A brief discussion is presented on the current situation regarding world fisheries and the future role of aquaculture. The various components involved in fisheries, and affecting all changes in fisheries through time, include the biology of the species involved, environment, technology/engineering and socio-economics. The importance of education in fisheries and aquaculture development is also examine

Kutty, M.N.

English

Aquatic Commons

157
SIii:Ta elq= TU ONE
SOME THDUONTS IN ROHE FIIES DEVELOPILIEHT 1 UTION 12JIT1
SPECIAL REFERENCE TO AI:A ACULTU
By
Kutty
FAO/UN DP/N 10M R African Regional Aquaculture Centre
P.M.B. 6165
Port-Harcourt, Nigeria
INTRODUCTION
The vvorld fisheries is still mainly (90% of the total production) capture-oriented, which is
just the reverse of plant-based and animal-based food procluction systerns. in spite of the fact that
the surface area of waters in the vvorld is over 3times that of the land and is also less accessible,
given time, aquaculture vvould clearly point to this developrnent. Leaving out the aqua-food (rice
excluded), cultivated crops are the main source of human food. Man's unfamiliarity of the watery
environment might only delay the process of development of aquaculture. But novv with the
global awareness of population explosion and food/protein shortage and limitations of terrestrial
and aquatic production and also with the advances of science and technology, capable of penetra-
ting millions of miles into the starry world, man vvould certainly 'plough' the waters as successfully
as he does with the land.
EVOLUTION OF 1NORLD FISHERIES
I have suggested in Figure 1 three stages in the evolution of world fisheries (aquaculture) in
the future. Stage I depicts the present position. The relative areas for capture (cp) and culture
(Cl) fisheries approximate the contributions to overall fisheries production. The present global
culture fisheries production is about 10% of the total, but in the 'near' future (Stage II), it (Cl)
vvould increase and in the farther future (Stage III), it (Cl) would be over 50% of the total produc-
tion. "Capture" would still be about half of the total production, but inroads of 'culture' into
'culture' will be much more for the capture operations will be based greatly on contributions from
culture (Stocking and artificial recruitment), as the world's vvild stocks would be overfished and
man's intrusions (industrialization/ pullution would reduce the wild stocks considerably. Thus
in the real sense, the major portion of production (hatched area in the stages in Figure 1) would
be strictly aquaculture-based but due to the nomenclature (accepted as 'capture') and indeed
the major need for capture of the stocked fishes, 'captured fisheries' would continue to be about
half or diminished half of the total.
Unbroken and broken horizontal arrows in the figure indicate greater and lesser influences
(Cp or C1) on each other - the trend being a greater influence of capture (wild) fisheries on culture
fisheries in the beginning, as now, which changes with time, as human control over the total fishe-
ries increases.
The element of time involved is not specified, because of, as it appears, the telescoping
effect of time on human progress or at any rate the telescoping of the progre5s in scientific achie-
vements of rnan vvith time. Therefore, events conceived Lo take place in 50; 00 years now could
take place in 5-10 years from a fixed point in time in future. However, one might guess that in
the next 50 years aquaculture production would be equal to capture fisheriee sproduction.
Disciplines in Fisheries
The various components involved in fisheries are indicated in Figure 2 as affecting all the
changes in fisheries through time. The four major components, which may be treated as discip-
lines inside fisheries, are depicted as biology of the species involved., enviionment, technology/
engineering and socio-econornics. Tiled sub-components concerned are also indicated. A mo-
ment's reflection would make it obvious that the component with some modifications are also
more or less common for not only the capture and culture fisheries, but also for most of the living
resources - vvould's plant and animal crops.
An overall viewing of this type of obvious help to planners and educators as is recognized,
but not often realized, especially in curricular planning and development.
