Better management practices

Improved management practices to generate better crop outcomes, environmental performance and profitability through improved resource utilisation efficiency.

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A collection of subject tags relating to technical matters.

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Videos available: First International Artemia Aquaculture Consortium Conference and Members' Meeting

The first ever IAAC conference was a free half day event held in Ostend, Belgium on 9 September, as a prelude to Larvi 2024, which ran from 9-12 September. The conference featured twelve presentations introducing the IAAC and providing an overview of many of the issues surrounding Artemia, including management of salt lakes habitats that still provide the bulk of global Artemia supplies, Artemia biodiversity, hatching optimisation, and aquaculture of Artemia biomass in tanks and ponds. Video recordings of most will be posted shortly (the programme below will be updated with links). Video recordings of the presentations are now available on the NACA YouTube channel.

The first IAAC Members’ Meeting was held in the afternoon following the IAAC Conference. The proceedings involved two panel discussions, by the Academic Sector and Private Sector respectively. The panels included remote members participating via Zoom.

Videos available: Training Programme on Safeguarding Artemia resources for Aquaculture held in Rome

The Training Programme on Safeguarding Salt Lake Brine Shrimp (Artemia) Resources for Aquaculture was held in Rome from 2-6 September. The course was attended by 37 participants from 15 countries. The programme was jointly organised by FAO, NACA / IAAC, and by RAOS and ANSO, which provided the financial support that made the activity possible. The programme featured a series of expert presentations on three themes: Salt lakes, management tools for Artemia cyst and biomass harvesting, and Artemia biodiversity. The full programme is appended below, along with links to the video recordings of the presentations on NACA’s YouTube channel.

Inception workshop: Knowledge brokering for nature-based solutions in aquaculture transformation

Canada's International Development Research Centre (IDRC) is sponsoring the project "Knowledge Brokering for Nature-Based Solutions in Aquaculture Transformation in Asia-Pacific: Support to the Aquaculture Innovation and Investment Hub." The project is part of a wider IDRC AQUADAPT initiative, a four-year partnership running from 2023-2027. AQUADAPT addresses the intertwined challenges of climate change, biodiversity loss, and food insecurity through applied research on nature-based solutions in aquaculture in Southeast Asia and the Pacific region. AQUADAPT emphasises Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI), ensuring that nature-based solutions are inclusive of all genders and marginalised groups. The project's inception workshop was held in Bangkok from July 4-5, bringing together project teams from Thailand, The Philippines, and Fiji to discuss approaches and methodologies. 

The Grass Carp Aquaculture Manual

This manual covers everything from grass carp's natural distribution and reproductive behaviours to its biology and anatomy. This manual also explores diseases that can affect grass carp and emphasises the crucial connection between animal welfare and stress in fish. With a detailed discussion on cultivation systems, this manual includes pond structures and fish farming techniques in both polyculture and monoculture. It provides practical insights into important aspects such as water quality monitoring, feeding, nutrition, health checks and behaviour assessments at every stage of grass carp farming – from broodstock management to pre-slaughter and slaughter processes. The emphasis is on responsible harvesting techniques, transportation considerations and humane slaughter methods. This manual offers a comprehensive guide for both novice and experienced fish farmers, and enthusiasts interested in cultivating grass carp sustainably and ensuring optimal animal welfare.

Pacific oyster farming: A practical manual

The purpose of this manual is to give the reader a foundation of practical knowledge regarding all aspects of Pacific oyster cultivation. It is targeted at new entrants to the market wishing to establish a farm, and existing operators who wish to develop their farms and explore new cultivation techniques. The methodologies described can be applied to both low-tech, low budget, small-scale farming operations and to high-tech, big budget, industrial-scale aquaculture production enterprises. This guide focuses on the functional expertise and technical equipment required to construct and manage an operational farm in the diverse environmental and physical locations in which they can be situated, from the initial stages of finding and selecting a suitable site, to the conclusion of the first production cycle and harvesting the crop.

Manual on Artemia production and use

This FAO publication on brine shrimp is a manual for all those who are using Artemia or have an interest in this organism, whether as a source of live food in the hatchery, as a model organism in research, or for other purpose. It is intended for those who wish to update their knowledge on its biology, production or its use, but also for those who want to learn about Artemia for the first time. This manual presents in a concise form essential information on Artemia biology and the most important natural cyst resources that find their way to the aquaculture market. It also provides detailed information on general principles and practical procedures to produce Artemia in ponds and in tank systems. Finally, the manual offers a compilation of state-of-the-art guidelines and methodologies related to the use of this crucial live food organism in aquaculture.

Expert Workshop on Aquaculture Effluent Management held in Bangkok

In 2023, FAO and NACA initiated a consultation process on aquaculture effluent management in Asia and the Pacific in collaboration with NACA member governments. Experts across the region gathered information to assess the state of governance, advancements in technology and innovation in aquaculture effluent management. The consultative process culminated in an expert workshop, convened from 14 to 15 November, funded by FAO, to share views and national experiences on aquaculture effluent management.

Second High-Level Meeting on Aquaculture Transformation in Asia and the Pacific Region

A second High Level Meeting on Aquaculture Transformation: A Call for Collective Action was held in Bangkok from 8-9 November 2023 to further facilitate regional collaboration towards the Blue Transformation vision. The purpose of the meeting was to review progress made after the First HLM and discuss specific actions and mechanisms needed to enhance regional cooperation and progress transformation at scale by 2030. The meeting discussed and reviewed a draft Action Guide for Aquaculture Transformation for Asia and the Pacific Region. A proposal to develop an Asia-Pacific Aquaculture Innovation and Investment Hub as a regional mechanism providing policy advice, monitoring, resource mobilisation, partnership and capacity building functions as a regional platform driving aquaculture transformation was also considered.

Thai Fish Project: A path towards a sustainable aquaculture

The Thai Fish Project began in 2019, and involves around 200 research members and multiple institutions in Thailand and Japan. The project aims to promote domestication and wise use of two Thai native aquatic species, namely the Asian sea bass Lates calcarifer and banana shrimp Penaeus merguiensis through increasing productivity, reducing the impact of infectious diseases, and preserving genetic resources. The project also encompasses several specific research topics to ensure that it comprehensively addresses the concerns on safeguarding the food security and enhancing the environmental sustainability as much as possible. This article describes the main research activities, outputs and future expectations of the Thai Fish Project.

Transforming waste to wealth: An onsite demonstration of transforming fish waste into fish fertiliser to tribal communities of Jharkhand

Management of waste products produced by fish processing can be an environmental and public health issue. But fish waste can be converted into agricultural fertilisers using simple backyard technology. This article describes techniques for producing fertilisers from fish waste, and a successful demonstration of the technology by the College of Fisheries, Gumla, to tribal communities in the state of Jharkand, India.