This manual has been prepared to assist extension officers to advise farmers on techniques for improving yields and farm income in mixed shrimp farming-mangrove forestry farming systems in the Mekong Delta. It focuses mainly on simple, common sense techniques that will allow farmers to make step-by-step improvements to production without taking unnecessary risks. The manual is based on a 6-year collaborative research and development project between the Governments of Vietnam and Australia.

This manual has been prepared to assist farmers with techniques for improving yields and farm income in mixed shrimp farming-mangrove forestry farming systems in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam. It focuses mainly on simple, common sense techniques that will allow farmers to make step-by-step improvements to production without taking unnecessary risks. The techniques and recommendations covered in this manual are based on the experience of a 6-year collaborative research and development project between Vietnam and Australia.

This guide outlines a process for building capacity in participatory livelihoods approaches and carrying out livelihoods analysis. The process is about a way of working that enables development practitioners to better understand how people live and to learn how others understand their own livelihoods. This particular process emerged from experiences of working with government agencies and non-governmental organisations who themselves work with agricultural communities whose members have limited resources, in other words, poor rural fishers and farmers.

A study tour of seafood markets in southern China (Guangdong Province and Hong Kong SAR) was conducted in 2005. The programme provided participants with exposure to some of China's larges live marine seafood markets, provided insight on marine farming systems and management including major species and technologies, and provided participants with the opportunity to develop valuable business and scientific contacts with farmers, buyers, traders, industry groups and scientists.

Most marine fish farms in Asia still rely on what is commonly termed "trash fish". Despite it's apparent abundance and availability, there are some issues and problems related to its use in fish farming. This guide explores new and better farming practices making use of formulated feeds, as well as technical aspects of feed storage and quality control, management of feeding including weaning of groupers onto formulated feeds and economic considerations.

Recent improvements in hatchery production technology for high-value marine finfish species such as groupers have led to an increased interest in setting up hatcheries to produce fingerlings for aquaculture. Small-scale hatcheries make this technology available to poor people in developing countries. This guide provides an outline of the requirements to establish a small-scale marine finfish hatchery, particularly the economic aspects.

People who manage fisheries in the lower Mekong are beginning to think of themselves as a community within a common river basin. This is a different way of thinking; managing fisheries is no longer seen as an isolated activity but as a part of the life of people who live along the river. Previously, fisheries managers might have thought of their job as safeguarding or increasing fish production, but now they must share in the effort to alleviate poverty.

The rapid expansion of marine shrimp aquaculture in many tropical developing countries has proceeded without effective environmental regulation. Most countries with shrimp farming do not have an established regulatory apparatus to monitor and enforce environmental and socioeconomic standards. Therefore, voluntary codes of conduct are a possibility for improving overall management and possibly profitability of the marine shrimp aquaculture industry until effective governmental regulation is implemented. This paper reviews the status of existing codes of conduct for shrimp farming.

A series of research studies were conducted to refine existing traditional culture practices for the tiger shrimp, Penaeus monodon. Natural food produced in a shrimp pond through fertilisation is not fully consumed in the first two months at a stocking rate of 5,000 postlarvae per hectare. Natural food produced by organic and inorganic fertilisation using the traditional practice can sustain an optimal growth of shrimp at a density of 20,000 postlarvae per hectare for a period of 60 days.

A successful hatchery usually depends on a number of conditions; among the more important ones are right choice of site, effectiveness and efficiency of operational management. The present technology series attempts to describe the prototype warm water shrimp hatchery established and operated by SEAFDEC Aquaculture Department in collaboration with FAO since 1982. The techniques used in the operation of the hatchery have been refined, repeatedly tested and are now packaged for further testing in different environmental conditions elsewhere in the Philippines and other tropical countries.