Cooperation in sustainable finfish aquaculture


Economic and market analysis of the live reef fish food trade in Asia-Pacific (FIS/2002/105)

This project was funded by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) to study the economics and marketing of live reef food fish (LRFF) fisheries and trade and to identify the necessary conditions for the sustainability of supply and the trade in the long term. The purpose of the project was to assist countries involved in the trade to ensure they secure adequate returns for fish supplied to the market and that supply is sustainable in the long term, both from wild-caught fisheries and aquaculture.

Further details of this project, including key project outcomes, can be found on the ACIAR web site. Project outputs include two workshop proceedings:

Children of the Sea

NACA undertook a cooperation with the Terre des Hommes Foundation-Italy (TDH) project Children of the Sea - Requalification of small-scale fisheries micro-enterprises and ecosystem-based innovation of aquatic production systems for the sustainable development of Thai coastal communities, Phang Nga Bay, Thailand. The cooperation involved simultaneous studies of seafarming technology and markets in southern Thailand, Bangkok live fish markets and trading networks, regional markets for seafarming products and a status review of regional seafarming production technologies. The emphasis was on seafarming technologies and commodities important to small-scale fishing communities in Southern Thailand, including an analysis of options for integrated seafarming.

Developing Industry Standards for the Live Reef Food Fish Trade

This was a collaborative project of the International Marinelife Alliance (IMA), Marine Aquarium Council (MAC), The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and interested stakeholders, with support from the APEC Fisheries Working Group. The goal of the project was to bring together stakeholders and build a consensus on what 'best practices' are needed to ensure a sustainable industry, including sustainable use of coral reefs, fish stocks and fishing communities. The project covered both wild-caught and aquacultured fish, and documented standards and practices relating to assessment of fish stocks, capture and culture methods, holding, transportation, and human health and safety concerns. More details on this project, and its final outputs, can be found on the project web site.

TNC Komodo Project

The NACA/APEC Asia-Pacific Marine Finfish Aquaculture Network is cooperating with The Nature Conservancy (TNC) at Labuan Bajo, Flores, Nusa Tenggara Timur, Indonesia, where a pilot project is being implemented to develop mariculture as an alternative livelihood for fishers now restricted from fishing in Komodo National Park. General information on the Komodo Island and TNC can be found on the Komodo National Park website.

APEC Grouper Network Project - Formalization Component

One of the recommendations from the Regional Workshop on Sustainable Seafarming and Grouper Aquaculture held in April 2000, Medan, Indonesia was to formalize participation in the Asia-Pacific Grouper Network, to include all regional institutes that are actively involved in R&D on grouper and other marine finfish. The project, supported by the APEC Fisheries Working Group, was undertaken in 2001. The aim of the formalization is to create a strong network of research institutes and experts that are actively involved in R&D of grouper and other marine finfish in the region; to share resources through cooperation in order to make more efficient use of limited resources; and to improve information exchange and dissemination. The project report is available for download.

An Improved Hatchery and Grow-out Technology for Grouper Aquaculture in the Asia-Pacific Region (ACIAR Project FIS/97/73)

This project, funded by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), addressed several identified constraints to increased aquaculture production of groupers in the Asia-Pacific region, particularly those relating to limited availability of seedstock and the widespread use of 'trash' fish as a feed source for farmed groupers. The project had three major components:

  • Developing improved hatchery production technology to improve growth and survival of groupers during the hatchery phase, to increase the supply of hatchery-reared seedstock.
  • Define the nutritional requirements of farmed groupers to support the development of compounded feeds to provide a viable alternative to 'trash' fish.
  • Support for the Grouper Aquaculture Research and Development Program to 'value add' existing grouper aquaculture R&D efforts in the Asia-Pacific region by improving communication and promoting collaborative research between regional laboratories and agencies.

A summary of the project and its outcomes can be found on the ACIAR web site. This project also produced a monograph summarising the research outcomes, Advances in Grouper Aquaculture, which is available from the ACIAR web site.

