Aquaculture in Asia / August update

Disclaimer: This is not an extensive review of aquaculture in each country, this is a digest of the news about aquaculture in Asia released on Internet this month.

Brunei

• The 'Udang and Ikan' Tropika aquaculture project in Temburong

The 'Udang and Ikan' Tropika project (or in short U&I - Freshwater fish and prawn farm project) has been established on a 10-acre plot of land in Kampong Bukit Selangan in Temburong. The project is a social investment initiative geared towards developing local business opportunities in the aquaculture sector in Brunei Darussalam, particularly for the community in the district. It will be managed by a local cooperative, U&I, and comprise 327 locals [15].

China

• Chinese aquaculture leads world

China today accounts for 70 per cent of the world's total output of seafood products, government data reveals. In 1986, China adopted the "Fisheries Law," established "cultivation first" development guidelines, and put in place a series of administrative systems including the Provisions on the Administration of Fishery Licensing. At present, China's farmed fish product output accounts for 70 per cent of its total seafood production (vs. about 50% for the world) [1].

• Kiotech International plc to support tilapia farming in Zhuhai

Kiotech International plc, the supplier of feed additives has announced that discussions have taken place with feed mills and farmers in China and customer trials have started at the Pingsha Tilapia farming base in Zhuhai. A similar approach will be taken in other countries in the region including Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam [8].

• Fish-Rice combined farming

Fish and rice combined farming began in China as early as AD25-220, during the mid-eastern Han Dynasty. It was traditionally practiced to provide poor peasants with extra source of protein. Today, 1.7 million ha of rice fields in China is integrated with fish farming [17].

Indonesia

• Price of seafood remain stable

The prices of some basic foods have risen sharply as Ramadan approaches, but the Ministry of Trade says there is no danger of shortages and it is ready to hold bazaars selling cheaper goods to stabilize prices. However, the prices of some other foods, mostly seafood, remained stable. “Scout fish is still at about 40000 IDR per kilogram, while medium-sized shrimp is 60000 IDR per kilogram,” a vendor said (1 EUR = 14344 IDR) [7].

• 94% of mangrove damaged in central Java

Data at the Central Java Forestry Office showed of the total area of 35338 ha of mangrove swamps, 61 percent were severely damaged and 33 percent slightly damaged. An International Mangrove Jamboree was held in Mangunharjo subdistrict in Tugu district, Semarang on Aug. 1 and 2, in which 350 participants planted around 60000 mangrove seedlings around fish farms in the area. From the 226 ha of fish farms in Mangunharjo subdistrict in Semarang previously, now only 70 ha remain and are still producing [10].

• Mangrove replanting in Bantul

In Bantul, a self-supporting community NGO called Relung joined another mangrove project. About 400000 mangrove seedlings were successfully planted since 2003 and grown along the beaches of Bantul, Kulonprogo, Purworejo and Kebumen. They also spread out thousands of crab eggs around the area, with the idea that the crab community would grow with the mangroves and thrive in the area, thus creating a potential industry and source of income for the surrounding communities. By working with various related institutions and NGOs, in the near future local people would be trained to farm crabs in bamboo cages. The dual aims of the project are to improve the local economy and preserve the environment. The Bantul Regency government has also been providing related training in farming saltwater fish, the success of which is also closely associated with the mangroves [9].

• Aquaculture to help fighting bush fire and smoky haze

Muaro Jambi Regency is now dotted with 2399 other ponds stocked with tilapia, a fish popular on dinner tables here. Each pond yields up to 2500 fish a year. Muaro Jambi is an epicentre of the annual fires set to the bush as part of seasonal land clearing. This practice of razing the land is what gives rise to the smoky haze that has often choked Indonesia and neighbouring countries over the past decade. Slash-and-burn farming is practiced out of necessity. It is a cheaper way for poor farmers to clear the land for planting, especially when they cannot afford to buy machines to clear the land. In Jambi, the local government is attempting to bridge this gap by funding cleaning machines, which also benefit to aquaculture. Intang, who is also a local fish fry distributor, said 60 per cent of the equipment costs needed to set up his fish farming facility came from the government. In tandem with the improved economy, the number of hot spots in Jambi has gone down by 23 per cent in the past two years, from a peak of 2150 hot spots in 2006 [11].

