Fish and fish products are crucial in the nutrition and livelihoods of the Myanmar people. However, little information is available on their patterns of consumption, inter-regional differences, availability and types of fish consumed. Myanmar has impressive freshwater capture fisheries. The aquatic resource area of the river systems within Myanmar encompasses a total of 8.2 million ha of permanent and seasonal water bodies. These resources support, in many ways, the livelihoods of the people of Myanmar. Myanmar has a long coastline of nearly 3 000 km and coastal aquaculture contributes significant export earnings and shows potential for future development and diversification. This report is the outcome of two concurrent missions, one to coastal areas and one to inland areas. The report includes the findings of the missions as well as conclusions and recommendations in support of the long-term sustainability of fishery resources in Myanmar.

Economics of aquaculture feeding practices in selected Asian countries. FAO Fisheries Technical Paper No. 505, edited by Mohammad R. Hasan, 205p.

This technical paper provides an analysis of the economic implications of, and the reasons for, adopting various feeding practices for different fish species and aquaculture systems in Asia. It consists of case studies in six Asian countries (Bangladesh, China, India, the Philippines, Thailand and Viet Nam) and an overall synthesis ending with conclusions and recommendations. The systems studied include extensive/traditional, semi-intensive and intensive farms for a number of different species including sutchi and pangasiid catfishes (Bangladesh and Viet Nam), hybrid catfish (Thailand), carp polyculture (India and China), prawn and milkfish polyculture (the Philippines). The work identifies the principal input costs, assesses the economic rates of return (gross and net margins), returns to labour, land and capital, gross and net total factor productivity, and break-even prices and production. For the most part, intensive farms applying industrial feeds attained the highest economic returns, although not necessarily the highest benefits. In many cases, feed costs were extremely high, accounting for over 80 percent of the total. Feed cost, feeding rate, stocking rate, recovery or survival rate and fertilizer cost were identified as the key variables in influencing production. Use of intensive farming was consistent with strong farmer education and good extension practices. It is expected that the results of these studies will assist in adopting appropriate feed management strategies depending on the availability of inputs and the level of technical know-how of the farmers.

19th Governing Council meeting held in Kathmandu, Nepal

OIE/NACA Regional Workshop on Aquatic Animal Health

Vietnam catfish BMP project kicks off

Planning meeting, Regional Project on Reservoir Fisheries Development and Management

NACA to document “Aquaculture Success Stories”

6th Regional Grouper Hatchery Training Course – 5-25 May 2008

Establishing a Working Party on Aquaculture Statistics

Implementing the ASEAN Roadmap for Integration of Fisheries Sector

London Expert Workshop on Aquaculture Certification

Sustainable aquaculture

Peter Edwards writes on rural aquaculture: From integrated carp polyculture to intensive monoculture in the Pearl River Delta, South China

Better management practices for Vietnamese catfish
Simon Wilkinson

Ipomoea aquatica – an aquaculture friendly macrophyte
R. N. Mandal, G. S. Saha, P. Kalita, and P.K. Mukhopadhyay

A status overview of fisheries and aquaculture development in Pakistan with context to other Asian countries
A.M. Aslam Jarwar

The changing face of post-grad education in aquaculture: contributing to soaring production and sustainable practices
David C. Little, Andrew P. Shinn and Corinne Critchlow Watton

Genetics and biodiversity

Hatchery management in Bangladesh
Abdus Salam Bhiyan, A.S.M. Musa and M.K. Islam

Research and farming techniques

Production of Cirrhinus molitorella and Labeo chrysophekadion for culture based fisheries development in Lao PDR Part I: Captive spawning
Brett A. Ingram and Oulaytham Lasasimma

Application of ipil-ipil leaf meal as feed Ingredient for monosex tilapia fry (Oreochronis niloticus) in terms of growth and economics
Hosain Zamal , Prabal Barua , Belal Uddin, Khandakar Shafiqul Islam

Fermented feed ingredients as fish meal replacer in aquafeed production
N. Felix and R. Alan Brindo

Aquaculture and fishing management in coastal zone demarcation: the case of Thailand
Phattareeya Suanrattanachai

The 1100 km2 of the Mahakam delta was entirely covered by pure Nypa, mixed Nypa-Avicennia, pure Avicennia and Rhizophora, and some sparse Sonneratia populations until 1930. At present, this vegetation covers less than 10% on isolated islands and inside concessions of oil & gas companies. In 1970, cold storage became available and farming of shrimp started. During the monetary crises of 1997 shrimp prices in local currency rose sky high and pond opening by locals and immigrants exploded. In 2006, ponds covered 90% of the delta; more than 1/3 is not used and was probably opened for speculation, a.o. on a future compensation by mining companies. The shrimp production system is extensive, and productions from 200 to 300 kg/ha in the first year gradually declined to 100 kg/ha/yr from four crops. Since 2000, WSSV and Red Gil disease reduced production as only one crop out of four is successful.

The three research sites are located in villages of the sub-district Muara Badak in the north of the delta. Site 1, Salo-Palai hamlet 2 and 3, includes about half of the island of Joppang, while site 2, Saliki hamlet 1, 2 and 3, includes the other half of Joppang; the third site regroups hamlet 7, 8 and 9 from Saliki and is located on the island of Taddutan. Except for an area of 1 ha, a small island and a narrow fringe of Nypa on the riverside, the mangrove cover in the research sites was replaced by fishponds. Farmers fear the consequences: abrasion of their pond dikes, degraded water quality, and reduced availability of crab, fish and shrimp seed. The lack of breeding grounds and refuges for the fish is shared by the fishermen. Recently the land clearing for oil-palm plantation to produce bio-fuel started in Saliki’s delta area.

Around 80% of the livelihood activities of the pond-farmers, pond care-takers, and fishermen is based on or related to the mangrove resource. In some hamlets located on the islands the population depends for 100% on the pond, but most others have a mixed population of workers for private companies, government officers, traders, land-less agricultural workers, fishermen and farmers. Only those households having a house on the mainland also farm dry land crops or keep livestock. Farming shrimp and milkfish and collecting shrimp and crab provide the main income; average productivities are 75, 375, 160 and 80 kg/ha/yr resp., according to the farmers. The care-takers are hired by land owners living mostly outside the district. The same large owners dominate the collection and marketing chain. Various financial relationships tie the care-takers and the smaller owners to these rich elite. Improving and stabilising the shrimp production is important to reduce dependency of pond farmers on the collectors being at the same time input and credit providers as well as the source of information on prices and technologies.

The seasonality of the activities is relatively high ...

Many species of freshwater fish are acutely threatened by overfishing and loss of habitat or habitat connectivity. Large and long-lived riverine species, which often migrate over long distances to complete their life cycle are particularly at risk. The Mekong giant catfish (Pangasianodon gigas) provides a striking case in point. Having historically supported a significant fishery, the wild population is now believed to number at best a few hundred individuals. The species has been listed as critically endangered in the 2003 IUCN Red List. Its precarious status is likely to be the result of excessive targeted and incidental harvesting over the past twenty years, and to a lesser extent habitat degradation.

The purpose of the project is to develop an overarching conservation strategy for the Mekong giant catfish integrating, as appropriate, supportive breeding with harvest and habitat management. This will involve (1) quantitative assessment of population status based on existing information, (2) quantitative assessment of the likely effectiveness of different conservation measures such as supportive breeding, harvest restrictions and habitat conservation/restoration (3) review and improvement of captive breeding procedures; (4) promotion of appropriate adaptive policies for the further development of the strategy; and (5) definition of an overall conservation strategy in consultation with a broad range of target institutions.

This is a draft conservation strategy for the Mekong giant catfish, prepared under the project Development of a conservation strategy for the critically endangered Mekong giant catfish, released for public consultation.

Species and importance: The Mekong giant catfish (MGC) Pangasianodon gigas is one of the world’s largest freshwater fish. A charismatic animal revered throughout the lower Mekong region, the species is of great cultural importance. It is also widely recognized as an indicator of ecological integrity of the Mekong ecosystem, due to its long-distance migrations, size and longevity. Owing to its rarity, the species does not contribute significantly to the Mekong fisheries catch in biomass or value (but is highly sensitive to fishing). The species is herbivorous and unlikely to exert an important influence on ecosystem structure or functioning. The species is listed as critically endangered in the 2003 IUCN Red List.

Legal status: The species is protected by national law in Cambodia (where it must be released if caught in fisheries) and in Thailand (where fishing for the giant catfish is prohibited, but special permission can be granted by the Department of Fisheries). In the Lao PDR, no specific legal protection exists for the species, but it is protected alongside other aquatic resources by the general provisions of the environment law, water resources law and forestry law. In Vietnam, the species is listed in the Red Book and thus afforded special legal protection.

Population status: The species appears to be naturally rare, and is likely to have maintained a small but stable population throughout much of the 20th 101 century. Reconstructed spawner abundance was relatively stable at about 250 animals prior to 1983 (11-71% of unexploited abundance). The population then declined dramatically to just 50 spawners in 1995 (2-14% of unexploited abundance). The Chiang Khong fishing ‘boom’ thus reduced spawner abundance by about 80% in just ten years. The population has since recovered to about 145 animals (7-40% of unexploited abundance) by 2006. Much of this predicted recovery is based on maturation of fish that were spawned about 20 years previously, and would occur even if for any reason reproduction had failed in the recent past. Spawner abundance in the absence of fishing has been estimated at 355-2200 animals.

Conservation vision and goals: The core conservation vision or goal of the Mekong Giant Catfish Conservation Group is the maintenance of a viable wild population of Mekong giant catfish and the restoration of its historical distribution. Maintenance of a genetically representative captive population is crucial as ‘insurance’ against possible (if not likely) extinction in the wild. Maintenance of critical habitats and ecosystem processes in the Mekong basin is clearly important if a wild population is to be maintained. The presumed ...

