Asia-Pacific Fishery Commission

The fisheries sector in Myanmar, comprising the freshwater fisheries, marine capture fisheries and aquaculture, plays a very important role in the economy of the country and provides an important source of food security for the people of Myanmar. Presently, the freshwater capture sector is by far the most important economically and socially. The Ayeyarwady Delta once supported half of the mangrove forests in Myanmar. but there are competing demands on the mangrove ad fisheries ecosystem in the Ayeyarwady Delta. Several years of pressure on the mangrove forests, including demand for firewood and charcoal, hunting mangrove animals, conversion of mangrove areas for rice and shrimp farming and destructive fishing practices such as excessive fishing efforts, have significantly reduced the productivity of the mangrove forest areas. Specifically in relation to fisheries, there are now clear signs of serious depletion in the Delta. The observed volume fish landings are declining and there is a reduction in the size of species caught.

The Sustainable Small Scale Fisheries and Aquaculture Livelihoods in Coastal Mangrove Ecosystems was part of the Environmentally Sustainable Food Security Programme (ESFSP). The aim of the Sustainable Small Scale Fisheries and Aquaculture Livelihoods in Coastal Mangrove Ecosystems project is to promote and undertake pilot level implementation of practices for the co-management of fisheries in a demarcated management area in the Ayeyarwady Delta. One of the activities of the ESFSP to address the problem of conservation of fisheries resources in the mangrove areas is the “formulation and promotion of better co-management practices and sustainable utilisation guidance for mangrove ecosystems.”

Implementation of co-management in the pilot areas for the project, and in Myanmar as a whole, is not supported by the existing fisheries and related legal framework. An additional complicating issue that has arisen is the substantial overlap and contradictions between the fresh water fisheries legislation and legislation dealing with forestry and wildlife conservation in the mangrove areas. Additionally, enforcement of existing legislation is weak. The factors listed above have given rise to the need to undertake an evaluation of the legal framework underpinning forestry and fisheries legislation, including co-management arrangements and enforcement challenges to inform proposals for change. This review contains an overivew of these legal issues as they pertain to auqatic reosurcesmangement especuially in freshwaters and their relationship to other legislation on natural reosurces in Myanmar. There is particular reference to co-management and the legal aspects relating to its emergence in Myanmar.

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.

Shelley, C.; Lovatelli, A.
Mud crab aquaculture –A practical manual
FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Technical Paper. No. 567. Rome, FAO. 2011. 78p.

There are four species of mud crab, Scylla serrata, S. tranquebarica, S. paramamosain and S. olivacea that are the focus of both commercial fisheries and aquaculture production throughout their distribution. They are among the most valuable crab species in the world, with the bulk of their commercial production sent live to market. This is the first FAO aquaculture manual on this genus, covering everything from its basic biology and aquaculture production, through to stock packaging and being ready to go to market.

Information on mud crab biology, hatchery and nursery technology, grow-out systems, disease control, processing and packaging has been collated in this manual to provide a holistic approach to mud crab aquaculture production. Compared with other types of aquaculture, mud crab culture still has a large number of variants, including: the use of seedstock collected from the wild, as well as produced from a hatchery; farming systems that range from very extensive to intensive, monoculture to polyculture; and farm sites that vary from mangrove forests to well-constructed aquaculture ponds or fattening cages. As such, there is no one way to farm mud crabs, but techniques, technologies and principles have been developed that can be adapted to meet the specific needs of farmers and governments wishing to develop mud crab aquaculture businesses.

Each of the four species of Scylla has subtly different biology, which equates to variations in optimal aquaculture production techniques. Where known and documented, variants have been identified, where not, farmers, researchers and extension officers alike may have to adapt results from other species to their mud crab species of choice and local climatic variables. Compared with many other species that are the subject of industrial scale aquaculture, mud crabs can still be considered to be at an early stage of development, as the use of formulated feeds for them is still in its infancy and little work has yet been undertaken to improve stock performance through breeding programmes.

Shelley, C.; Lovatelli, A. Mud crab aquaculture – A practical manual. FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Technical Paper. No. 567. Rome, FAO. 2011. 78 pp.

While mud crab farming based on collection of crablets or crabs from the wild for fattening or grow-out has probably taken place for hundreds of years, hatchery production of mud crabs is a relatively recent innovation, with most research and development taking place over the last few decades.

This manual attempts to showcase the current wisdom on mud crab farming from key nations in the Asia-Pacific region where research and development, significant industry development and extension of technology have occurred in recent years.

The development of this manual reflects contributions from all major organizations and research teams involved in mud crab culture development. Attendance at numerous workshops and conferences on crab fisheries and aquaculture over the past couple of decades has provided inspiration and insight into the need for a manual such as this, one that brings together the whole process of mud crab farming from broodstock to high-quality product leaving the farm.

This manual has benefited from so many farmers, scientists, fisheries professionals, business owners, information specialists and technicians who have been kind enough to share their knowledge and skills, that to name a few might devalue the contribution of others – so to you all, thank you.

The support, patience and enthusiasm of Alessandro Lovatelli, FAO Aquaculture Officer, was critical to the completion of this publication.

The Model Scheme on Port State Measures to Combat Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing is addressed to all States, fishing entities and regional fisheries management organizations. Its purpose is to facilitate the implementation of effective action by port States to prevent, deter and eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. Following the Preamble, the Scheme addresses general considerations, issues relating to the inspection of vessels while they are in port, actions to be taken when an inspector finds there is reasonable evidence for believing that a foreign fishing vessel has engaged in, or supported, IUU fishing activities, and information that the port State should provide to the flag State. The final section of the Scheme focuses on other matters including the provision that it should be implemented in a fair, transparent and non-discriminatory manner. The twenty-sixth session of the FAO Committee on Fisheries, held in 2005, in endorsing the report and recommendations of the 2004 FAO Technical Consultation to Review Port States Measures to Combat Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing, agreed that follow-up work to the Consultation should be undertaken, especially with respect to operationalizing the Model Scheme.

Model plan for a Pacific Island country. National Plan of Action to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing.Rome, FAO. 2005. 43p.

The Model Plan for the elaboration of an NPOA-IUU is designed to assist Pacific Island States give effect to the IPOA-IUU. The model incorporates the essential aspects and features of the IPOA-IUU, demonstrating how a NPOA-IUU might be drafted. In seeking to address IUU fishing the model provides an introduction (with an important focus on the fisheries situation in the model country) followed by measures that might be adopted under the headings of all State responsibilities, flag State responsibilities, coastal State measures, port State measures, internationally agreed market-related measures, research, regional fisheries management organizations and the special requirements of developing countries. Importantly, the model in the Appendix provides a checklist of supporting actions that Pacific Island States should take in developing and implementing their NPOAs-IUU.

This document presents case studies of the policy, governance and institutional issues of marine protected areas (MPAs) in Brazil, India, Palau and Senegal. It is the first of four in a global series of case studies on MPAs. An initial volume provides a synthesis and analysis of all the studies. The set of global MPA case studies was designed to close a deficit in information on the governance of MPAs and spatial management tools, within both fisheries management and biodiversity conservation contexts. The studies examine governance opportunities in and constraints on the use of spatial management measures at the national level. They were also designed to inform implementation of the FAO Technical Guidelines on marine protected areas (MPAs) and fisheries, which were developed to provide information and guidance on the use of MPAs in the context of fisheries.

Seabass and gilthead seabream are the two marine fish species, which have characterized the development of marine aquaculture in the Mediterranean basin in the last two decades. The substantial increase in production levels of these two high value species has been possible thanks to the progressive improvement in the technologies involved in the production of fry in hatcheries. As a result of this technological progress more than one hundred hatcheries have been built in the Mediterranean basin, working on these and other similar species. At present the farmed production of these two species that is derived from hatchery produced fry is far greater than the supply coming from the wild.

The development of these techniques, based originally on Japanese hatchery techniques has followed its own evolution and has resulted in what could be called a Mediterranean hatchery technology that is still evolving to provide higher quality animals and to reduce cost of production. This is a dynamic sector but it can be judged that it has reached a level of maturity that merits the production of a manual for hatchery personnel. The preparation of the manual has taken several years, also due to the progress of the sector that led to substantial revisions of sections. This has lengthened its preparation beyond what was originally expected. The manual is not intended to be the final word on hatchery production but rather a publication on how the industry produces in the late nineties. We preferred to include proven procedures rather than orient this publication to research on hatchery produced fry, as there is plenty of academic literature on this subject.

The manual has been divided in two volumes, with this first one divided in three parts. The first part dealing with the historical background which has led to the present status of this practice, and a discussion of the main factors that affect fish seed production. The second main section of the first volume has been devoted to the life history and biology of the species that enter in the production cycle of seabass and gilthead seabream fry. This includes also a short section on microalgae, rotifers and brine shrimp. The third main section of the first volume, which is the longer one, deals with hatchery production procedures, from broodstock management to production of live feed, egg management, larval rearing weaning, fry transport, and diseases.

The second volume will include sections on architecture and design of the hatchery systems, engineering aspects, financial aspects of hatchery operation and will provide some example of real cases of different commercial hatcheries that in recent years have approached hatchery production of these two species.

This is the report of the APFIC Regional consultative workshop held to meet the recommendation of the 29th Session of the Asia-Pacific Fishery Commission (APFIC) to assist member countries improve the management of their fishing capacity in the region, including combating illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. The overall aim of the workshop was to raise awareness of and promote actions towards achieving one of the most fundamental tenets of fishing

Women play a significant role in fisheries, yet lack of attention to gender roles and relations can result in policies or programmes failing to improve livelihoods or reduce vulnerability of fishing communities. The largely ‘invisible’ role of women in small-scale fisheries must be addressed if actions aimed at improving the livelihoods of small-scale fishers and their families are to be successful.

As part of its efforts to promote gender equity to improve fisheries livelihoods, the Regional Fisheries Livelihoods Programme for South and Southeast Asia (RFLP) has developed a field handbook that gives guidance on taking gender into account in all phases of small-scale fisheries development projects.

The handbook provides:
* An overview of the rationale, concepts and approaches concerning mainstreaming gender equality in development cooperation;
* An overview of the role of women in the fisheries sector, the problems they face and possible empowerment opportunities;
* Tools for gender analysis in fisheries development projects and guidance on how to integrate gender aspects at various stages in the project cycle.

There is a long tradition of fisheries management in the Asia-Pacific region. Traditional (or customary) fishery management systems evolved over centuries in response to increasing population pressures and the need to resolve disputes over access and exploitation of fishery resources. The control of access to what were initially