• PT Central Proteinaprima Tbk

CP Central Proteinaprima is the fully integrated producer and processor of shrimp fry, shrimp feed and fish feed. It is engaged into integrated shrimp farming, production and sale of poultry, shrimp and fish feeds, and equity investment in other companies. It has a shrimp farm in Lampung and also production facilities in Surabaya, Sidoarjo and Medan. Central Proteinaprima is part of the Charoen Pokphand Group. It provides shrimp feed through six brands namely Irawan, VIP, CP, Marine, Bintang, and Scampi. It operates principally in Indonesia and also exports its products to more than 20 countries worldwide [25].

• Indonesia to support the development of fish farming in Kenya

Kenya and Indonesia are set to enter into a partnership in the development of fish farming in the country. During the visit of Indonesia Assistant minister for fisheries Dr Mabel Nurdjana, Fisheries Minister Paul Otuoma added that the two counties would also collaborate in terms of improving the capacity of the human resource in the fisheries sector. The co-operation will see the introduction of new fish seedlings, improved feeds for fish and distribution systems will be enhanced. A super YY fish species from Indonesia will be introduced in order to improve fish productivity. Dr Otuoma said that utilisation of Sh1.1billion under fish framing enterprise productivity programme was set to kick off early next month. He said that the first group to be trained would be district fisheries officers so that they can train identified fish farmers who will benefit from the programme. The minister said that the programme will see the construction of 200 fish ponds in 140 constituencies that have been identified and will see introduction of new farming technology that will support rural economic development [27].

Malaysia

• End of piracy boost the fisheries industry

Measures taken by the government ensure security on the east coast of Sabah have enabled the local fishermen to tap the vast resources available there. There are no more acts of piracy and this has boosted the fisheries industry there, like aquaculture farming, apart from making the area the largest producer of seaweed. Semporna now produces some 700 tonnes of seaweed a month apart from 100 tonnes of fish a month and this has benefited the livelihood of people in Semporna where many have climbed out from the hardcore poor bracket [12].

• Malaysian government to expand aquaculture sector more aggressively

The government will expand the aquaculture sector more aggressively as it contributes greatly to the country's economy. It already has plans to develop the sector, including identifying areas across the country that could be turned into aquaculture industrial zones [13]. In terms of fish production, while Malaysia had a longer coastline than Thailand, the country’s fish trade was currently seven times smaller. This indicates promising potential, and there are 130 identified aqua zones for local and foreign direct investments. The national investment agency Khazanah Nasional Bhd’s wholly-owned subsidiary Blue Archipelago Bhd had started a 1,000-acre prawn farm [14].

• Aquaculture in Terengganu to be Malaysia's first integrated aquaculture industrial park

The Department of Environment should review the environmental impact assessment (EIA) report on the proposed 1,000ha shrimp farm project in Terengganu, said Global Environment Centre director Faisal Parish [22].
Blue Archipelago Berhad, a subsidiary of Khazanah Nasional Berhad involved in the shrimp aquaculture industry, will operate a RM150 million processing farm called " The iSharp Setiu " in Terengganu, June next year. The farm, when fully operational, will be Malaysia's first integrated aquaculture industrial park. This farm will also create a channel to attract shrimp aqualculture small and medium enterprises to produce high quality shrimps in a controlled and bio-secure facility that ensures food safety [25].

Philippines

• Fisherfolk can adapt to the unwanted climate change

The objective behind the many technologies that the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) will showcase in the forthcoming Agrilink, Foodlink and Aqualink, is that the country’s fisherfolk can adapt to the unwanted climate change. This event is the country’s biggest and most prestigious annual international trade show on agribusiness, food and aquaculture. “The rise of sea level resulting from climate change creates wider area for the culture of certain marine species like abalone, sea cucumbers, sea urchins and other varieties of shell and fin fishes that adapt well to extreme shifts in weather patterns,” Malcolm Sarmiento, head of BFAR said. For similar reasons, some 700 hectares of rice lands in Bulacan and Pampanga have been slowly converted into fishponds for brackish water tilapia because of saline water intrusion [2].

• Alternative livelihoods needed for the Verde Island Passage

The world's most diverse marine ecosystem is under threat from warming ocean temperatures, rising sea levels and more storms as a result of climate change, conservationists have warned. The Verde Island Passage, a corridor of coral-filled tropical waters in the Philippines, has the world's highest concentration of marine species. The global climate change, combined with over-exploitation of resources, are threatening the marine habitats (coral bleaching due to increasing temperature, coral drowning due to sea level rise, increased storm frequency and intensity etc.). The islands around the Verde Island Passage are also facing the collapse of fish stocks, damage from aquaculture activities like shrimp farming, and falling tourist revenues. Alternative livelihoods - such as seaweed farming should promoted [3].

