Assessing the influence of sociodemographic factors on biofloc technology adoption for sustainable water management in aquaculture: the case of shrimp farmers in Jiangsu and Shandong provinces, China

Abstract

Shrimp aquaculture likewise other aquatic species farming uses large quantities of water, which is generally discharged without treatment, often causing water scarcity and environmental contamination. Biofloc technology (BFT) is a sustainable aquaculture option, which helps reduce excessive use of water and recycle food waste, and harmful organic and inorganic compounds from the system, serving as natural food for cultured aquatic organisms. Considering this, the present investigation was undertaken in the Rudong and Donggang districts of Jiangsu and Shandong provinces to study the adoption level of biofloc technology among shrimp aquafarmers. Data was collected through structured interviews with 81 shrimp aquafarmers. The use of the Probit and Tobit modeling approaches identified sociodemographic factors such as the proportion of shrimp aquaculture income in the total household income, the farm-gate price, extension services, insurance, and farming experience as significant determinants of the biofloc technology adoption and the investment amount, as well. Moreover, both the adoption decision and the amount invested in the biofloc technology were negatively affected by factors of farmer’s age and the use of Chinese medicines in the ponds. The study thus recommends more support and government investment in aquaculture insurance policies and frequent extension visits to the farmers, which will help optimize the potential impact on the adoption of sustainable technologies such as biofloc systems in shrimp aquaculture.