Asia-Pacific Fishery Commission

Hasan, M.R. Transition from low-value fish to compound feeds in marine cage farming in Asia. FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Technical Paper. No. 573. Rome, FAO. 2012. 198 pp.

This technical paper presents the findings of the FAO Regional Technical Cooperation Project TCP/RAS/3203 (D) 'Reducing the dependence on the utilization of trash fish/low-value fish as feed for aquaculture of marine finfish in the Asian Region,' which was implemented between 1 August 2008 and 31 July 2011 in China, Indonesia, Thailand and Viet Nam. It comprises the results of the project components, namely, farmers' participatory on-farm trials and a concurrent survey of farmers' perceptions concerning the use of two feed types and microcredit, environmental impact assessments of the use of both feed types, and a survey and analysis of the potential impacts of a change to pellet feeds on the livelihood prospects of fishers and suppliers of trash fish/low-value fish. An assessment of changes in the perceptions of farmers before and after the farm trials was undertaken, and a final regional stakeholders' workshop was conducted after the completion of all the project components. Incorporated in the relevant parts of the report are the findings of a follow-up mission conducted 16 months after the end of the project. This mission was designed to confirm the findings, and assess further activities in line with the recommendations made at the final regional stakeholders' workshop.

There were indications of the clear benefits to farmers as well as to the environment of adopting pellet feeds. Some indicators were not statistically significant, but present opportunities for addressing the constraints to the farmers' adoption of pellet feeds. A dominant finding was that the technical and economic performance from pellet feeds can be considerably enhanced by improving feed management, which was not a common attribute among the trial farmers. Furthermore, overall farm performance, whichever feed type was used, could be improved by introducing better management practices. The environmental impact assessments on the use of the two feed types suggested that good feed management and overall farming practices, and improving the quality of trash fish/low-value fish or pellets reduce the impacts of feed on the water beneath and around the culture sites. In addition, a good culture site where the carrying capacity is not stressed by aquaculture and non-aquaculture activities will considerably reduce the mortality risks from biotic and abiotic hazards. The technical and economic findings of the study were noted by the farmers, and contributed to the changes in their attitudes towards the pellet feeds from negative or neutral to positive. The recommendations of the project included providing the opportunities and enabling the farmers to translate their positive attitude into actual and sustained adoption of pellet feeds. Interventions that would promote the adoption of pellet feeds, among others, would include reasonable credit facility, species and growth-stage-specific feed formulations, farmers being associated to take advantage of economy of scale, and advice on better management practices. A standardized guide for a better management practice in cage mariculture was unanimously requested by the farmers.

The impact on the livelihood of fishers and fish suppliers from losing the cage culture industry as a direct market for their trash fish/low-value fish was found to be minimal; they have robust coping mechanisms, which can be strengthened by policy and technical assistance from government.

Training manual on the construction of FRP beach landing boats
John McVeagh, Thomas Anmarkrud, Øyvind Gulbrandsen, Revanoor Ravikumar, Per Danielsson & Ari Gudmundsson

This manual on construction of fibreglass reinforced plastic (FRP) beach landing boats has been prepared primarily to assist small boatyards in Tamil Nadu, India that build beach landing fishing boats, but may also be used as a guide for making good quality FRP boats as well as for FRP training in the region.

The manual should be seen as a supplement to FRP boatbuilding manuals available in the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and other international publications. It assumes prior knowledge of FRP hand lay-up processes and terms generally used in the industry.

Recommendations on working conditions, materials and quality control are based on tropical ambient conditions and the type of boatyards likely to build such boats.

Part I of the manual contains general information on FRP materials, handling and working conditions. Part II describes the building of a hull plug and a mould and Part III describes the building of a beach landing boat. Finally, Part IV contains information on manufacturing defects and repairs.

The manual has four annexes that provide further information related to FRP boatbuilding. Annexes 1 and 2 contain a bibliography and a glossary, respectively. All drawings for the FAO IND-30 boat design are provided in Annex 3. Finally, Annex 4 contains the draft recommended construction standards for FRP fishing vessels. These standards are a part of the FAO/ILO/IMO Safety recommendations for decked fishing vessels of less than 12 m in length and undecked fishing vessels, which are currently under development.

