Fresh fish is so popular in much of eastern India that harvesting will usually draw a crowd of pond side customers. Marketing is no problem so long as the quantities are small. When bulk quantities are fished out a trader, wholesaler or a middleman may take the fish and depending on the distance, time of the day and season, transport them to the market with or without ice.

When people talk about growing fish, many say their biggest problem was getting started. In Delhi in April 2003 farmers and officials met with policy makers and said that one of their most pressing recommendations for change was to the way information is made available. They asked for a single-point, under-one-roof center, near to their place, where they could get much of what they needed.

These guidelines illustrate good practice for broodstock handling and management using practices that are suitable for small-scale operations. This document is also available in Oriya.

Self-recruiting species are defined as aquatic animals that can be harvested from farmer managed aquatic systems without regular stocking. This may include indigenous or introduced, small or larger species. Identified self-recruiting species in the Red River Delta includes exotic species (tilapia), large (snakehead, walking catfish and river catfish) and small (Anabas and Carassius auratus) indigenous fish species and non-fish species (freshwater shrimp and crabs).

Any pond can be used to grow fish, but a pond that is dug specially for fish culture usually has a regular shape, a flat bottom with a slight slope along its length. When deciding where to locate a new pond, you should consider the landscape, land use, soil texture (15% clay is best for pond construction and water holding), water supply (consider quality, quantity and seasonality), security (from theft) and convenience (maybe close to your house).

Fish culture is where people own and look after a stock of fish. This might involve regular stocking, fertilisation and feeding, protection from predators and disease and taking care of the environment.

When selecting a good place for a pond, an engineer may seek advice from local people, a biologist or an economist. It may be difficult to find an ideal site but it is necessary to look at the available sites before the work on pond building begins – so that it holds water, does not collapse or cost too much and will not waste effort and money. There are lots of things to think about before finally recommending a site.

This presentation, delivered at the Sixth Symposium on Diseases in Asian Aquaculture (Sri Lanka, 2005), reviews the strategies adopted to promote a more sustainable approach to shrimp health management. It also presents and compares the experiences gathered to date, with the aim to identify an effective way forward for the sustainable development of the sector, and provides guidance on a way forward to implement better management practices with reference to small-scale producers.

This presentation provides an overview of Vietnamese experience on the implementation of better management Practices (BMPs) and good aquaculture practices (GAP) in shrimp aquaculture. Practices were implemented collectively by encouraging small-scale farmers to form groups that collaborate on issues such as screening seed for disease and improving water quality management. Improvements to crop outcomes were observed. The results presented include the profitability of BMP adopted ponds.

Presentation on a MPEDIA/NACA intiative to implement better management practices for shrimp farming amongst small-scale farmers in India via formation of farmer groups. The practices are based on the International Principles for Responsible Shrimp Farming. Adoption of improved farming practices reduces the incidence of disease and improves crop outcomes for small-scale farmers. This presentation was made at the World Aquaculture Society Conference in Bali, Indonesia, 2005.