Development of a Regional Research Program on Grouper Virus Transmission and Vaccine Development (APEC FWG 02/2000)

This project was funded by the APEC Fisheries Working Group and implemented by the Fish Health Section of the Asian Fisheries Society in close cooperation with the Aquatic Animal Health Research Institute of the Department of fisheries of Thailand. Two workshops were held and brought together representatives from 12 APEC economies; technical experts on grouper diseases, import risk analysis and aquatic animal vaccines; and representatives of governments, research institutes and universities, and the private sector. The project helped prepare a framework of a Regional Research Program on Grouper Health and Production. The workshop report is available for download.

APEC Grouper Network Project - Coastal Livelihoods Component

Under APEC Fisheries Working Group (FWG) support for 2001-2002, the network explored issues concerning the dissemination and extension of grouper aquaculture technologies and experiences in aquaculture as an alternative livelihood for fishermen involved in unsustainable fishing practices. This component was implemented through the STREAM program, and the final report is available for download.

Staff secondments and exchanges

In 2001, Dr Craig Hayward, Australia, worked at NACA in September 2001 for a six-week period. Prior to this, Dr Hayward was a post-doctoral fellow at Chungbuk National University, South Korea. He assisted NACA, AHHRI and the Fish Health Section of the Asian Fisheries Society in implementing a number of the recommendations arising from the APEC FWG 02/200 workshop, 'Development of a Regional Research Programme on Grouper Virus Transmission and Vaccine Development'. He conducted questionnaire surveys to assess the current impact of disease among grouper hatcheries and nurseries in the Asia-Pacific Region.

In 2002, four exchanges were undertaken under APEC Fisheries Working Group funding.

  • Mr Peter John Blyth from the private sector in Australia undertook a review of the present status of feeds, and feeding efficiency and management in marine cage culture in West Malaysia and Southern Thailand. The report of this study is available for download.
  • Dr Susana V. Siar of SEAFDEC AQD undertook a a study of the social and economic aspects of small-scale grouper hatcheries and related businesses in collaboration with Research Institute for Mariculture Gondol, Bali, Indonesia. Mr Bill Johnston (Queensland Department of Primary Industries) and Mr Sih Yang Sim (NACA) also participated in this study, funded by ACIAR (project FIS/97/73). The report of this study is available for download.
  • The third and fourth exchanges involved the participation of Mr Samart Detsathi (Krabi Coastal Aquaculture Development Station, Department of Fisheries Thailand) and Mr Yazid Sahjinan (Department of Fisheries Sabah) in the 2002 'Grouper Hatchery Production Training Course', at the Research Institute for Mariculture, Gondol, Bali, Indonesia.

Development of Health and Husbandry Manual for Grouper Farming (APEC FWG 01/2000)

An issue identified at the First APEC - NACA Cooperative Grouper Aquaculture Network Workshop held in Hat Yai, Thailand, in April 1999, was the need to provide information to farmers to improve on-farm health management of cultured groupers. In response, the Aquaculture Department of the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Centre (SEAFDEC AQD), supported by funding from APEC Fisheries Working Group, coordinated the preparation and publication of a manual on Husbandry and Health Management of Grouper. The manual provides basic information on fish handling and management practices, as well as a guide to rapidly and easily identify common diseases of cultured groupers. The manual is designed to be easily used by farmers, and has been translated into several regional languages (English, Indonesian, Thai, Mandarin and Tagalog) for use by farmers throughout the Asia-Pacific region. The English language version is available for download. A Vietnamese translation was prepared by the Support to Marine Aquaculture (SUMA) project, funded by DANIDA.

Regional Survey of Fry/Fingerling Supply and Current Practices for Grouper Mariculture: Evaluating Current Status and Long-term Prospects for Grouper Mariculture in Southeast Asia (APEC FWG 01/99)

This regional survey of fry and fingerling supply and current practices for grouper mariculture was carried out by Dr Yvonne Sadovy of the University of Hong Kong under the support of the APEC Fisheries Working Group. The survey identified the high level of dependence on wild-caught seedstock of the grouper farming sector in the Asia-Pacific region, documented the complex regional trade in fry and fingerlings, and provided recommendations on how the sustainability of the trade can be improved. The final report of the study is available for download.

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Feeds guide


A Practical Guide to Feeds and Feed Management for Cultured Grouper

Hatchery guide


A Guide to Small-scale Marine Finfish Hatchery Technology