In order to work towards improving information on global status and trends for aquaculture, the FAO Fisheries Department convened two meetings of international aquaculture experts in January 2004. The Expert Consultation approved a draft Strategy and Outline Plan for Improving Information on Status and Trends of Aquaculture.

Following this Expert Consultation, the Working Group of Experts on the FAO Aquaculture Questionnaire "FISHSTAT AQ" met to suggest improvements to the data collection form used by FAO in its annual inquiry to member countries for aquaculture statistics. They were asked to deliberate improvements, while keeping in mind the relevant recommendations of the preceding Expert Consultation. Many of the same experts participated in this Working Group as well as additional participants representing national providers of data to FAO and two survey research specialists in questionnaire design.

These meetings are seen as the beginning of the already existing parallel process for status and trends reporting for capture fisheries. The outcome there was the adoption of the Strategy for Improving Information on Status and Trends of Capture Fisheries, which was formally agreed on and accepted by the FAO Committee on Fisheries (COFI) in Febuary 2003. The process for aquaculture status and trends was envisioned to produce a similar strategy document for the aquaculture sector.

The draft strategy for aquaculture, the reports of the two meetings and background documents prepared for the meetings are contained in this volume. These background documents include an overview of current FAO procedures for collecting and reporting aquaculture statistics, a summary of the issues confronting attempts to improve data collection and reporting and a collection of regional reviews in which countries have described their systems and strategies for the collection of aquaculture status and trends information.

FAO Fisheries Department.
Towards improving global information on aquaculture.
FAO Fisheries Technical Paper. No. 480. Rome, FAO. 2005. 172p.

Located in the central plains of Cambodia, the Tonle Sap lake is one of the richest inland fisheries waters in the world. Linked to the Mekong river by a 100 km-long channel, the lake is flushed and swollen to more than four times its normal size by the annual monsoon flooding in the Mekong. The lake and the channel yield two-thirds of Cambodia's annual inland fisheries catch, which accounts for nearly 90 percent of the country's total fisheries production. The study describes different fisheries habitats and assesses catches by the popular Tonle Sap fishing gear in two communes in the northwestern Siem Reap province bordering the lake.

Maguire, J.-J.; Sissenwine, M.; Csirke, J.; Grainger, R.; Garcia, S.
The state of world highly migratory, straddling and other high seas fishery resources and associated species. FAO Fisheries Technical Paper. No. 495. Rome: FAO. 2006. 84p.

This document describes highly migratory fish stocks, straddling fish stocks, and stocks of other high seas fishery resources and the fisheries for them, including information on their state of exploitation. About 200 species have been identified as being fished on the high seas either as highly migratory, straddling or other high seas fishery resources and this paper reports on around 230 species (or species group) statistical area combinations. Fisheries for highly migratory species are important in all oceans and semi-enclosed seas, except for polar regions. Fisheries for straddling fish stocks are much more localized, primarily occurring in a few regions where continental shelves extend beyond the 200 miles exclusive economic zone (EEZ) limit or where the high productivity of the coastal area favor a more expanded distribution of coastal stocks into the high seas, or attracts high seas resources into the EEZ. Most fisheries for other high seas fishery resources are deep-water fisheries (being conducted at depths of the order of 1 000 m, or more).

Formal assessments are lacking for most of the stocks examined. Nevertheless, the compilation of available assessments and FAO's analyses indicate that about 30 percent of the stocks of highly migratory tuna and tuna-like species, more than 50 percent of the highly migratory oceanic sharks and nearly two-thirds of the straddling stocks and the stocks of other high seas fishery resources are overexploited or depleted. The stocks concerned represent only a small fraction of the world fishery resources upon which millions of people are critically dependant for food and livelihood, but these fish stocks are key indicators of the state of an overwhelming part of the ocean ecosystem which appears to be more overexploited than EEZs.

