24 September 2026 | John Antony F., Balamurgan Vadivel, Eiman M. Alrashdi, Rauda S. Alderei, Krishnakumar Menon, Vetrivel Vedhagiri, Pandithrai Jayaraman and Omer M. Yousif | 124 Downloads | .pdf | 2.29 MB
Silver biddy (Gerres oyena), known locally as badah, supports commercial fisheries across the Indo-West Pacific, but wild stocks in the Arabian Gulf are declining. Staff at the Aquaculture and Marine Studies Center on Abu Al Abyad Island, Abu Dhabi, have now spawned and reared the species in captivity. The team conditioned wild-caught brood stock on a supplemented diet, then induced spawning with hormone injections in April 2025. Over six weeks, the fish produced 2.9 million fertilised eggs, with a hatching rate of 76.9%. Larvae were raised on green water, rotifers, Artemia and artificial feed, producing 423,000 fry at a survival rate of about 19%. In the nursery, juveniles reached 1.8 g after 100 days with 80% survival.
This article describes each step, from brood stock care to nursery management, and outlines the further research needed to support hatchery production and stock enhancement of this species in the region.
22 September 2026 | Deepjyoti Baruah, A.K. Balange, L.K. Baishya, K. Saikia, Da u ruhi Pde, A. Baruah, M. Pandey, A.K. Srivastava, B. Handique, Azhaguraja, M., M.B. Chaudhary and Ch Srinivasa Rao | 116 Downloads | .pdf | 5.14 MB
The floodplains of the Brahmaputra valley in northeast India hold an abundance of waters, but lowland fish productivity there has received far less study than in western and central India. An assessment at the Gerua Centre of ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Assam, has identified ten aquaculture-based development options for the campus and the surrounding lowlands. Integrated farming combines rice with fish in trenches and dugouts, horticultural crops on the embankments and duck, pig or poultry components. Existing carp-based polyculture ponds yield 3,500 to 4,500 kg per hectare and can be improved, with the low output attributed to imbalanced stocking densities, poor-quality seed, insufficient supplementary feeding and poor water management. Other options include monoculture of climbing perch, nursery rearing of spawn to fingerlings, ornamental fish production, biofloc technology, recirculating systems and freshwater pearl culture. In the wetlands, which make up 50% of India's total and where catches have fallen, culture-based fisheries with cage and pen culture are preferred.
25 August 2026 | Md Faisal Ahmed | 275 Downloads | .pdf | 3.07 MB
Fish supply about 60% of the animal protein eaten in Bangladesh, and almost all of the fry stocked in the country's ponds now come from hatcheries rather than from the wild. That shift rests on induced breeding: hormone treatment that brings carp into spawning condition, producing the seed farmers need as it is required.
A first-hand account from a commercial hatchery in Jashore follows carp breeding through a full production cycle, from the brood ponds to bags of fry loaded onto a truck. It explains why hormones are needed, how brood fish are conditioned and selected, application of common inducing agents, and how spawning, incubation and early rearing are managed. It also looks at what limits hatchery performance in practice, where poor record-keeping, unclear broodstock lineage and everyday problems such as power cuts affect the quality of the seed farmers receive.
26 June 2026 | S.K. Sahoo and S.S. Giri | 419 Downloads | .pdf | 4.37 MB
For decades, catfish farming in India stayed marginal for one reason: seed. Consumers preferred catfish and paid more for it, yet most indigenous species depended on wild fry collected from rivers and floodplains. Supply was seasonal and unpredictable, so farmers kept returning to reliable carp.
This article traces how ICAR-Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture worked over nearly five decades to remove that constraint. Rather than treating breeding as a single step, scientists tackled the whole production system: broodstock nutrition, induced spawning, hatchery design, larval feeding and nursery management. Progress came across species from small bagrid Mystus spp., Rita chrysea, the pabda group Ompok species, the yellow catfish Horabagrus brachysoma, magur Clarias batrachus, singhi Heteropneustes fossilis, Clarias dussumieri, Pangasius pangasius and the predatory, cannibalistic Wallago attu.
The result includes low-cost FRP hatchery units, stage-specific formulated feeds and dependable seed for farmers across many states. It also describes how captive breeding eases pressure on threatened wild stocks and supports conservation alongside aquaculture.
