Dave,
We stocked several thousand pounds of tilapia last year with huge success. Although tilapia are not the "magic bullet" to erradicating filamentous algae, duckweed, watermeal and chara, they significantly reduced the amount of herbicides used in comparison to the years that tilapia were not stocked.
Our company's pond management philosophy is rooted in the principles of integrated pest management...using a combination of tools to achieve the desired outcome. This applies to fisheries management, vegetation management, pond renovation, etc.
Just like people, every pond is different (even two sitting 30 feet from each other). Because each pond is unique, it requires a unique combination of several tools to achieve the desired result(s).
Getting back on the topic of tilapia that Dave mentioned...more and more folks are discovering the value of this herbaceous fish and they are adding them to their pond management "toolbox".
We sell and distribute Ken Hale's crop of tilapia each year to the general geographic regions of north and west Texas and southern Oklahoma. At the end of December 2005, some of our clients had already ordered their "allotment" of tilapia for the 2006 spring stocking. By December 31, 2005, we had over 1200 lbs of tilapia on order for the 2006 stocking.
Like Dave mentioned, with the popularity of these fish on the rise, expect shortages until the supply can keep up with the demand.
As water becomes an increasingly more valuable commodity, expect that awareness and knowledge of this industry will contine to grow. Can't wait to see the developments in pond and lake "technology" in the years to come!
Never underestimate the value of the careful attention you pay to your body of water...no matter how small or how big...the pond management decisions you make today, will make an impact for years to come.
