aquaculture

The Rural Industries Research & Development Corporation (Australia) have produced a web based book documenting the experience of thirty outstanding Australians who, through their business enterprise, vision and perseverance, are making a significant contribution to the welfare and economic growth of rural and regional Australia. A chapter is devoted to Tom Swannell’s Marron Farm in Baskerville, Western Australia (WA).

ABARE, the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics, is located in Canberra, Australia. ABARE is an Australian government economic research agency noted for its professionally independent research and analysis. ABARE has published a detailed research paper on the market potentials and background on marron and other freshwater crayfish.

Following on from a posting back in August 2005, gender issues in aquaculture, it’s clear women are playing a strong role in aquaculture. Australian Women in Agriculture have a link to Mary Nenke, the Manager/Proprietor of Cambinata Yabbies; and from another source, Milada Safarik is one of the principals of Aquabait, a company involved in the farming of marine worms for the fishing bait industry.

The FAO report on a workshop on Women in Aquaculture held in Rome in 1987.

The Assessment of Women Achievers in Aquaculture Workshop was held in 2004, in Charente-Maritime (Rochefort – near La Rochelle), France with the financial support of the Directorate-General Fisheries of the European Commission.

Despite these initiatives, conditions in the Third World are as challenging as ever. A. Shaleesha and V. A. Stanley report in Involvement of Rural Women in Aquaculture: An Innovative Approach that although women have proved to be competent in adopting new aquaculture technologies, their role is very much restricted and often ignored. One of the major reasons is the location of aquaculture sites and several sociocultural taboos against women who strive to earn for their family’s subsistence in rural areas. There is a gender bias in many aquaculture activities. To ensure that women utilize their full potential in profitable activities like aquaculture, it is necessary to provide capacity building support to rural women, which will eventually lead to their empowerment. In countries like India, the technology provided to women must take into account cultural aspects. One such project – backyard ornamental fish breeding and management – has been found to offer immense scope for improving the livelihood of rural women. This paper gives some practical tips for dissemination of technology in the rural sector, particularly to rural women.

An excellent case study on how seaweed farming helps women in Tanzania outlines how quite simple efforts can make a positive impact in household incomes and become literally life changing.

According to the North Dakota State University Extension Service, tilapia is poised to make a substantial contribution to aquaculture. It is hardier and more prolific than other species. Tilapia produces a fine-tasting white, flakey meat. Initial consumer taste panels have indicated that tilapia is a delicious fish. The main impediment to an increase in tilapia consumption is the lack of familiarity of tilapia to the American consumer.

Tilapia is a hardy, prolific, fast-growing tropical fish native to Israel, where it has been farmed for about 2,500 years. It requires water temperatures from 76 to 84 degrees Fahrenheit. Currently, tilapia are produced in outdoor ponds and indoor systems. They are prolific breeders and were considered a national pest in Indonesia until the citizens began using them as a food source. Tilapia production in outside ponds is strictly regulated in the southern United States for fear that some fish may escape from the farm ponds and encroach on native sport fishing populations. A solution might be to use only ‘super males‘.

The Center for Tropical and Subtropical Aquaculture have released (as a free download) the Hawaii Aquaculture Module Expert System (HAMES) for distribution to farmers. The tilapia expert system is a computer software package that offers assistance with diagnosing and treating tilapia diseases and syndromes.

According to Aquaculture Production Technology Ltd (APT), the key to successful agriculture-aquaculture production is the use of improved, genetically selected strains. Classical genetic selection methods (excluding genetic engineering methods) are used to select for advantageous ‘economic traits’ of Tilapia.

APT have developed a range of services and their web site provides valuable information for would-be aquaculturalists, even if tilapia is not a species able to be farmed. Their background information regarding feasibility studies and the requirements to bring the product to market will help inform planning of future developments.

The aim of the Aquatic Animal Health Code (Aquatic Code) is to assure the sanitary safety of international trade in aquatic animals (fish, molluscs and crustaceans) and their products. This is achieved through the detailing of health measures to be used by the veterinary authorities of importing and exporting countries to avoid the transfer of agents pathogenic for animals or humans, while avoiding unjustified sanitary barriers.

The health measures in the Aquatic Code (in the form of standards, guidelines and recommendations) have been formally adopted by the OIE International Committee. The 7th edition incorporates the modifications to the Aquatic Code agreed during the 72nd General Session in May 2004. These include revised chapters on the following subjects: general definitions, Disease listing and notification criteria, notification and epidemiological information, obligations and ethics in international trade, Aquatic animal health measures applicable before and at departure, Aquatic animal health measures applicable on arrival, General recommendations on disinfection and the model international aquatic animal health certificates.

The purpose of the Manual of Diagnostic Tests for Aquatic Animals (the Aquatic Manual) is to provide a uniform approach to the diagnosis of the diseases listed in the Aquatic Code, so that the requirements for health certification in connection with trade in aquatic animals and aquatic animal products, can be met.

Although many publications exist on the diagnosis and control of aquatic animal diseases, the Aquatic Manual is a key document describing the methods that can be applied to the OIE-listed diseases in aquatic animal health laboratories all over the world, thus increasing efficiency and promoting improvements in aquatic animal health world-wide.

The Aquatic Code and the Aquatic Manual are both available online, for free.