The adoption of the United Nations Fish Stocks Agreement (FSA) in 1995 and its entering into force in 2001 has led to the implementation of measures that are expected to be beneficial in the medium to long term to species fished on the high seas. The scarcity of the information available and the short time elapsed since the entering into force of the FSA does not allow for a realistic assessment of the impact the FSA may have had on the state of the various fish stocks being exploited in the high seas. The slow recovery of several straddling fish stocks in the northwest Atlantic after more than 10 years of very stringent fishery limitations illustrates the intergenerational nature of the rebuilding process and the potential importance of ecosystem changes.

While the performance of the Agreement cannot yet be evaluated directly from the response of fisheries and fishery resources, it is possible to identify the issues upon which the success of the FSA is predicated and about which decisive progress must be achieved. In particular, improvements are needed regarding: (i) the information on fisheries, resources and ecosystems; (ii) the implementation of the precautionary approach and the ecosystem approach to fisheries (EAF); and (iii) the reduction and control of fishing capacity to levels commensurate with resources productivity. Another issue is the applicability of the FSA to fisheries in the high seas for resources other than straddling stocks and highly migratory species. While this document does not take any position on this issue, it does discuss some options to improve governance in areas where it is deemed to be inadequate. In concluding it is also stressed that deteriorating public opinion about the state of fisheries is a threat even to well-managed fisheries and that it is urgent to both improve fisheries management, and communication.

Aquaculture and inland fisheries are vital components of rural livelihoods worldwide, particularly in many Asian countries. Previous support to projects focused on aquaculture development where the goal was improved aquaculture. Today the focus has shifted to poverty alleviation and emphasis is placed more on the use of aquaculture as a tool for development. The benefits are improved food supply, reduced vulnerability to uncontrollable natural crashes in aquatic production, added employment and increased income. This publication is a report of the regional donor consultation held in Manila, Philippines from 27 to 28 November 2002. Nine donors and five regional organizations were represented. Discussions focused on the types of appropriate interventions needed in sustainable aquaculture development and mechanisms for their implementation. The conclusions of the report are targeted at donor agencies, international and regional institutions related to the fisheries sectors and national policy-makers.

Fishing and foraging for aquatic animals are often an integral part of rural food strategies and are as much about the management of water and aquatic environments as they are about the management of land. This publication is the result of a participatory assessment conducted in Attapeu Province, Lao PDR to determine the role of aquatic resources in the nutritional status of people engaged in rural livelihoods. The results of these activities illustrate that a broad diversity of aquatic plants and animals are frequently accessed and used by villagers, and that fish and other aquatic animals make up the main animal protein sources in peoples

Asian fisheries today: The production and use of low value/trash fish from marine fisheries in the Asia-Pacific region

Throughout the Asia-Pacific region, captured and cultured marine fisheries continue to play an important role in the economies of many countries, especially in support of food security and poverty alleviation. Marine fisheries resources have been largely overexploited and, as a result, development of coastal aquaculture has been encouraged to provide a source of protein, income, employment and export earnings in many countries. Such a policy trend implies, however, that sufficient food for aquaculture production will be available. Inevitably, a dangerous spiral has evolved where the demand for low value/trash fish has led to increased fishing pressure on already degraded resources, raising important questions regarding the social, economic and ecological costs and benefits of the system and its sustainability. This publication examines production trends and uses of low value/trash fish in the region, as well as issues associated with the rapid development of the aquaculture industry and the increasing demand for fish by consumers. The sustainability of the current system and future prospects are also examined, and important questions are raised for further research to slow down or halt the vicious spiral that has developed.

Sriskanthan, G. & Funge-Smith, S. J. (2011). The potential impact of climate change on fisheries and aquaculture in the Asian region. FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, Bangkok, Thailand. RAP Publication 2011/16, 41 pp.

The 31st Session of the Asia-Pacific Fishery Commission (APFIC), convened in Jeju, Republic of Korea in September 2010, emphasized that adaptation and mitigation of the impacts of climate change related to fisheries and aquaculture is an important challenge for the region. The session recommended that APFIC should review the effects of climate change on fisheries and aquaculture in the region and provide advice to member countries on strategic planning for adaptation and mitigation measures for the sector. This review was commissioned in support of the workshop Implications of climate change on fisheries and aquaculture: challenges for adaptation and mitigation in the Asia-Pacific region, which took place from 24 to 26 May 2010 in Kathmandu, Nepal organized by the Asia-Pacific Fishery Commission (APFIC) in collaboration with the Directorate of Fisheries Development of the Government of Nepal. Support for the workshop was provided by the Regional Fisheries Livelihoods Programme for South and Southeast Asia (RFLP) and the Bay of Bengal Large Marine Ecosystem Programme (BOBLME).

Fisheries and aquaculture in Asia provide considerable trade, employment and food security and some of the densest rural populations of the world are found on coastlines and floodplains of the region. Impacts from climate change such as increasing ocean acidification, shifting fish distributions and more frequent cyclones may increase the negative impacts on capture fisheries which are already at their limits through over exploitation, coastal degradation and pollution. Productivity and viability in aquaculture operations are also expected to be negatively impacted by factors including higher sea water levels, flooding, increased competition for water resources and disease occurrence patterns.

Climate change is expected to contribute to increasing disruptions to aquatic and coastal systems upon which many millions of Asian people depend and it is vital that governments in the region understand the risks, identify vulnerable systems and develop adaptive strategies. Increased policy attention and financial resources for climate change adaptation and mitigation in the fisheries/aquaculture sector are urgently needed; and the marine fishery and aquaculture sectors need to be closely integrated into national climate change policies. It is therefore essential that the interactions between capture fisheries and aquaculture, along with other sectors such as agriculture and disaster management are integrated into the policy planning processes.

Despite the increasing global attention on climate change and projections of their likely effects, there remain serious gaps in coverage relating to the tropical regions of Asia and particularly the fishery and aquaculture sectors. This greatly constrains dialogues and effective planning for these important sectors in the region. This regional review is intended to provide a preliminary insight into the current state of knowledge and indicate some likely implications for the region.

A number of sector reviews, project documents and proposed development initiatives have suggested the feasibility of aquaculture in Afghanistan. There are however, relatively few concrete examples of sustainable aquaculture to be found in the country and therefore the technical and economic feasibility of aquaculture remains uncertain. There is limited documented information available although there have been a number of FAO reviews and some documents relating to previous aquaculture initiatives.

The purpose of this discussion paper is to identify some of the key constraints and actions needed to initiate aquaculture development in Afghanistan. The paper will also propose some immediate initiatives which could lay the groundwork for such a development. It is not intended to answer all the questions, but rather to raise issues and initiate a debate that could encourage potential stakeholders to agree and act on the next steps to expand aquaculture in the country.

This review was requested as part of an ongoing activity of the two FAO projects

Gillett, R. "The marine fisheries of Cambodia."FAO/FishCode Review. No. 4. Rome, FAO. 2004. 57p.

This review of the marine fisheries of Cambodia is based on in-country mission work carried out in early 2003 in order to: (a) describe the marine fishery sector; (b) identify opportunities, constraints, and paths to solutions for the sector; and (c) identify areas for follow-up investigation. Excess fishing effort and associated declines in abundance of target species are the most serious problems facing Cambodia

Using the information in Butcher (2004) and other sources, a review of the history of development of the major industrial marine fisheries in Southeast Asia has been undertaken. The production methods and fisheries considered were: (a) pearling; (b) trawling; (c) purse seining; (d) shrimp trawling; (e) tuna longlining, poling and purse seining; (f) driftnetting; (g) trolling; and (h) other industrial fishing operations, including failed types of industrial fishing. For each of these production methods and fisheries, the main features of the history of development from about 1850 to the present day are highlighted with some commentary on their current status. In examining the history of fisheries development, the common feature is that of a boom-and- bust development where, one by one, stocks and habitats were exploited by new or improved fishing techniques to supply a rapidly increasing regional population and developing export markets. In all areas, this exploitation was done in an often uncontrolled, unregulated manner. When stocks were depleted by these new fishing methods, fleets moved on to the next area or stock. This sequential plunder also occurred across fisheres as the declining economic performance of one fishery spurred the transfer of vessels and fishers to a new, developing fishery (very often with government assistance) which in its turn also declined. For example, trawling began with sailed-powered beam trawlers operated by Japanese fishers in the early 1990s. With the change to diesel-powered vessels in the 1930s, concerns about the status of stocks were already being made and the fleet expanded into other trawl grounds in the Philippines. Japanese fleets were also active in waters around Taiwan Province of China, the South China Sea and the Tonkin Gulf off Viet Nam. The trawling technology was exported from the Philippines to Thailand by a joint Thai-German Government initiative in the early 1960s. This was so successful that soon demersal stocks in the Gulf of Thailand were under pressure and this led to an expansion of the fleet

