In this issue:

• From office to field: The role of women in Saudi Arabia’s small-scale aquaculture and fisheries sector
• Farming of orange mud crab in the Indian Sundarbans: Opportunities and challenges
• Seed production of giant freshwater prawn in brackishwater ponds in Purba Medinipur, West Bengal
• AI and IoT (AIoT): The New Wave in Fish Farming
• NACA Newsletter

Saudi Arabia’s coastal communities are opening new pathways for women in aquaculture and fisheries. Under the REEF programme led by MEWA, recent pilots have shifted participation from office-based roles toward hands-on production and processing. Seaweed farming trials of Gracilaria multipartita in Jeddah and the Farasan Islands show why: accessible tasks, modest equipment needs, and suitability for community-run operations. In parallel, a women-led seafood processing initiative in the Farasan Islands has provided training, essential tools, and branding skills, improving hygiene and product quality and motivating participants to form cooperatives; a tuna-canning exercise highlighted the potential for higher value capture.

Orange mud crab (Scylla olivacea) has emerged as the main mud crab for aquaculture in the Sundarbans, supplying India’s live-crab export trade. This article explains why: faster maturation at smaller sizes, strong demand for gravid females, and practical fattening systems using HDPE boxes or seasonal pond units with tied claws. It summarises how farmers source crabs, feed with trash fish, grade by size and reproductive status, and move product through local traders to export hubs.

Farmers in West Bengal produce giant freshwater prawn seed in coastal ponds. The article sets out their practices in pond preparation and management, stimulating natural food with simple biological aids, and use of in-pond shelters to support survival. Broodstock come from two sources: local rivers or freshwater grow-out -offering different balances of reliability and handling effort. Seed then moves through harvest, grading, packing and delivery to buyers. With a livelihoods-and-sustainability focus, the model benefits smallholders, lessens river collection pressure and underpins a steadier giant freshwater prawn seed pipeline in eastern India.

Aquaculture is changing as farms add artificial intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT). Sensors and cameras watch water quality and animal behaviour, while software analyses the data to guide feeding, detect disease early, and plan harvests. This “AIoT” approach helps farmers act faster and with more accuracy.

This article reviews the main uses now in play such as automatic counting of postlarvae, biomass estimation, smart feeding, water-quality monitoring, behaviour tracking, and health diagnostics. The benefits include higher productivity, lower costs, and better fish welfare. Barriers to adoption are also summarised such as equipment cost, connectivity, and training needs.