158
Fisheries Education
The various sub-components in Figure 2 are the various subjects, courses or topics, depen-
ding on the stress needed to be covered, under the broad component/discipline headings in the
figure. These are not complete but do suggest most of the interests. In long-established systems
as for agriculture and animal husbandry these are well-formulated but for disciplines 3uch as
fisheries, the systems are relatively nevv, in spite of the fact that fisheries and allied subjects are
taught for some years in yarious biology departments in the universities and also in a few fisheries
colleges and universities - the latter especially in certain advanced countries such as Japan and
U.S. are exceptions. Again, here the total approach is for fisheries, with aquaculture getting a sub-
sidiary role if any at all.
It is of interest to view the role or importance of the various componerts sub-components
depicted in the figure on the type of fisheries either capture. The approaches of the two sub-
division of fisheries would be entirely different. For example, we can look up the interplay of
the environment on the capture fisheries and explain the past and also future performances in a
detached sense,-vvith much less control. But, as is obvious, with the culture systems, we would
look at the environment e.g. a fish-pond environment as soil conditions of a fgrm as controllable.
The technology/engineering for aquaculture will often be much profound and meaningful.
As indeed is well recognized aquaculture is this more akin to agriculture for study of most
scientific disciplines than it is to fisheries (capture fisheries). It is the water and biological mate-
rials which are the common links of capture fisheries and aquaculture, but if one looks at pond
culture, areas such as soil-water interaction and regulation of the chemical environment are as
important for aquaculture as they are for agriculture.
While, the technology of high yielding varieties of crops might reduce the compatibility of
fish-crop-livestock growing advancement of science and the need for integration of such systems
(also need. for recycling and pollution control and adoption of biological control methods, evolu-
tion of resistant varieties etc), would bring aquaculture and agriculture to-real Proxity universally,
if not immediately, in the future, as is indeed realized and practised in certain ancient parts of the
world.
From the point of view of the educator, it is convenient to teach many aquaculture subjects
with specialists in the field so close to agriculture. Both these will fit-in together in the rural
scene of developing countries also. The situation in most areas connected with capture fisheries
is somewhat different.
Again, as recognized, in une area, especially post-harvest technolow and marketing of the
product, capture and culture fisheries are identical. Species biology and environment also have
many common grounds in capture and culture, but here again one's approach is to manipulato.
the populations in an uncontrolled environment while the other's is to manipulate the enyfron
ior controlled poptilations. Indeed as is-suggested, the two systems would drit towards each other
but may remain separate considering the space involved.
In academic programme as indicated, it would be convenient to have aquaculture progra-
mmes going in proximity to agriculture programmes, but an obvious common groups for capture
and culture fisheries should be maintained wherever the two programmes can coexist. Much of
the basic aspects often included in the first degree in the university can be offered together.
In as much as fisheries and aquaculture programmes are developed new in several universi-
ties all over the vvorld, aquaculture training programmes are actively planned and organised by
ADCP global network of FAO (this Centre) is a part, it is useful as indeed had been done, in
some cases to view proximity and interdependence of the various components or disciplines
of fisheries and agriculture and formulate teaching programMes accordingly.
For a general programme in fisheries, as a first degree or bacnerlor's degree of a university,
it would be pertinent to offer together all the disciplines (biology, environment, technology/engi-
neering and socio-economics complexes), cutting across the two divisions, capture fisheries and