• Sarangani's potential for aquaculture

Former Trade Secretary Cesar Purisima has put the light on Sarangani's potential. Existing major industry is aquaculture with Alsons Aquaculture Corporation's annual production of 7081 metric tons (MT) of aquaculture products. The company produces 780 million fry bangus and various fin fish [4].

• Foreign land grab in the Philippines

Rafael Mariano introduced a resolution calling for an immediate inquiry into what he calls the “great foreign land grab” in the Philippines. Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE have signed agricultural deals or are continuing to negotiate for them with the Philippine government for thousands of hectares of land. Little is known about the deals because the negotiations are carried out behind closed doors. A number of corporations from the UAE already have significant agricultural investments in the Philippines, including fish farms on the main island of Luzon [5].

• Thai CP to spend 1.53 THB to build aquatic feed plants and a pig farm in the Philippines

Charoen Pokphand Foods PCL, the SET-listed flagship of the Charoen Pokphand Group, plans to spend 1.53 billion THB (1 EUR= 48,7 THB) to build aquatic feed plants and a pig farm in the Philippines. The company will spend 1.4 billion THB to construct a shrimp-feed factory with a capacity of 30,000 tonnes per year in Cebu province and a fish-feed plant with a capacity of 60,000 tonnes per year on Luzon island [24].

• Tarlac city government distributs St. Peter's Fish fingerlings for backyard fishery projects

The Tarlac city government has distributed 1.2 million pieces of tilapia (St. Peter's Fish) fingerlings to at least 62 out of 72 barangays here for their backyard fishery projects. “Tilapia raising will take about three to four months before the farmers could harvest from it, so culturing this time will be very timely for Christmas consumption,” said Oscar Natividad, fishery coordinator, Tarlac City Agriculture Office [28].

Singapore

• Aquaculture in Pulau Ubin

Situated in the northeastern coast of Singapore, the offshore island Pulau Ubin is being developed into a nature park. Much of its natural environment is being preserved and visitors will still be able to experience the rural community atmosphere encompassing granite quarries, coconut and rubber plantations, mangrove swamps, fish and prawn farms, and traditional fishing “kelongs” [19].

• Aquaculture in Kranji

While small and land-strapped, the busy metropolis of Singapore actually has a countryside. Kranji is an area located just 30 minutes outside the city center, well outside the radar of the casual tourist. Far from the urban high rise cityscape, it hosts everything from military barracks to fish farms to wildlife parks [21].

• Singapore fish farms to contribute 15% of the fish supply in the next five years

Singapore fish farms to contribute 15% of the fish supply in the next five years, up from the current 4%. This is the plan by the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA), as part of efforts to diversify and stabilise Singapore's food supply. Singapore currently has 105 fish farms. They raise fish like sea bass and mullet. Five Singapore fish farms have formed a cooperative and now sell their output directly to NTUC FairPrice, which buys an average of 500kg of fish from them daily. Six varieties of such fish will be introduced: Grey mullet, milk fish, seabass, red snapper, black king fish (cobia) and green mussel [23].

Taiwan

• 27 percent of farmland crops were destroyed by Typhoon Morako

Taiwan’s Council of Agriculture estimates that 27 percent of farmland crops were destroyed by Typhoon Morako [6]. A combined 8381 hectares of fish farms in southern Taiwan were severely damaged. Of the damaged aquaculture farm areas, 1,231 hectares were coastal fish ponds [18]. As of August 13, Taiwan's aquaculture industry’s financial losses have escalated to USD 88.7 million. All fish farms in Jiadong and Linbian incurred losses of TWD 20 million (USD 607,900) and Aquaculture facilities suffered an estimated TWD 144.6 million (USD 4.4 million) [17].

• Comeback of the ornamental fish aquaculture industry

The island's ornamental fish industry rose to its peak between 1986 and 1995, when local breeding skills had reached a high stage of development and the economy was booming. Six years ago, however, domestic sales shrink, as its once-promising business, which had previously seen revenue of around NT$3 million (US$90,700) per month, seemed to be fading. However, the industry has been staging a comeback in recent years. According to the Taiwan Ornamental Fish Association, the total export value of Taiwan's ornamental fish has increased by 35 percent over the past five years, from NT$74.6 million (US$2.3 million) to NT$1 billion (US$30.3 million) annually [16]. The article [16] contains a lot of additional informations about the ornamental chain in Taiwan.

