ESTIMATION OF PHOSPHORUS AND NITROGEN RELEASED BY THE BREEDING OF OREOCHROMIS NILOTICUS IN CAGES IN THE TOHO AND TODOUGBA LAGOONS(SOUTHER BENIN) BETWEEN 2017 AND 2020

The present study aim to estimate the ratio of aquaculture in the phosphorus and nitrogen concentrations determined in the Toho - Todougba lagoons. For this purpose, the two lagoons were subdivided into 7 stations for the determination of phosphorus and nitrogen concentrations in the water column. Production data from 2017 to 2019 were collected from the Direction of the Ficheries Production and from the literature. Data for 2020 were collected directly from fish farmers. Annual tilapia production was estimated by year and the amounts of phosphorus and nitrogen released from aquaculture are deduced based on the ratio of Montanhini Neto & Ostrensky (2013). The concentration of each of these nutrients was estimated by station and compared to the concentration determined by laboratory analysis of the water. This methodology shows that the amount of phosphorus and nitrogen released to the environment varies from 0.49 mg/L to 0.18 mg/L for phosphorus and from 1.53 mg/L to 0.58 mg/L for nitrogen. The lowest values are obtained in 2020 and differ significantly from the other years (p <0.05). The quantity of phosphorus discharged is higher at the high production stations (Tonon 0.20 mg/L and Lokohoue 0.11 mg/L). Some of this is stored in the sediment. The nitrogen generated by aquaculture is significantly lower than the average determined in water (p <0.05). However, the concentration determined is still related to the amount of organic matter released due to aquaculture. Although aquaculture is not the only source of nutrient release to water, strategies for aquaculture with less nutrient release should be determined.