Implementation Status of the Research Components (March - August 2002)

Methodologies for their implementation were discussed and elaborated during the national planning meeting (April - July 2001) in each country and during the First Regional Workshop (August 2001). WorldFish has two internationally recruited staff who coordinate implementation of research activities, and provide technical support to the nine national project teams who are actively implementing the research. The progress of each national team in Components 1 to 4 from March - August 2002 is discussed below.

Component 1 - Profile of Key Aquaculture Technologies and Fishing Practices

Research topics covered in aquaculture technologies include a) aquaculture practices (e.g. farming practices, areas, production levels, cost and return, adoption patterns), b) major fish species (e.g. carp, tilapia, milkfish, sea bass, shrimp, shellfish, grouper, ornamental fish) both from inland and marine waters, and c) post-harvest handling and processing (e.g. type of product, available technology, existing research, etc.) for key fish species. Research in capture fisheries deals with the structure of fisheries, gear types, profiles of fisheries, cost and return, catch per unit effort (CPUE) figures, and others. Secondary information has been gathered from government agencies and other institutions in each respective country. Data collection was started in June 2001 with initial results presented during the Inception Workshop in August 2001. Experts from WorldFish reviewed these technical reports and provided comments for improvement. The national teams from the participating DMCs have revised the reports and their major findings are presented below.

One of the specific objectives of the Project is to determine the most sustainable aquaculture and fisheries practices that are of critical importance to poor fish farmers and fishers, as well as to low-income consumers. The objective includes prioritizing fish species, farming systems, fishing technologies and management practices. Achievement of these objectives requires information on the existing status of technology adoption and fishing practices. Partner countries therefore collected information on aquaculture technologies, such as farming environments, technology adoption and management practices. A summary report on the freshwater aquaculture of the participating countries is attached as Appendix 2. A summary report of brackish-water aquaculture is being compiled by a team from the WorldFish Center. Some of the information gathered is provided below by country.

 

•	Bangladesh
•	China
•	India
•	Indonesia
•	Malaysia
•	Philippines
•	Sri Lanka
•	Thailand
•	Vietnam