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Download 24 Sep 2026

Successful spawning and rearing of silver biddy, Gerres oyena in Abu Al Abyad Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Silver biddy, Gerres oyena.

Silver biddy (Gerres oyena), known locally as badah, supports commercial fisheries across the Indo-West Pacific, but wild stocks in the Arabian Gulf are declining. Staff at the Aquaculture and Marine Studies Center on Abu Al Abyad Island, Abu Dhabi, have now spawned and reared the species in captivity. The team conditioned wild-caught brood stock on a supplemented diet, then induced spawning with hormone injections in April 2025. Over six weeks, the fish produced 2.9 million fertilised eggs, with a hatching rate of 76.9%. Larvae were raised on green water, rotifers, Artemia and artificial feed, producing 423,000 fry at a survival rate of about 19%. In the nursery, juveniles reached 1.8 g after 100 days with 80% survival.

This article describes each step, from brood stock care to nursery management, and outlines the further research needed to support hatchery production and stock enhancement of this species in the region.

Download 23 Sep 2026

Aquaculture potential of Ophichthys cuchia in Northeast India: Current understanding and prospects

Aquaculture potential of Ophichthys cuchia in Northeast India: Current understanding and prospects

The Gangetic swamp eel, Ophichtys cuchia, is one of the highest-value indigenous freshwater fish in Northeast India, yet almost all of it still comes from the wild. A 2025 market survey in Manipur recorded it selling at Rs. 800/kg against Rs. 150 to 200/kg for common carp. Wild stocks are falling as wetlands are drained, paddy fields are sprayed with pesticides and capture continues unregulated. This review brings together what is known about the biology, nutrition and culture potential of the species, with particular reference to the eight northeastern states. It covers the eel's air-breathing adaptations and tolerance of low oxygen, its protandrous sex change and the breeding problems this creates, nutritional composition, and pond and rice-field trials from Bangladesh reporting yields up to 2,506 kg/ha. Seed supply remains the main obstacle, as no hatchery network produces fingerlings in India.

Download 22 Sep 2026

Aquaculture opportunities in lowlands of Brahmaputra valley, Assam

Harvesting carps from polyculture.

The floodplains of the Brahmaputra valley in northeast India hold an abundance of waters, but lowland fish productivity there has received far less study than in western and central India. An assessment at the Gerua Centre of ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Assam, has identified ten aquaculture-based development options for the campus and the surrounding lowlands. Integrated farming combines rice with fish in trenches and dugouts, horticultural crops on the embankments and duck, pig or poultry components. Existing carp-based polyculture ponds yield 3,500 to 4,500 kg per hectare and can be improved, with the low output attributed to imbalanced stocking densities, poor-quality seed, insufficient supplementary feeding and poor water management. Other options include monoculture of climbing perch, nursery rearing of spawn to fingerlings, ornamental fish production, biofloc technology, recirculating systems and freshwater pearl culture. In the wetlands, which make up 50% of India's total and where catches have fallen, culture-based fisheries with cage and pen culture are preferred.

Article 21 Sep 2026

Fact sheets on good Artemia hatchery practices

Fact sheets on good Artemia hatchery practices

Practical guidance for hatcheries built on the FAO manual on Artemia production and use. These fact sheets demonstrate good practice in the use and handling of Artemia. They provide standard operating practices (SOPs) and quick-reference visuals for daily hatchery operations.

The fact sheets translate the detailed information contained in the FAO manual into a practical tool that supports the safe and effective production of high-quality Artemia for aquaculture hatcheries. By following these simple practices, hatchery operators can improve production while reducing cost and biosecurity risk.

Article 18 Sep 2026

A new plan to transform Philippine aquaculture

A new plan to transform Philippine aquaculture

The Philippines is preparing a five-year National Innovation and Investment Plan to modernise its aquaculture sector. In September 2026, BFAR, NACA and FAO met with researchers and industry representatives in Quezon City to review the draft.

The plan covers the country's five priority commodities: seaweed, milkfish, tilapia, shrimp and shellfish. It aims to accelerate and build on extend existing government targets for industry development.

Proposals include better-quality certified seed, stronger disease diagnosis and biosecurity support, and a clear path for farms to move up the levels of good aquaculture practices certification to reach better-paying markets. The plan also looks at solar power and smart equipment to cut farm energy costs.

Other proposals include digital tools for certification and traceability, and closer links between farmers and buyers. It also targets higher exports of seaweed, milkfish and shrimp. The final plan is due to commence implementation in early 2027 and will help attract investment into the sector.