Traditional Fish Trap Inspired Aquaculture
Author: Jed Wong Zhun Hung (33114269)
Project Manager: Lizi Kwan
Team M05
A proposed task from the EWB challenge entitled “Traditional Fish trap inspired Aquaculture” seeks a sustainable aquaculture technology that can generate high yield and low impact [1]. In response to that, this report is developed to propose an appropriate aquaculture approach design that can mitigate the ongoing issue arising from non-sustainable aquaculture practices. Meanwhile, the project must adhere to the constraints and criteria specified in the stakeholder’s report done by team M05 [2]. These criteria and constraints will be briefly set forth, each stating how it relates to the design's conceptual framework. Following that, Individual functions and sub-functions of the proposed design will also be delineated distinctly through diagrams, including any potential risk associated with the project if these functions are not well executed. To allow a broader understanding of what should gain prominence in this project, the in-scope and out-scope of the project will be highlighted, alongside any reasoning behind the judgements made. The design concept will be presented with the aid of schematic design, justifications, cost projections, as well as any calculations involved in the process of optimizing the ultimate project outcome. The latter part of the report will also address the sustainability issues regarding the execution and maintenance of the final proposed design.
Following all the unethical aquaculture practices adopted by commercial fishermen, the ecology and coastal communities are facing a range of detrimental effects [3]. This involves the development of dead zones in aquatic areas, which may lead to a genetic mutation in species that are treasured culturally and expose them to the risk of facing extinction [4]. Moreover, the indigenous community have also experienced an inequitable economic advantage from aquaculture, due to the lack of proper education as well as the schism of fishing beliefs between the commercialised fishermen [5]. As such, the current aquaculture approach is not a practical remedy for either food security, or aqua life condition, and can be regarded as non-socially or economically sustainable. To ensure the preservation of the aqua life on the Yirrganydji land meanwhile, acknowledging their long-established indigenous culture, an appropriate aquaculture approach must be carefully curated.
The primary challenge of this project is to mitigate the severe environmental and social repercussions resulting from an inappropriate aquaculture approach, adopted by irresponsible fishermen and commercial businesses who are blinded by money [6]. To resolve such an issue, this project would aim to develop a sustainable aquaculture approach that can generate sustainable income from aquaculture while retaining a sense of community among the aboriginal population, possibly improving their lives. As such, one of the major design constraints is to integrate well with the indigenous culture to gain validation from the community, while ensuring that the project cost lies well between the estimated budget stated in the stakeholder’s report [2]. The intended effect of this project is not only to elevate the fishing experiences of the indigenous fisherman but to also creates various economic opportunities for the community. It is also vital to ensure that the execution of the project does not deteriorate the condition of the aqua region, instead, it should improve upon it.
Constraints of the proposed Aquaculture technology:
Criteria of the proposed Aquaculture technology: