aquaculture

APFIC (The Asia-Pacific Fishery Commission) established by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations publish a range of research documents, including research into Myanmar aquaculture and inland fisheries (note: 6.84 MB) available as a free download.

This report is the outcome of two concurrent missions, one to coastal areas and one to inland areas, fielded by FAO-RAP, the Network of Aquaculture Centres in Asia-Pacific (NACA) and the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR). The purpose was to review the status of aquaculture and small-scale inland fisheries, identify areas for technical assistance related to sustainable development of coastal and inland aquaculture and management of aquatic resources, and identify immediate assistance opportunities. 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.

Fish and fish products are crucial in the nutrition and livelihoods of the Myanmar people. Whilst it is certainly recognized that fish is second only to rice in the diet of Myanmarians, little information is available on their patterns of consumption, inter-regional differences, availability and types of fish consumed. In this respect Myanmar is similar to many south-east Asian countries where emphasis is paid to rice production as a crucial element of food security, with little or no recognition of the fish component, which gives the rice-based diet much of its nutritional value outside of calories and crude protein.

Myanmar has impressive freshwater capture fisheries. The aquatic resource area of the river systems within Myanmar encompass a total of 8.2 million ha of permanent and seasonal water bodies. There were 29000 ha of freshwater fishponds and a further 40716 ha of shrimp ponds in 2001. These resources support, in many ways, the livelihoods of the people of Myanmar. Myanmar has a long coastline of nearly 3000 km and coastal aquaculture contributes significant export earnings and shows potential for future development and diversification. Of the total aquaculture production, an estimated 18794 tonnes comes from coastal aquaculture. Shrimp farming in particular has grown significantly in the past ten years, and small amounts of marine fish and crabs are also produced.

The FAO have also published this 1997 report on Support to Special Plan for Prawn and Shrimp Farming which gives some interesting insights into backyard scale shrimp hatcheries in Myanmar.

Neither intensive nor semi-intensive culture of shrimps has developed in Myanmar. Farming of marine shrimps has spread rapidly in South-east and South Asia, with exception of a few countries, including Myanmar. Myanmar’s neighbors Bangladesh to the north and Thailand to the south are both major producers of cultured marine shrimps. Culture of marine shrimps is now spreading rapidly in India. In all these countries export of cultured marine shrimps is a major earner of foreign exchange. There are about 30,00 acres (12,000 hectares) of traditional shrimp farms in operation which are mainly located in Rakhine State which borders with Bangladesh. The yield from the ponds are very low – 100 kgs/ha/year.

According to a report on shrimp culture in Hellas (Greece) by Kapiris Kostas of the National Centre for Marine Research in Athens, Greece; originally, two shrimp species were known to exist in the Mediterranean Sea. Five more species from the same family (Penaeidae) were found in the Hellenic sea waters having “emigrated” from the Indian Ocean through the Suez Canal (Lessepsian migration). These species are: Penaeus japonicus, P. semisulcatus, Metapenaeus monoceros, M. stebbingi, and Trachypenaeus tapenaeus. It has been reported that there are some natural population of P. japonicus in the Adriatic Sea and in the region of Cadiz (Spain).

Shrimp is one of the most important catches in the entire world because of the flesh and commercial value. It is characteristic that shrimps were 19.7% of the total imports of the EEC (1993) and their selling prices in Hellas in 1995 increased about 42% (ABH Report, 1994). Kostas determines that it is clearly urgent to culture shrimp in Greece.

Hellenic climatic conditions are most favourable for this type of culture if a species which combines rapid growth rates with a great tolerance to physicochemical conditions is selected. Details about the reproduction and problems of the species culture must be resolved.

Although many problems have already been solved, efforts in Greece were not always successful. The reasons contributing to this lack of success are:
○ The lack of the Hellenic know-how of shrimp culture.
○ Expert foreign scientists were unavailable to help Greek scientists in aquaculture.
○ The non-existence of a state hatchery (broodstock section, larval rearing section).
○ The Ministry of Agriculture and banking establishments has never encouraged this type of culture.
○ The national research centers have never taken the initiative to act in shrimp rearing.
○ The Hellenic investors have low economic abilities and always are looking for ‘money for jam’.

There available grounds in Hellas for shrimp culture. Because of the exploitation of the coastal zones from tourism and agricultural sector there is a limited number of these places, but it is possible for the establishment of 4-5 units in some inshore areas in Thrace, Dodecanese, Peloponnese.

The FAO have published a report Preliminary Stock Assessment for the Shallow Water Shrimp Trawl Fishery of Tanzania based on catch and effort data for 1988. The report focuses on trawl fishing rather than farming, but it gives valuable indications in terms of times and conditions.

Issues related to the establishment of prawn farms in Tanzania, with an example from the Rufiji delta are available in this report published by the Mangrove Management Project, Forestry and Beekeeping Division of the Institute of Resource Assessment, University of Dar es Salaam.

A giant prawn farm to expropriate one third of the mangroves of the Rufiji Delta has recently been proposed by a private developer, the East African Fishing Company Limited, a subsidiary of TANNOL Holdings Ltd. Prawn farms have over the past 5 – 6 years been proposed for various locations along the Tanzanian coast, but none have so far been established.

This has generally been due to shortfalls in addressing social and environmental issues; issues often raised in Environmental Impact Assessments. The decisions not to approve projects have mostly been taken by funding or credit agencies and have rested upon experiences from similar projects in other countries where prawn farming has been practised in Asia and America. Both the positive and negative impacts of establishing large scale prawn farming are well documented in global literature.

The FOA have a published report (1997) as part of the support to the special plan for prawn and shrimp farming about Site Selection Towards Sustainable Shrimp Aquaculture in Myanmar. The executive summary notes: Shrimp culture in Myanmar is as yet little developed. Out of an estimated potential area of 48,000 ha, only 16,000 are used for traditional and extensive culture. A mere 80 ha use semi-intensive culture. Rakhine State predominates with 97% of the culture area.

Shrimp culture is expected to expand rapidly with the introduction of semi-intensive shrimp farming technology transferred from Indonesia. To avoid serious environmental and shrimp disease problems which have plagued other ASEAN shrimp producers, environmental impact assessment and best management practices (BMP) should be introduced.

The outstanding issues generated by semi-intensive shrimp farm development are:
1. Destruction of mangrove forest ecosystem
2. Deterioration in water quality
3. Land allocation
4. Economic losses through disease and poor management.

Sustainable shrimp aquaculture rests on a healthy mangrove ecosystem. It should not be forgotten that the mangrove forest is the nursery ground for cultured shrimp species, whose genetic diversity forms the basis of the shrimp aquaculture industry.

Uncontrolled destruction of the mangrove ecosystem will lead to reduced breeding stocks of major cultured species. Not only will genetic diversity decline, but spawners and brood stock will become increasingly difficult to catch.

Shrimp farming depends upon high water quality. Mangroves and the biota associated with them are a natural biofilter, removing excess nutrients and sediments discharged by shrimp farms. Mangroves protect shorelines from erosion and are very effective storm breaks.

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.