Small-Scale Aquaponic Demonstration System in American Samoa

Male Paleso’o, a lifelong farmer from Aoa, American Samoa, wants to add fish to his farming operation. Paleso’o raises taro, bananas, cocoa and yams along with several vegetables, including tomatoes, beans, cucumbers pineapples, pumpkins and ginger. At a recent workshop he learned about aquaponics, a system that combines fish culture with vegetable growing. The waste water from the fish tanks is circulated to grow vegetables, which, in turn, clean the water by removing the waste. The water is then returned to the fish tanks. Under his Western SARE Farmer/Rancher grant, Paleso’o will raise vegetable seedlings for his aquaponics system in a greenhouse, being built with the help of American Samoa Community College. He will obtain tilapia fingerlings from a local organization that farms tilapia, a hardy fish that can be raised in six months to satisfy the strong demand in American Samoa.