In this issue:

• 31st NACA Governing Council held online.
• SDG-aligned Artemia Aquaculture Workshop held in China / online.
• Policy brief on sustaining the future of the global seaweed industry.
• Quarterly Aquatic Animal Disease Report
• Training Course on Mariculture Technology in Asia-Pacific.

In this issue:

Habitat breeding and seed rearing of a near threatened featherback, Chitala chitala; Wild seed collection and modified-extensive farming of Mystus gulio in inland water bodies of South 24 Parganas, West Bengal; Freshwater pearl culture practices and challenges in India; Next generation probiotics: Future therapeutics for sustainable aquaculture; NACA Newsletter.

The cultivable small- to medium-sized bagrid catfish Mystus gulio is an estuarine species sold as a high-priced food fish in retail markets in cities and towns of southern West Bengal. M. gulio is a good addition to mixed species culture-based fisheries in canals in the Indian Sundarbans region. It adapts and grows well in freshwater ponds and is recommended for freshwater fish culture in areas of the Sundarbans vulnerable to saline water intrusion. This article describes the seed collection, nursery and grow-out practices of M. gulio as practiced in modified-extensive mixed culture systems in West Bengal, India.

The humped featherback, Chitala chitala is considered to be one of the most commercially important food, sport, aquarium and highly priced cultivable fish in Assam. However, over exploitation, habitat degradation and pollution has caused wild populations to decline in recent decades, to the point where the species is categorised as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List. Here we present the biological aspects of breeding and larval rearing protocols of the humped featherback, which has been prioritised as a new candidate species for freshwater aquaculture in India. The information will also aid in stock enhancement and conservation of this species.

In this issue:

Global Conference on Aquaculture Millennium +20;  Workshop on SDG-aligned Artemia aquaculture;  Professor Sena De Silva Memorial Oration, 8 October 2021; Apply now: Training Course on Mariculture Technology in Asia-Pacific; New project on “Blue transformation in aquaculture”; Webinar on Status of Artemia cyst use in fish and crustacean hatcheries.

In this issue:

Opinion: Benefits of animal welfare in Indian aquaculture; Imparting skill on formulated fish feed preparation to women’s self-help groups in villages – an experience; Farming of the anadromous shad, Tenualosa ilisha: Signs of taking off in India; Some facts on cannibalism in Wallago attu and its management during captive seed production; NACA Newsletter.

Wallago attu is a large catfish reaching 45 kg found in the Indian subcontinent, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and Indonesia. Early attempts at captive production encountered high losses due to cannibalism during early life stages. This article discusses the causative factors governing cannibalism in this catfish, including rapid transfer from live to commercial feed, size differences during stocking, seasonal changes, feeding at long intervals, high density rearing, feed distribution, feeding method and size of feed, and management strategies for minimising losses during the seed rearing period.

Join us online at the SDG-aligned Artemia Aquaculture Workshop, which will be held on 22 September, via Zoom. With the expansion of hatchery production, the demand for Artemia cysts has continued to increase and annual consumption is now estimated at 3,500 – 4,000 tonnes, underpinning the production of over 10 million tonnes of high-value aquaculture species. Approximately 90 percent of the current Artemia production is harvested from inland salt lakes. The purpose of the Artemia workshop is to explore needs and opportunities for a new international initiative to guarantee a more sustainable provision of Artemia, both from natural sources and from controlled extractive Artemia farming integrated with salt production and other fish/crustacean aquaculture. View programme | register

Videos from our recent webinar Status of the use of Artemia cysts in fish and crustacean hatcheries around the world are now available on NACA's Youtube channel. Please consider subscribing for more technical aquaculture content!

Join us on 2 September at 12 noon GMT for a free webinar on the Status of the use of Artemia cysts in fish and crustacean hatcheries around the world. The webinar is facilitated by the International Artemia Aquaculture Consortium (under formation). The webinar will document differences in practices used by fish and crustacean hatcheries in the use of Artemia cysts for the preparation of live feeds. Speakers include technical experts using Artemia in the production of shrimp, freshwater prawn, mud and mitten crabs, seabass, sabream and other marine fish from Bangladesh, Brazil, China, Ecuador, Greece, India, Spain, and Thailand. Participation is free but registration is required.