Vietnam

• Contest of the best executives in charge of the support to agriculture and aquaculture

The contest of the best executives in charge of the support to agriculture and aquaculture is one of the seven organized nation-wide this year. The event took place on Augiust 21, 2009 and saw the participation of the 10 cities and provinces of the Red River delta: Hanoi, Hai Phong, Thai Binh, Nam Dinh, Hung Yên, Hà Nam, Hai Duong, Vinh Phuc, Bac Ninh et Ninh Binh. The contest is regarded as an occasion for the executives to exchange and improve support to agriculture and aquaculture [20].

• Workshop on vulnerability and adaption to climate change of catfish farming stakeholder

On 21 June 2009 the AquaClimate team held a vulnerability and adaption to climate change of catfish farming stakeholder workshop and focus group meeting in Can Tho, Vietnam. Stakeholders including catfish farmers in general expressed that climate change is a serious threat and needs to be addressed in an integrated manner. The main changes they observed were: shift in weather patterns, higher temperatures, early rains, floods, saline water intrusion and frequent typhoons [26].

REFERENCES
[1] http://www.fis.com/fis/worldnews/worldnews.asp?l=e&country=0&special=&monthyear=&day=&id=33546&ndb=1&df=0 (consulted on August 24, 2009)
[2] http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=494245&publicationSubCategoryId=77 (consulted on August 24, 2009)
[3] http://www.theherald.co.uk/news/news/display.var.2524246.0.Worlds_leading_marine_wildlife_hotspot_is_under_threat.php (consulted on August 24, 2009)
[4] http://www.pia.gov.ph/default.asp?m=12&fi=p090804.htm&no=B2 (consulted on August 24, 2009)
[5] http://www.thenational.ae/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090730/BUSINESS/707309940/1137 (consulted on August 24, 2009)
[6] http://www.wsws.org/articles/2009/aug2009/typh-a17.shtml (consulted on August 24, 2009)
[7] http://thejakartaglobe.com/business/prices-of-basic-foods-rise-as-fasting-month-starts/325391 (consulted on August 24, 2009)
[8] http://www.allaboutfeed.net/news/company-update-kiotech-international-3483.html (consulted on August 24, 2009)
[9] http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2009/08/11/holding-it-together.html (consulted on August 24, 2009)
[10] http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2009/08/07/mangrove-damage-reaches-97-c-java.html (consulted on August 24, 2009)
[11] http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/index.php/world/34148-indonesia-turns-to-fish-farming-to-help-fight-haze (consulted on August 24, 2009)
[12] http://www.mysinchew.com/node/28462 (consulted on August 24, 2009)
[13] http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v5/newsindex.php?id=432564 (consulted on August 24, 2009)
[14] http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/8/5/business/4455802&sec=business (consulted on August 24, 2009)
[15] http://www.brudirect.com/index.php/200908033882/Local-News/of-local-entrepreneurs-a-successful-projects.html (consulted on August 24, 2009)
[16] http://theseoultimes.com/ST/?url=/ST/db/read.php?idx=8667 (consulted on August 24, 2009)
[17] http://bffl-x.blogspot.com/2009/08/rice-study-china-introduction-china-is.html (consulted on August 24, 2009)
[18] http://www.etaiwannews.com/etn/news_content.php?id=1031015&lang=eng_news&cate_img=49.jpg&cate_rss=news_Society_TAIWAN (consulted on August 24, 2009)
[19] http://ayosingapore.blogspot.com/2009/08/pulau-ubin.html (consulted on August 24, 2009)
[20] http://lecourrier.vnagency.com.vn/default.asp?page=newsdetail&newsid=55278 (consulted on August 24, 2009)
[21] http://www.celsias.com/article/urban-agriculture-and-singapores-unexpected-activi/ (consulted on August 24, 2009)
[22] http://www.socalfishfarm.com/blog/flaws-in-malaysian-fish-farm-assessment/ (consulted on August 24, 2009)
[23] http://wildshores.blogspot.com/2009/08/boosting-fish-farming-in-singapore-what.html (consulted on August 24, 2009)
[24] http://www.bangkokpost.com/business/economics/22693/cpf-to-invest-b1-5bn-in-philippines (consulted on August 26, 2009)
[25] http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v5/newsbusiness.php?id=435392 (consulted on August 27, 2009)
[26] http://www.enaca.org/modules/news/article.php?storyid=1842 (consulted on August 27, 2009)
[27] http://www.nation.co.ke/News/-/1056/646246/-/um8dsh/-/ (consulted on August 27, 2009)