MAPPING OF EXISTING MARICULTURE ACTIVITIES IN SOUTH-EAST SULAWESI “POTENTIAL, CURRENT AND FUTURE STATUS”

The present study identifies existing mariculture activities and its constraints in SE Sulawesi, along with its geo-physical attributes in the Province.This allows for a better understanding the potential, current and future status of mariculture development in the area and making sure its sustainability. The study was conducted to map the existing mariculture activities in SE Sulawesi. Data collection was performed in June 2009. Spatial and attribute data of the existing mariculture were acquired by interviewing fish farmer using open-ended questionnaire and analyzed using ArcGIS 9.x. Key water quality parameters consisted of temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, salinity, depth, clarity, and turbidity and analyzed using STORET Indeks. Three big clusters of existing mariculture activities are located in Kendari, Muna and Buton areas, collectively serving as both a source of mariculture products and a market destination or transit location. All surveyed locations of existing mariculture activities in SE Sulawesi show relatively optimal water quality conditions. Site capacity and suitability analysis of existing or potential areas of mariculture activities and development have largely not been considered by stakeholders involved in managing coastal areas, resulting in crowded and unmanaged development with multiple overlapping economic activities in some areas. Piloting of integrated ‘value-adding’ mariculture industries (e.g. raw material, processed products and ‘ready to eat’ industries) might help ease some if not all of the existing economic problems of the mariculture sector

Socio-Economic Analysis of Climate Services in Disaster Risk Reduction: A Perspective on Pacific SIDS

This paper explores methods and the key factors influencing socio-economic analysis of the role of climate services in disaster risk reduction, with a regional emphasis on Small Island Developing States in the western tropical Pacific. We analyse the role of traditional benefit-cost analysis especially in the context of evaluating the importance of science-based climate change services (i.e., relevant to current and future climate change over multi-decadal timescales) in disaster risk reduction at a national economy level. Our analysis is premised on a range of relevant social and economic metrics at a national economy scale, including surrogate indicators for specific disaster risk reduction sensitive sectors in context of both mitigation (transitional risk) and adaptation (physical risk) to climate change. Relative importance of different methodologies of socio-economic analysis (i.e., partial/sectoral vs economy-wide modelling), gaps in relevant data and information, and the role of the public and private sectors in mobilising resources and capability for facilitating such analysis are explored. Our paper also discusses the issues relating to investing in, producing and undertaking on-ground applications associated with disaster risk reduction using climate change services for both public good and private (-for-profit) benefit outcomes, and provides suggestions for further research to improve socio-economic analysis of Climate Information Services impacts

Traceability and discrimination among differently farmed fish : a case study on Australian murray cod

The development of traceability methods to distinguish between farmed and wild-caught fish and seafood is becoming increasingly important. However, very little is known about how to distinguish fish originating from different farms. The present study addresses this issue by attempting to discriminate among intensively farmed freshwater Murray cod originating from different farms (indoor recirculating, outdoor floating cage, and flow through systems) in different geographical areas, using a combination of morphological, chemical, and isotopic analyses. The results show that stable isotopes are the most informative variables. In particular, &delta;13C and/or &delta;15N clearly linked fish to a specific commercial diet, while &delta;18O linked fish to a specific water source. Thus, the combination of these isotopes can distinguish among fish originating from different farms. On the contrary, fatty acid and tissue proximate compositions and morphological parameters, which are useful in distinguishing between farmed and wild fish, are less informative in discriminating among fish originating from different farms.<br /

Induced spawning, larval development and rearing of two indigenous Malaysian mahseer, Tor tambroides and T. douronensis

