This manual covers everything from grass carp's natural distribution and reproductive behaviours to its biology and anatomy. This manual also explores diseases that can affect grass carp and emphasises the crucial connection between animal welfare and stress in fish. With a detailed discussion on cultivation systems, this manual includes pond structures and fish farming techniques in both polyculture and monoculture. It provides practical insights into important aspects such as water quality monitoring, feeding, nutrition, health checks and behaviour assessments at every stage of grass carp farming – from broodstock management to pre-slaughter and slaughter processes. The emphasis is on responsible harvesting techniques, transportation considerations and humane slaughter methods. This manual offers a comprehensive guide for both novice and experienced fish farmers, and enthusiasts interested in cultivating grass carp sustainably and ensuring optimal animal welfare.

The 2024 edition of The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture provides updated global production statistics for fisheries and aquaculture, and an outlook on future trends up to 2032 based on projections. It also highlights key policy issues, scientific and technical insights, challenges, opportunities and innovations shaping the present and future of the sector. This issue features Blue Transformation in action, illustrated by activities and initiatives, led by FAO in collaboration with Members, partners and key stakeholders, to integrate aquatic foods into global food security and sustainability, enhance policy advocacy, scientific research and capacity building, disseminate sustainable practices and technological innovations, and support community involvement. 

The purpose of this manual is to give the reader a foundation of practical knowledge regarding all aspects of Pacific oyster cultivation. It is targeted at new entrants to the market wishing to establish a farm, and existing operators who wish to develop their farms and explore new cultivation techniques. The methodologies described can be applied to both low-tech, low budget, small-scale farming operations and to high-tech, big budget, industrial-scale aquaculture production enterprises. This guide focuses on the functional expertise and technical equipment required to construct and manage an operational farm in the diverse environmental and physical locations in which they can be situated, from the initial stages of finding and selecting a suitable site, to the conclusion of the first production cycle and harvesting the crop.

This FAO publication on brine shrimp is a manual for all those who are using Artemia or have an interest in this organism, whether as a source of live food in the hatchery, as a model organism in research, or for other purpose. It is intended for those who wish to update their knowledge on its biology, production or its use, but also for those who want to learn about Artemia for the first time. This manual presents in a concise form essential information on Artemia biology and the most important natural cyst resources that find their way to the aquaculture market. It also provides detailed information on general principles and practical procedures to produce Artemia in ponds and in tank systems. Finally, the manual offers a compilation of state-of-the-art guidelines and methodologies related to the use of this crucial live food organism in aquaculture.

Collectively carps represent the largest global aquaculture sector, contributing over 20 percent of global aquaculture production. The Indian major carps including catla (Catla catla), rohu (Labeo rohita) and mrigal (Cirhinnus mrigala) are cultured widely across the Indian sub-continent with the main culture system being a multi-species polyculture in ponds, often including other carp species. This production sector is supported by major seed supply systems producing over 50 billion seed per annum. This case study analyses genetic management of Indian major carps since they were first domesticated with the development of hypophysation techniques in the 1950s. A review of literature and a survey of common hatchery practices identifies significant problems prevalent in the sector brought about by a lack of application of best practices in genetic management resulting in loss of genetic diversity, inbreeding and uncontrolled hybrid introgression.

Apple snails have become a major pest of wetland rice in much of Southeast Asia. Two species are involved, Pomacea canaliculata and P. maculata. One or both of these species have become widely established not only in many parts of Southeast Asia but also in other parts of the world. This book provides an update on research into the biology, management and use of apple snails and highlights the need to prevent further spread of these species.

The success stories of many small-scale farmers in both Asian and African countries have brought insights on the effectiveness and self-sustaining mechanism of the farmer-to-farmer approach of aquaculture extension. This document will only serve as a guide on how to implement farmer-to-farmer approaches on small-scale freshwater aquaculture extension. Translations of the guidebook are available in Arabic, Bahasa Indonesia, Burmese, English, French, Khmer, Lao, Malay, Nepali and Thai.

The objective of this manual was to provide basic guidelines for the hatchery production of Pa Phia (Labeo chrysophekadion) fingerlings. It includes information on managing and spawning broodstock, genetic guidelines, egg incubation, hatching larviculture and fry rearing. Although the guidelines were specifically developed for production of Pa Phia at government hatcheries in the Lao PDR, they may be applied to other, related, species and could be adopted and commercialised by the private sector hatcheries

A Regional Proficiency Testing Program for Aquatic Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratories in Asia-Pacific was developed to strengthen diagnostic capability across Asia. This capability was identified as a requirement to facilitate the sanitary safety of trade in aquatic animal products. The program provided 41 laboratories across the Asia-Pacific with the opportunity to assess their diagnostic performance for 10 regionally significant aquatic animal pathogens, and to adapt or modify practices where necessary to improve.

This book is the proceedings of the “Regional Consultation on Culture-Based Fisheries Development in Asia”, held in Siem Reap, Cambodia, 21-23rd of October 2014, under the auspices of the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), the Mekong River Commission (MRC) and the Network of Aquaculture Centres in Asia-Pacific (NACA). The consultation was jointly organised by NACA and the Fisheries Administration of the Royal Government of Cambodia.