In this issue:

Integrated taxonomy, conservation and sustainable development: Multiple facets of biodiversity; A note on 100th birth anniversary of the late Dr Hiralal Chaudhuri; Aquaculture field schools supporting mangroves for climate change adaptation of Indonesian milkfish-shrimp farmers; An insight to red tilapia breeding and culture: A farmer advisory; Aquaculture for livelihoods and food security in North-western India; NACA Newsletter.

In the north-western states of India there is great scope for aquaculture to generate employment opportunities, improve the socio-economic status of farming communities, furnish additional food and nutritional security and boost the national economy. This article describes the present state of Indian aquaculture and prospects for increasing production through diversification, use of village/community ponds and inland saline aquaculture of shrimp and other species, along with major concerns and action plans.

The aquaculture of red tilapia is proving to be highly successful due to its attractive colour, faster growth rate and good market demand. Expansion of the industry will depend on adequate supply of quality seed. This article describes the status of red tilapia aquaculture and good practices in broodstock management and nursery rearing using hapa systems and all-male seed production techniques, including hapa installation, breeding, egg collection and related issues.

This report summarises the proceedings of the 19th meeting of the Advisory Group, held 26-27 November 2020 via video conference. The group's role includes reviewing disease trends and emerging threats in the region, identifying developments in global aquatic disease issues and standards, evaluating the Quarterly Aquatic Animal Disease Reporting Programme and providing guidance on regional strategies to improve aquatic animal health management.

In this issue:

Exotic trout fisheries resources and potentialities in Uttarakhand; Scenario of captive production of Clarias magur in India; Strategies to reduce feed cost by improving gut health and nutrient utilisation of fish in aquaculture; Fish pituitary gland collection and supply as a vocation in West Bengal, India; Coral trout Plectropomus leopardus aquaculture research and fingerling production in Indonesia; Smartphone app improving smallholder shrimp farming practices in Bangladesh; NACA Newsletter.

Coral trout Plectropomus leopardus is an emerging exported grouper commodity in Indonesia. The demand for coral trout fingerlings has been increasing and the value of this species is the highest among groupers. However, the rearing of coral trout larvae is notoriously more ‘difficult’ than other groupers. This article describes research on coral trout larval rearing protocols conducted by the Institute for Mariculture Research and Fisheries Extension, which has achieved a survival rate of 12%.

In retail fish markets in Kolkata city proper, suburbs and neighbouring districts, pituitary glands are collected as a profession from the heads of mature fish. The preserved glands are used to induce breeding via hypophysation in carp hatcheries throughout West Bengal, playing an important role in the availability of carp seed to support aquaculture operations. This article describes the livelihoods of pituitary gland collectors and traders in West Bengal, India.

Clarias magur, locally known as magur, is a well-preferred medium sized catfish among Indian consumers. Difficulties such as shortages of effective inducing agents and the erratic response to induced breeding, low survival in different life stages, slow growth, and lack of effective feeds have been a bottleneck for the wider adoption of this fish by farmers. There has been considerable research to simplify the technology and disseminate it among farmers over the last decade. This article summarises these attempts and describes the present level of its technology practiced in India.

In this issue:

Framework for participatory linkage of marine ornamentals germplasm conservation to livelihoods: Is community aquaculture an inclusive option? Induced breeding of farm-bred and pond-raised critically endangered peninsular carp, Hypselobarbus pulchellus; A way forward for utilisation of aquatic genetic resources in Asia-Pacific: Synthesis from deliberations during the Regional Workshop on Underutilized Fish and Marine Genetic Resources and their Amelioration 2019; Cast nets: The dominant active fishing gear in the Kashmir Valley; Moyna model of major carp farming in Purba Medinipur District, West Bengal, India; NACA Newsletter.

Hypselobarbus pulchellus is endemic to the peninsular rivers of India, mainly the Krishna, Godavari, Tungabhadra, Sita and Tunga. It once formed a major fishery of the Tungabhadra reservoir but has declined to the status of a critically endangered species. H. pulchellus is a bentho-pelagic species which inhabits the deeper part of large streams and rivers along the base of ghats. It is the only indigenous fish that consumes aquatic weeds and submerged grasses, and could play a role in controlling aquatic vegetation in reservoirs, tanks and irrigation canals. Capable of attaining 8 kg, H. pulchellus would make a welcome addition to pond culture practices of India, especially for composite fish culture. This article gives an overview of the breeding and seed production technologies developed by ICAR-CIFA for farm-bred and pond-raised H. pulchelllus.