Sustainability consultants at FAI (Food Animal Initiative) in the UK are harnessing duck faeces to create a nutrient-rich environment for rearing fish for the table.

The Oxfordshire-based consultancy is noting high levels of protozoan plankton and crustaceans and is planning on rearing the carp to 1.5 kilos, with an eye on the Eastern European market.

This is according to Mike Colley, who oversees poultry, pig and aquatics at the farm, who is considering adding a hydroponic system, using water leaving the lake.

While not a popular meal to native UK residents, some Europeans are particularly fond of carp at Christmas, he explained.

“You can do an awful lot with water,” Mr Colley told ThePoultrySite. “We have 11 million litres of lake and it seems a bit of a waste just having ducks on there, so we’ve put carp in the pond.”

In total, the site will stock 1500 carp, needing around six months of growth. The carp will then either be line or net caught.

“Combined together the ducks and the fish, we are using the resources we have got on the farm,” Mike added. “The next stage is to take the nutrients remaining in the water and use it in a hydroponic system.”