18 May 2026 | Vallainc, D., Estevez, A., Júdez, S.R, Concu, D., Carboni, S., Duncan, N., and Lovatelli, A. | 867 Downloads | .pdf | 13.09 MB
This technical manual provides practical guidance on the hatchery production of the flathead grey mullet, Mugil cephalus, a high-value, low-trophic marine species with strong potential for sustainable aquaculture development. It compiles current knowledge and tested methodologies covering the entire production cycle, from broodstock management and captive reproduction to larval rearing, fry production and grow-out.
The manual presents the biological and developmental characteristics of the species, together with practical recommendations for hatchery site selection, design and operational management. It also describes live feed production, including microalgae, rotifers and Artemia, as well as health management and disease prevention in hatchery systems.
Based on experimental research validated at laboratory and pilot scales, the techniques described are suitable for application in commercial hatcheries and adaptable to both small- and large-scale operations. By supporting reliable seed production and improved culture practices, this publication contributes to the sustainable expansion of aquaculture in line with the FAO Blue Transformation Roadmap and the principles of the Guidelines for Sustainable Aquaculture.
This disease card provides an overview of Translucent Post-larvae Disease (TPD), a highly infectious and lethal disease known (thus far) to infect Penaeus vannamei, P. chinensis and P. japonicus mainly in post-larvae of four to seven days age (PL2~PL7). TPD can cause morbidity of up to 60% in 24 hours after clinical signs and up to 90-100% mortality in severe cases on the second to third day.
This card details the causative agent (a Vibrio spp. carrying the Vibrio high virulent protein VHP-1 and VHVP-2), host range, geographical distribution, epidemiology, prevention and control measures, histopathology, molecular diagnostics, expert contact and references.
21 January 2026 | S.K. Sahoo, A.K. Sahu, A. Das, B.C. Mohapatra, P.P. Chakraborty, N.K. Barik, A.K. Chaudhari, S.N. Sahoo, S.S. Giri, and P.K. Sahoo | 755 Downloads | .pdf | 1.67 MB
Access to quality seed has long constrained aquaculture of magur, a high-value indigenous catfish prized across north-eastern India. Wild stocks have declined, yet demand continues to rise. In Nalbari district of Assam, scientists and farmers have created a solution. ICAR-Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture worked with local farmers to establish more than 25 magur hatcheries using innovative fibreglass-reinforced plastic designs suited to flood-prone conditions. Farmers received training in captive breeding, hormone-induced spawning, and larval rearing using specialised feeds. Individual farmers now produce 300,000-500,000 fry per season, earning substantial income while supplying seed across multiple districts. The model shows how targeted capacity building, appropriate technology, and farmer-centred interventions can transform indigenous fish seed production from a critical bottleneck into a thriving regional enterprise. Approximately 70 farmers now actively supply magur seed where scarcity once limited aquaculture expansion.
21 January 2026 | R.N. Mandal, Kabyashree Bala, B.N. Paul, A Das, S. Adhikari, H. Houque, A. Hussan, S. Sarkar, and P.K. Sahoo | 647 Downloads | .pdf | 8.54 MB
Rearing stinging catfish larvae has long challenged Asian fish farmers, as young catfish naturally prefer live prey over manufactured feeds. A West Bengal farmer has developed a method that produces one million catfish fry monthly using Moina zooplankton, as the sole food source. After training at ICAR-CIFA research station, Mr Imran Molla established 25 large tanks to mass-produce Moina using simple ingredients like waste bread and mustard oil cake. He segregates catfish larvae by age into separate compartments and feeds each group appropriately sized Moina. The larvae thrive on this natural diet, reaching sale size in 30 days with high survival rates. This method requires less water management than manufactured feeds, reduces disease risk, and generates substantial income. The farmer's success demonstrates how combining scientific training with local innovation can solve critical bottlenecks in small-scale aquaculture.
3 December 2025 | Karthik Kumar Goud Palsam, Ankush L. Kamble and Sai Krishna Veeranki | 897 Downloads | .pdf | 2.9 MB
Asian seabass has emerged as a promising alternative to shrimp farming in coastal Andhra Pradesh. This article documents the complete production cycle practiced by farmers in Krishna, Eluru and West Godavari districts, from wild egg collection to market-ready fish.
The production process spans 14-16 months across multiple phases: two nursery stages transform eggs into fingerlings, a pre-grow-out phase develops juveniles to 100-200 g, and a final grow-out period produces fish weighing 3-4 kg. Farmers rely heavily on live feed, primarily small shrimp and tilapia, with feed conversion ratios around 6:1.