The Green Economy in a Blue World report analyzes how key sectors that are interlinked with the marine and coastal environment – the blue world –can make the transition towards a Green Economy. The report covers the impacts and opportunities linked with shipping and fisheries to tourism,marine-based renewable energies and agriculture.

The findings underline that a shift to sustainability in terms of improved human wellbeing and social equity can lead to healthier and more economically productive oceans that can simultaneously benefit coastal communities and ocean-linked industries. Many countries are already acting to chart a fresh future for their seas and oceans and adopting the kinds of smart public policies needed to unlock the investments and creative strategies necessary.

The upcoming Rio+20 Summit is an opportunity to scale-up and accelerate these transitions under the twin themes of a Green Economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication and an institutional framework for sustainable development. This report gives a brief overview of the issues and is prepared by an inter-agency collaboration of the following organizations: United Nations Environment Programme; United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs; Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations; International Maritime Organization; United Nations Development Programme; International Union for Conservation of Nature; WorldFish Center; GRID-Arendal

Lymer D., Funge-Smith S., and Greboval D. (2009). The fishing fleet in Aceh Province, Indonesia. FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, Bangkok, Thailand. RAP Publication 2009/09, 39 pp.

The fishing fleet of Aceh Province (Provinsi Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam) in Indonesia has been subject to much scrutiny over the last five years. In response to the impact of the tsunami in 2004 a considerable national and international effort has been directed to restoring the fishing fleet to pre-tsunami levels through a variety of fishing vessel building schemes. Furthermore, there have been complementary activities to assess the success of this fleet rehabilitation and development activity and associated issues.

The main characteristics of the fleet in Aceh Province, as found in the census, are that it comprises relatively newly built and highly motorized vessels, most of which have inboard engines. The fleet is largely privately owned and the vessels were acquired by private funding, although in 2005 and 2006 a large proportion of the new boats were provided by donors. The vessels mainly operate nearshore, between 0 and 3 nautical miles offshore, and are not usually equipped with navigation or communication equipment, although a large share of the larger vessels carry both. There are also minor differences between the east and west coast fleets. The fishing fleet in Aceh Province can be summarized as comprising largely small boats (average 3.2 GT) with relatively small motors (average 16 Hp). There is a general trend of these small boats being replaced by larger vessels and hence the fleet tonnage has increased in recent years.

This document provides an overview of the status of the fishing fleet in Aceh Province at the end of 2006 based on a fishing vessel census that was carried out in the province. It is hoped that this can be used as a reference in the sustainable restoration of the small-scale fisheries subsector in the province of Aceh, Indonesia.

Rice today is grown in 113 countries in the world in a wide range of ecological conditions and water regimes. The cultivation of most rice crops in irrigated, rainfed and deepwater systems offers a suitable environment for fi sh and other aquatic organisms. Over 90% of the world

This document reviews the need for strengthening the role of regional fishery bodies in Asia-Pacific. Rapid fisheries development is taking place in the region resulting in the depletion of many fish stocks. Regional bodies should be provided with proper mandates to ensure the environmental sustainability of fisheries resources. As for APFIC, the meeting suggested that it concentrate its activities in three subregions, namely, the Yellow Sea, the South China Sea and the Bay of Bengal. These activities should cover fisheries information and data management, marine fisheries management, fisheries policies and planning and a regional consultative forum in coordinating fishery activities among various international fishery bodies in the region.

A Tamil language guide to the maintainance of small boat engines.