aquacultu re.
159
Exp tions for kigungs
Rpm 1
Likely changes in capture (Cp) and culture (Cl) fisheries contributions to.overall fisheries
production (harvested biomass) with time. The present global culture fisheries productirin is less
than 10% of the total (Stage I, Figure 1), but in the 'near' future (Stage II) it (CI) would increase
and in the 'far' future (Stage Ill) it would be over 50% of the total production capture vvould
still be about half of the total production but inroads of 'culture' into 'capture will be much
more, for the capture operations will be based on contributions from culture (stocking and artifi-
cial recruitment) as the world's wild stocks would be over-fished and man's intrusions (industriali-
zation/pollution) vvould reduce the wild stocks considerably thus in the real sense the major
portion of production (hatched areas in the 'stages' in figure) would be strickly aquacultu re based,
but due to the nomenclature accepted as 'capture') and indeed the major need for 'capture' of the
stocked fishes. 'Capture' fisheries would continue to be about half the total. Unbroken arrosw
and broken horizontal arrows indicdte the influence of one type of culture or the other ('Cp' vs
'Cl') the trend being a greater influence of capture (wild fisheries) to culture fisheries in the
beginning as now (Stage I) Mich changes with time (Stage II and Ill), as human control over the
total fisheries increases.
At higher levels of specialization, say for the second or third degree programmes, it would
be useful to branch off into capture fisheries or aquaculture and to individual disciplines affecting
each division, as the subject of interest needing deeper study. Indeed, the accent of course progra-
mming contents for capture fisheries and aquaculture, as has been pointed out, will be more diffe-
rent as also are the expertise and facilities required. Having both these broad divisionR under the
same roof especially in higher level academic programmes will be highly expensive, though helpful,
as is indeed experienced in a few such centres existing.
The ideas presented here he been collected/developed (1-5) in the course of my associa-
tion with fisheries teaching, organising a fisheries programme (Fisheries College, Tuticorin) of the
Tamil Nadu Agricultural University and also my involvement as Aquaculturist (Training) with the
Postgraduate course for senior aquaculturists offered at the African Region Aqvaculture Centre,
Port Harcourt, Nigeria, which is part of the global network of the Aquaculture Development and
Coordination Programme (ADCP) of the F.A.O.
REFERENCES
FAO (173). FAO Technical Conference on Fishery Management and Development held at Vancouver, P.C.
Capada, February 13-2,a, 1973 Proceedings (Journal of the Fisheries Research Board of Cernada, Vol.30
No12, Part 2: 1921-2537. 19730.
KUTT ,FM.N. (1980). Aquaculture in SouthEast Asaia: Some points of emphasis. AquacultUre, 20: 159
168.
PILLAY, T.V.R. (1977). Planning of Aquaculture Development an introductory guide. p 71. Fishing News
Books Limited., Farnham, Surrey, England.
PILLAY, T.V.R. and DILL, W.A. (1979). Advances in Aquaculture. Papers presented at the FAO Technkal
Conference on Aquaculture, Kyoto, Japan, 26 May-2 June, 1976. Fishing News Books Limited, Farnham,
Surrey. , England.
TNAU (1981). Seminar on teaching Fisheries. Proceedings, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Fishen'es
College, Deticorin, Tamil Nadu, February 22, 1981.
F ci u
STAG E II NEAR FUTURE
C p
STAGE I N OW
STAGE III FAR FUTURE
REPRoDucTION
FECuNDITY
mATuRATION
GENETICS BREEDING
AGEING
POPULATIONS
pRoDUcTiviTY
MARINE
BRAcKIsH
FRESHWATER
ENVIRONMENT
TOLERANCE
OPTIMAL RANGES
POLLUTION
EFFEdTs
siT IN G
FERTILIZATION
ENvIRONMENTAL
CONTROL
PLANNING
ExTENsION
Ft crtigE
GROwTH
BEHAvIOUR
161
BIOLOGY
CAPTURE
F I sHERIEs
c ULTURE
TRANSPORT FISH PRODUCTI ON
MARKETING LABOUR
PATHOGENs PARAsITEs
PREDATORS
FOoD & FEEDING
FEED CONv ER sION
PHYSI -
NUTRITION
BIOCHEMISTRY
FEED FORMULATION
POST HARVEST TECHNOLOGY
PRoCEsSING
CuALITY CONTROL
TECHNOLOGY ENGINEERING
GEAR GRAF T
TECHNOLoGy
FARm ENGINEERING
LAND & WATER MANAGEMENT
SOCIO ECONOmICs SOCIAL ATTITUDES
BEHAvIOUR
COOPERATION


The shape of fisheries to come. Some thoughts on fisheries development and education with special reference to aquaculture

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