This synthesis report consolidates over half a year’s worth of technical research, market analysis, and country level value chain assessments to present a comprehensive investment overview of the brine shrimp - Artemia - aquabusiness. Developed as part of the World Bank’s PROBLUE initiative on sustainable aquaculture and blue economy development, the report draws together the findings of six assessments, covering Artemia production systems, governance frameworks, markets and trade, emerging use cases, inventories of innovators, and in-depth country value chain studies.
The purpose of this synthesis report is to:
Sri Lanka is home to more than 12,000 reservoirs, one of the highest densities of freshwater bodies globally. Originally constructed for irrigation, domestic water supply and later hydropower generation, these reservoirs have increasingly been used to support culture-based fisheries.
Culture-based fisheries have significantly enhanced inland fish production and emerged as a vital source of low-cost animal protein and household income for rural communities. By 2017, production from culture-based fisheries reached approximately 83,000 tonnes annually, contributing meaningfully to national food security and rural livelihoods. However, the absence of a solid foundation of science-based knowledge and evidence-based practice has limited its capacity for sustainable expansion and innovation.
This publication presents information from an end-of-project workshop held in Colombo, Sri Lanka, in February 2025. The papers were drawn from an ACIAR-supported research project, Improved productivity, efficiency and sustainability of the culture-based fishery for finfish and giant freshwater prawn in Sri Lankan reservoirs.
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In Assam and across north-eastern India, the NGO Kalong-Kapili is helping rural families turn unused ponds, wetlands and beels into a source of food and income. Working with ICAR-CIFA, the organisation began in 2007 at Bagibari village and now runs a Field Laboratory and an Aquaculture Field School that train farmers in scientific fish farming, disease management, climate-resilient practices and integrated farming. This article describes how the model has spread to tribal clusters in Borbeel, Lohit and Lower Siang, benefiting hundreds of families through fish farming combined with horticulture, piggery and kitchen gardens.
It also covers Kalong-Kapili's work to empower women through self-help groups, its production of fish seed, and CIFA's outreach scheme reaching forest-dependent communities in West Karbi Anglong. Together these efforts show how aquaculture extension can reduce poverty and malnutrition while building lasting skills in remote regions.
]]>Along the coast of Purba Medinipur in West Bengal, sun-dried marine fish - known locally as 'Shutki machh' - has grown from a traditional way of saving surplus catch into a thriving regional business. At the Matsya Khoti of Junput-Biramput village, where commercial drying began some 70-75 years ago, around 550-600 producers now sort, salt, and dry fish on raised bamboo platforms before sending it to markets across north-east India, Nepal, Bhutan, and Bangladesh.
This article takes a close look at how the dried fish trade works: the species and methods, the road transport network, the food culture and recipes carried into West Bengal by refugees, the women whose labour underpins much of the work, and asks what is needed to keep this tradition healthy and sustainable.
]]>FAO's State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2026 provides data and insights on the current challenges and opportunities shaping the global seafood sector. This edition focuses on the FAO’s "Blue Transformation" strategy, outlining how field projects and policy initiatives contribute to global food security, poverty alleviation, and economic growth.
The report has three main sections:
The publication serves as a factual resource for policymakers, researchers, industry actors, and consumers tracking the development of sustainable aquatic food systems. You can explore the data that SOFIA 2026 is based on in our Aquaculture Statistics Dashboard.
]]>NACA recently participated in the FAO Expert Workshop, "Turning guidance into action: regional insights for implementing the Guidelines for Sustainable Aquaculture," held from 24-25 February 2026 in Rome, Italy. The Guidelines for Sustainable Aquaculture (GSA) provide a shared set of principles and recommendations to promote a sustainable, equitable aquaculture sector worldwide. While the guidelines offer a clear vision for the sector's economic, social, and environmental future, the current focus is on practical implementation.
Building on recent regional workshops, experts gathered to develop a decision-support tool to help countries adapt these guidelines into actionable national policies. Implementing the GSA requires robust institutional support, targeted capacity building, and innovative financing. NACA encourages stakeholders to integrate these guidelines into their governance frameworks, providing a roadmap to maximize aquaculture's contribution to food security and environmental conservation.
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Small-scale farmers in the Indian Sundarbans are transforming their livelihoods through brackishwater ornamental fish farming. The region's estuaries and mangrove forests provide natural habitat for commercially valuable species like spotted scat, green puffer, pearlspot, and orange chromide. With training from ICAR-Central Institute of Brackishwater Aquaculture's Kakdwip Research Centre, local entrepreneurs have developed successful hatchery and grow-out operations.
Three farmers from Kakdwip Block demonstrate the sector's potential. Mr Tapan Maity produces 1,000-3,000 fingerlings monthly from his integrated facility. Mr Mahendra Dului operates a 32-tank hatchery using cost-effective farm-made feeds. Mr Aurobindo Haldar cleared his debts within three years of starting pearlspot production. These farmers combine scientific broodstock management with local knowledge to rear juveniles for urban pet markets in Kolkata and Howrah. The expanding domestic and export demand for brackishwater ornamental species offers sustainable income opportunities for coastal communities facing challenges from climate vulnerability and limited livelihood options.
]]>India's inland waters produce 70% of the nation's fish, yet up to 20% spoils before reaching consumers due to poor post-harvest handling. In Tripura, where people consume fish at four times the national average, a surprising entrepreneurial story is emerging from this challenge.
At Agartala's Durga Chowmuhani market, 22 young people have turned fish dressing into profitable businesses. Working four-hour morning shifts, these mostly unemployed youth earn Rs. 530-680 daily, incomes exceeding the state average, by cleaning small indigenous fish that retailers refuse to process. Their startup cost was just Rs. 500 for a specialised knife and Rs. 50 daily for market space.
This informal sector reveals strong market demand and employment potential. However, challenges remain: inadequate hygiene facilities, limited cold storage, and variable food safety standards. The path forward involves supporting what works - strengthening informal businesses with training, better tools, and gradual infrastructure improvements rather than waiting for large-scale formal facilities.
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