As part of conservation efforts to the critically endangered Mekong giant catfish (MGC) Pangasianodon gigas, a survey on genetic variation using mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequences and microsatellite loci was undertaken based on 259 individuals of MGC amongst seven hatcheries in Thailand and a breeding strategy was developed based on this data. Overall, levels of genetic variation of MGC in captive stock is commensurate to that observed in the wild population. Six different breeding plans were proposed, and a simulation program was used to generate their offspring accordingly. All plans generated high levels of genetic variation, with no significant difference in the next generation. However, one plan (MP5) appeared to be best as it resulted in the highest haplotype diversity and microsatellite variation. A number of recommendations were suggested and these are the views of the project team. We would appreciate other comments, suggestions and view points which aim to develop the best practices to conserve this important species of fish.

Background
The Mekong giant catfish (MGC), one of the world’s largest freshwater fish and a charismatic animal revered throughout the Mekong region, is considered critically endangered (IUCN Red List 2003). A range of conservation initiatives for the giant catfish are being carried out.

Purpose of this report
The present report aims to assess the conservation status of Mekong Giant Catfish, and to evaluate the likely effectiveness of different conservation measures.

Methodology
Detailed data collected intermittently since the late 1960s were synthesized and analysed through confrontation with a mathematical model. The following assumptions underlie the baseline model:
• MGC in the Mekong basin form a single population (all catches have been taken from the same population).
• The full population is vulnerable to fishing (there are no un-fished and thus, unobserved local populations).
• Reporting of MGC catches is near-complete and not size-biased (There is no unreported harvest of small MGC).

History of exploitation and environmental change
Historically, targeted giant catfish fishing has always been a special event with spiritual associations. Exploitation seems to have been stable or characterized by ‘boom and bust’ cycles. It is unlikely that high catches of MGC have been sustained in the recent past (the last 100-200 years). In the 1970s, catches appear to have been stable at an average of about 20 fish per year. Catches increased substantially, up to a maximum of 80 per year in the late 1980s, driven mainly by a high profile government-supported fishery in Chiang Khong (Northern Thailand). Both catch and catch per unit of effort (CPUE) declined strongly in the 1990s. This was followed by a decline in effort, most likely attributable to the reduced profitability of fishing as well as the development of alternative economic opportunities. Environmental change in the Mekong basin has been gradual and of moderate magnitude until the very recent past. More dramatic changes may have occurred in the very recent past with ‘rapid blasting’ and the commissioning of several dams in the upper river, but any effects of these changes on the giant catfish population would not yet be visible in the fisheries data. It thus appears that fishing can be identified as the main driver of past changes in population abundance and structure.

Population status
Reconstructed spawner abundance was relatively stable at about 250 animals prior to 1983 (11- 71% of unexploited abundance). The population then declined dramatically to just 50 spawners in 1995 (2-14% of unexploited abundance). The Chiang Khong fishing ‘boom’ thus reduced spawner abundance by about 80% in just ten years. The population has since recovered to about 145 animals (7-40% of unexploited abundance) by 2006. Much of this predicted recovery is based on maturation of fish that were ...

This is the report of the Second Mekong Giant Catfish Working Group Meeting, held in Phnom Penh 12-13 November 2005, under the project Development of a conservation strategy for the critically endangered Mekong giant catfish.

1. The Mekong giant catfish, one of the world’s largest freshwater fish and a charismatic animal revered throughout the Mekong region, is considered critically endangered (IUCN Red List 2003).

2. A range of conservation initiatives for the giant catfish are being carried out by organisations including the fisheries departments of Cambodia, Laos and Thailand, the Mekong River Commission, the UNDP/IUCN/MRC Mekong Wetlands Biodiversity Project, the Network of Aquaculture Centers in Asia-Pacific, WWF Indochina, and Imperial College London.

3. A Species Conservation Action Plan joint workshop was held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on December 12-13 2005. The purpose of the workshop was to review existing knowledge on Mekong giant catfish, identify future conservation and research priority activities, and to continue the joint planning process aimed at developing an overarching conservation strategy for the Mekong giant catfish.

4. Although knowledge of the ecology of wild Mekong giant catfish is lacking, data does exist on giant catfish breeding, growth, past and present abundance, and distribution. This knowledge is often in local language literature; some has been translated and published in English-language documents.

5. Knowledge about the Mekong giant catfish is increasing, as several giant catfish-related projects move forward, including projects aimed to assess and improve breeding techniques, better understand population genetics, examine migratory behaviour, and determine true distribution and population status.

6. A conservation vision has been developed emphasizing the importance of “maintenance of a viable wild population of Mekong giant catfish, a genetically representative captive population, and critical habitats and ecosystem processes”. This vision will be the basis for the development of a draft Species Conservation Action Plan.

7. The Species Conservation Action Plan is part of an overarching, basin-wide conservation strategy for the Mekong giant catfish. This strategy aims to achieve the greatest possible effectiveness of the conservation activities of all stakeholders. This strategy is based on information exchange and coordination of activities conducted by different organisations; effective use of research to resolve key uncertainties, and effective conservation planning. At the core of this strategy is a series of joint workshops, interspersed with specific research, conservation, and outreach activities by contributing organisations.

8. Key workshops in the conservation strategy planning process are a joint inception workshop held in Bangkok in August 2005, a species conservation action plan (SCAP) workshop held in ...