In mountain and hilly regions rainbow trout is the main fish species cultivated whereas carps, tilapia and pangasius are cultivated in the inner terai and terai region. Around 12,000 tonnes of pellet feed is used in aquaculture, of which about one third is imported from India. Around 60% of carps are fed with pellets or homemade feed. Around 40% of carp farmers, mainly small-scale, do not use any types of artificial feed but rely upon natural productivity of ponds.
Freshwater aquaculture in Myanmar is dominated by rohu, but other carps, tilapia and giant freshwater prawn are also cultured. At present around 25% of freshwater finish farmers in Myanmar are using commercial feeds from factory mills while the remaining 75% still use locally available rice bran only or rice bran and oil cakes. Soft shell mud crab and marine fish farming are thoroughly dependent on trash fish. A significant local feedmill industry exists, but many ingredients need to be imported.
Aquaculture production is relatively recent in the Maldives in comparison to the rest of the Asia-Pacific region, with only one hatchery facility currently operational. Small-scale grow out operations for hatchery produced groupers as well as the hatchery production of milkfish as an alternative live feed for the pole-and-line fishery is expected to kick-off in the near future. The availability of by-product from the local tuna fishery has potential to support feed manufacture.
More than 293,000 tonnes of aquaculture feed was produced locally or imported to Malaysia in 2015. By 2020, it is estimated that almost 1.1 million tonnes of aquaculture feed will need to be produced. Discussions have been held with industry to expand capacity. DOF Malaysia is supporting good feed management, forumlation and nutrition practices by providing training courses for stakeholders. Farms and feed mills are audited with regards to feed and feeding processes based on MyGAP and legislative requirements.
Around 73% of total fisheries production originated from aquaculture including fish culture in ponds, community fish culture in oxbow lakes and irrigation weirs, rice-fish culture and cage culture. Commercial feed is typically only used in pond culture. In other production systems some supplementary feeding may be conducted using local materials. Integrated fish farming with livestock is also practiced using various species of carp, barbs, catfish, gourami and snakeheads. Existing local feed factories have considerable spare capacity.