In this issue:

Fertilisation, soil and water quality management. Commercialisation of giant freshwater prawn culture in India. Aquaculture in reservoir-fed canal systems. Production of black-lip pearl oyster Pinctada margaritifera. Hybridisation hassles. Breeding sea cucumber Holothuria scabra in Vietnam. Use of palm kernel meal in feeds. Getting the most out of your feed. Marine finfish aquaculture in Myanmar. Penaeus monodon culture in low-salinity areas. Fisheries and aquaculture in Nepal.

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.

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 frequently organises technical workshops and consultations on aspects of aquaculture. The proceedings of such meetings are made available for free download. Audio and video recordings of technical presentations are also available for some meetings (please see the podcast section).

NACA publishes a wide range of aquaculture publications including technical manuals, workshop proceedings, better practice guidelines and several serials including Aquaculture Asia Magazine, the NACA Newsletter and the Quarterly Aquatic Animal Disease Report. To keep up to date with developments you could consider subscribing to our RSS feed. 

The Asia Regional Advisory Group on Aquatic Animal Health meets annually to discuss regional disease issues including emerging disease threats. The group was established by the Governing Council of NACA to provide advice to member governments in the Asia-Pacific region. This collection comprises the reports of the annual meetings of the group. The reports are a rich source of information concerning the current disease status of the region and new or emerging diseases of aquatic animals.

The farming of the giant freshwater prawn has expanded rapidly in Thailand. Production has increased from less than 3 tons/year in 1976 to an estimated output of more than 1,200 tons in 1982. This rapid growth was largely stimulated by the Chachoengsao Fisheries Station established solely to promote culture of the prawn. Services of the station comprise the production and free distribution of post-larvae from 1976-1978, along with training and extension programmes.

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.