is placed at or above the maximum water level so that incoming water cannot back-siphon and so that wild fish are excluded. The outlet is placed at the lowest point of the pond bed to allow complete drainage for harvest, pond drying and lime application between crop cycles. Dyke embankments are built up in compacted layers, each not exceeding about 200 mm in thickness, using clayey soil that resists seepage. Side slopes, freeboard and crest width are designed against wave action and rainfall. Carp grow-out ponds for Carp Polyculture Pond are typically kept around 1.5-2 m (approximately 5 ft) deep, while murrel ponds (Murrel Korameenu Farming) may be deeper to provide thermal stability for the air-breathing fish.

Adoption context

Earthen ponds are the dominant grow-out unit in India for carps, murrel and brackishwater shrimp (Vannamei Shrimp Farming). Pond design is the prerequisite for downstream practices such as mechanical aeration (Shrimp Pond Aeration) and predator exclusion (Pond Biosecurity Bird Snake Netting).

Limitations

Sandy or laterite soils with high seepage require liner or clay-core construction. Poorly compacted dykes are prone to burrowing by crabs and rats. Inadequate freeboard leads to overtopping in heavy rainfall and stock loss.

See also: Carp Polyculture Pond, Murrel Korameenu Farming, Vannamei Shrimp Farming, Shrimp Pond Aeration, Pond Biosecurity Bird Snake Netting.

References

  1. Fish Pond Construction. FAO Training Series.
  2. Fish pond construction and management. FAO field guide.
  3. Guidelines for constructing and maintaining aquaculture ponds. Queensland Department of Primary Industries.