This article describes the international Consortium Programme on Shrimp Farming and the Environment, which was formed based on the recommendations of the World Bank review on shrimp aquaculture and the environment (1998), a 1999 NACA/WWF meeting in Bangkok, Thailand on shrimp management practices, and an FAO Bangkok technical consultation on policies for sustainable shrimp aquaculture (12/1997). The article was prepared for publication in InterCoast Issue #39, Cross Portfolio Learning for Enhancing Integrated Coastal Management.

This collection of publications originates from the International Consortium Program on Shrimp Farming and the Environment, which was implemented by the World Bank, the Network of Aquaculture Centres in Asia-Pacific (NACA), the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). The consortium supported 35 complementary case studies prepared by more than 100 researchers in more than 20 shrimp farming countries.

The sixteen papers in this volume were largely based on the data from a survey of more than 5,000 shrimp and close to 6,000 carp farms in sixteen countries and territories in the Asia-Pacific region. They provide an economic and technical efficiency of production analysis for Asian shrimp and carp farming systems. This survey was conducted under the ADB/NACA regional study and workshop on aquaculture sustainability and the environment (RETA 5534).

In this issue:

Freshwater prawn Macrobrachium nobilii for rural nutrition. Snapshots of a socially responsible farm in Sri Lanka. Introduction of rainbow trout in Nepal. Tilapia seed production in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Seaweed mariculture - scope and potential in India. Growth enhancement of carp and prawn through dietary suppliementation with salt. Fertilisation and water quality management in small ponds. The "Gher Revolution". Exercising responsibilities to tackle aquatic animal disease. Immunostimulants in aquaculture.

In this issue:

Ornamental fish farming in India. Tilapia for Indian aquaculture? Peri-urban food production in southeast Asia. Socio-economic consequences of shrimp farming in Andhra Pradesh. Breeding techniques for golden arowana Scleropages formosus. Captive breeding of peacock eel Macrognathus aculeatus. Substrate-based aquaculture systems. Extension in shrimp health management - experiences from India. Treatment of disease in freshwater shrimps and crabs in China. Larval rearing techniques for humpback grouper Cromileptes altivelis.

In this issue:

Peri-urban aquaculture in Kolkata. Diffusion and adoption of shrimp farming technologies. Aquaculture education in India. Information system on fish germplasm resources in China. Freshwater crustacean aquaculture in China. The role of macronutrients. Innovations by Bengal farmers. Scientific guidelines for freshwater prawn farmers in India. Status of mariculture in Indonesia. Use of probiotics in larval rearing. Problems in shrimp culture during the wet season.

In this issue:

Prawn farm energy audits. Freshwater fish farming and poverty alleviation in Bangladesh. Artificial propagation for conservation of endangered species. Sewerage-fed aquaculture systems of Kolkata. Rice-fish farming in India. The use of lime, gypsum, alum and potassium permanganate in water quality management. Fish gene technology research in China. Low-salinity shrimp farms. Seed production of Clarius batrachus. Supplying good-quality seed for sustainable aquaculture and more.

In this issue:

Chemical residues. Live reef fish trade in Hong Kong. Barramundi farming in Australia. Freshwater pearl and prawn production in China. Status of common carp varieties under culture in China. Induced spawning of Pangasius sutchi. Cambodian farmers innovate cost-effective variations on Chinese hatcheries. Genes and fish. Improving rural livelihoods in Cambodia, Vietnam, Nepal and the Philippines through the STREAM Initiative. Marine finfish news, book reviews and more.

This volume, the third major publication arising from the Conference on Aquaculture in the Third Millennium, contains the information essential to conduct well-informed discussion of sustainable aquaculture development - both at the Conference, as well as after. The information provide basic reference points on the progress, direction and magnitude of aquaculture changes, and the factors associated with these changes, within global, regional, sectoral, thematic and technical perspectives.

The Network of Aquaculture Centres in Asia-Pacific is an intergovernmental organisation that promotes rural development through sustainable aquaculture and aquatic resources management. NACA seeks to improve the livelihoods of rural people, reduce poverty and increase food security. The ultimate beneficiaries of NACA are farmers and rural communities. NACA implements development assistance projects in partnership with research centres, governments, development agencies, farmer associations and other organisations.

Culture-based fisheries (CBF) are practices to enhance fish stocks in waters that don't have enough natural recruitment to sustain a fishery. CBF practices are usually applied in small water bodies such as village dams and irrigation reservoirs. Fish growth is driven by the natural productivity of the waters. Usually there is no feeding and the fish are left to forage on natural food supplies. Ownership and management of the stock distinguish CBF as form of extensive aquaculture.

Aquaculture Asia Magazine is an autonomous publication that gives farmers and scientists in developing countries a voice. Stories concern the small-scale aquaculture prevalent in the region and the circumstances of farmers trying to make ends meet in an increasingly globalised world. We accept articles on any aspect of aquaculture and the related processing, marketing, economic, environmental and social issues. An RSS feed is available if you wish to stay informed of new issues.

NACA publishes technical papers and manuals for a wide variety of farming systems and related environmental and social issues. Many of these provide guidance on better management practices with a view to improving crop outcomes and on-farm resource utilisation efficiency. By using inputs such as feed and power more efficiently, farmers can simultaneously improve their profitability and environmental performance.

The Quarterly Aquatic Animal Disease report provides information about the status of aquatic animal disease in 21 participating states in the Asia-Pacific region. The diseases covered in the report are reviewed annually by the Asia Regional Advisory Group on Aquatic Animal Health. The report was first published in the second quarter of 1998. It is a joint activity between NACA, FAO and the OIE Regional Representation (Tokyo). 

Ths paper enumerates different carp integrated farming systems being prevalent in Asia along with successful case studies indicating potential and constraints of such systems. It recommends to integrate carp farming with agriculture and irrigation, livestock farming, sewage utilisation and water pollution control not only to increase the productivity of land and water and improve the economic conditions of poor farmers but also to maintain health and hygiene of the rural poor and city dwellers alike.

This document briefly describes the status of the aquaculture in the Regional Aquaculture Lead Centre for Thailand circa 1981, in terms of available species and research priorities. Work was conducted on air-breathing catfish Clarias batrachus, snakehead Channa striatus, giant freshwater prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii, silver barb Puntius gonionotus, snakeskin gourami Trichogaster pectoralis, mussels Perna viridis and oysters Crassostrea spp. Includes brief descriptions of culture methods prevalent for these species at the time.