In this issue:
- Transforming Aquaculture in Asia and the Pacific: 3rd High-Level Meeting in Shanghai.
- Watch the HLM-3 presentations on YouTube!
- Thailand to chart aquaculture transformation plan at Bangkok workshop.
- Third Asia-Pacific Laboratory Proficiency Testing Program for Aquatic Animal Diseases launched.
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.