While the species offers advantages such as fast growth and salinity tolerance, farmers face challenges including fluctuating export prices, rising feed costs and disease outbreaks. The lack of species-specific therapeutics further complicates disease management. Most harvested seabass currently reaches export markets through Kolkata and Chennai, though opportunities exist for domestic value-added products.
The giant featherback (Notopterus chitala) - valued as food, sport fish, and natural pest controller in carp ponds - remains under-utilised in Asian aquaculture despite strong market demand. Limited knowledge of seed production has constrained commercial development, whilst wild populations face pressures from overfishing and habitat loss.
Researchers at ICAR-Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture have compiled practical knowledge on captive breeding and larval rearing of this air-breathing species. Their findings address key challenges: establishing brood stock, triggering natural spawning using hard substrata, managing sensitive larvae through the critical first weeks, and preventing disease transmission from live feeds.
The techniques described offer farmers a pathway to reliable seed production, potentially easing supply constraints whilst reducing pressure on wild stocks. The work demonstrates how systematic documentation of breeding protocols can unlock aquaculture potential for neglected native species with conservation value.
In Purba Medinipur, India's leading fisheries district, two farmers are exploring new directions in aquaculture. Sri Buddhadeb Maity has established commercial farming of the prized murrel (Channa striatus), achieving growth rates of 250-300g within two months. His neighbour, Sri Uttam Manna, has taken an unconventional approach: cultivating freshwater aquarium fish in brackishwater ponds near the Bay of Bengal.
Manna's method challenges established practice. He has observed fewer disease problems than those typically encountered in freshwater aquarium fish operations, potentially due to the salt content in his ponds helping to control pathogens. Both farmers have developed profitable enterprises whilst sharing their methods with neighbouring producers, encouraging diversification across the region.
7 October 2025 | Subrato Ghosh and Himadri Chandra | 1074 Downloads | .pdf | 5.68 MB
Farmers in West Bengal produce giant freshwater prawn seed in coastal ponds. The article sets out their practices in pond preparation and management, stimulating natural food with simple biological aids, and use of in-pond shelters to support survival. Broodstock come from two sources: local rivers or freshwater grow-out -offering different balances of reliability and handling effort. Seed then moves through harvest, grading, packing and delivery to buyers. With a livelihoods-and-sustainability focus, the model benefits smallholders, lessens river collection pressure and underpins a steadier giant freshwater prawn seed pipeline in eastern India.
This video by Montakan Tamtin, Department of Fisheries, features two presentations from Thailand’s delegation to the 3rd High-Level Meeting on Aquaculture Transformation in Asia and the Pacific Region. The first showcases innovation and nature-based solutions in aquaculture via the IDRC-funded AQUADAPT Project; the second presents Thailand’s pilot initiative for low-carbon shrimp farming under an FAO Technical Cooperation Programme.
13 June 2025 | S.K. Sahoo, S.N. Sahoo, B. Mishra and S.S. Giri | 1342 Downloads | .pdf | 3.41 MB
The Gangetic mystus (Mystus cavasius) is a small indigenous freshwater catfish valued for its taste and nutritional qualities, with high market demand across South Asia. This article offers a practical guide for farmers on the captive breeding and production of M. cavasius, encompassing key stages from broodstock management to grow-out culture. Captive production methods are critical for ensuring seed availability and enhancing the commercial viability of this species. The article outlines protocols for brood selection, hormone-induced breeding, egg fertilisation, larval rearing, and fingerling development, with emphasis on water quality, feed regimes, and optimal stocking densities.
Special attention is given to improving larval survival through early indoor rearing, proper husbandry, and the use of live and formulated feeds. The slow-growing nature of M. cavasius necessitates low-density stocking and extended grow-out periods, typically yielding less than 1 tonne/ha/year. Despite the modest productivity, the species commands strong regional demand at 30–40 g market size. The guide also addresses common health issues and preventive practices, stressing the importance of water quality and early disease intervention.
This report summarises the proceedings of the 23rd meeting of the Regional Advisory Group on Aquatic Animal Health, held 14-15 November 2024 by video conference. The role of the group is to review trends in disease and emerging threats in the region, identify developments in global disease issues and standards, to evaluate the Quarterly Aquatic Animal Disease Reporting Program and to provide guidance on regional strategies to improve aquatic animal health management.