The Mahseers (Tor spp.) are highly valued freshwater fishes across the Himalayan and South-east Asian regions. Over exploitation of natural stocks because of high demand and the deteriorating environmental conditions have resulted in marked decline of mahseers in the wild. Malaysian mahseers, T. tambroides (Bleeker) and T. douronensis (Valenciennes), locally known as empurau, kelah or belian and semah, respectively, have significant cultural and economic importance but both species are now threatened in the wild because of environmental degradation and over fishing. A captive breeding programme was instigated to attempt to propagate these two species artificially for conservation and aquaculture purposes. Both pond-reared and tank-held T. tambroides and T. douronensis reached sexual maturity in captivity and were successfully induced to spawn using hormone treatments. Ovaprim (0.5 mL kg&minus;1) was the most successful hormone treatment for both species. Pre-treatment of fish with Ovaplant (28&ndash;68 &mu;g kg&minus;1, 2&ndash;7 weeks before spawning induction) greatly improved the success rate of spawning induction. Repeat spawning (within 4 months of initial spawning) was induced in some captive fish. Use of formalin baths improved hatching by preventing fungal infections. Embryonic development and hatching are described. Juveniles were reared in static greenwater ponds. Tor tambroides reached 142&ndash;179 g (max 270 g) in 60 weeks. These results represent the first successful captive spawning and rearing of both species. Options for future research to improve production are discussed.<br /

Mitochondrial DNA diversity of broodstock of two indigenous mahseer species, Tor tambroides and T. douronensis (Cyprinidae) cultured in Sarawak, Malaysia

Tor tambroides and T. douronensis, locally referred to as empurau and semah, respectively, are high valued mahseer species, indigenous to Sarawak, East Malaysia, with an aquaculture potential and of conservational value. Direct sequencing of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) 16S rRNA gene region (542 bp) was used to investigate genetic variation of T. tambroides and T. douronensis broodstock collected from different geographic locations in Sarawak and maintained at the Indigenous Fish Research and Production Center (IFRPC), Tarat, Sarawak, Malaysia. A total of 11 unique haplotypes were identified, of which six were detected in T. tambroides, and five in T. douronensis. Overall, nucleotide diversity (&pi;) was low, ranging from 0.000 to 0.006, and haplotype diversity (h) ranged from 0.000 to 0.599. Although the analysis failed to detect genetic variation amongst populations of T. tambroides (significant pairwise FST was found for only one test, but pairwise haplotype frequencies were not statistically significant), substantial inter-population divergence among T. douronensis was recognised, especially those originating from different river systems (pairwise FST = 0.754 to 1.000, P &lt; 0.05). Fixed haplotype differences were found in one population of T. douronensis. Average nucleotide divergence between T. tambroides and T. douronensis was 0.018, similar to the amount recognised between T. tambroides and the outgroup T. khudree (0.017). In addition, phylogenetic analysis revealed that the T. douronensis mtDNA consisted of two highly divergent clusters (0.020), one of which is more closely related to T. tambroides rather than with the other group of haplotypes of the conspecifics. The findings from the present study have important implications for aquaculture, management and conservation of these two species. The data also raise some concerns regarding the taxonomic status of T. douronensis, which needs to be addressed.<br /

Current status of farming practices of striped catfish, Pangasianodon hypophthalmus in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam

Aquaculture of catfish, Pangasianodon hypophthalmus (Sauvage), locally known as &ldquo;ca tra&rdquo;, and commonly referred to as striped catfish, river catfish and sutchi catfish, in Vietnam, having recorded a production of 683,000 tonnes in 2007, valued at about 645 million US$ is one of the largest single species based farming system, restricted to a small geographical area, in the world. The product is almost totally exported to over 100 countries as frozen fillets, as an acceptable alternative to white fish. Catfish is farmed mostly in earthen ponds, up to 4 m deep, in nine provinces in the Mekong Delta in South Vietnam. The results of the grow-out system of catfish farming in the Mekong Delta from a survey of 89 farms are presented. The farm size ranged from 0.2 to 30 ha with a mean of 4.09 ha. The frequency distribution of the yield in tonne/ha/crop and tonne/ML/crop corresponded to a normal distribution curve, where 75% of the farms yielded 300 tonnes/ha/crop or more. It was found that the yield per crop was significantly correlated (p &lt; 0.05) to stocking density, pond depth and volume but not to pond surface area. Yields per crop was significantly different (p &lt; 0.05) between upper and lower provinces of the Mekong Delta and water source (river versus channels), amongst others. It was evident that diseases and/or symptoms were observed to occur mostly in accordance with the onset of rains. In this paper the history of the catfish farming in the Mekong Delta is briefly traced, and current harvesting and marketing procedures as well as pertinent social elements of the farming community are dealt with.</div