Aquaculture
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12348/2
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- This report reviews the implementation and outcomes of the Practitioner Engagement Program (PEP) piloted in two aquaculture-intensive upazilas of Mymensingh, Bangladesh. It documents improved knowledge, attitudes, and decision-making among fish farmers and practitioners regarding antimicrobial use, biosecurity, and disease prevention following participatory learning activities. Interactive tools, hands-on demonstrations, and stakeholder engagement were identified as key strengths, while gaps related to scale, follow-up, and inclusion were noted. The findings provide practical evidence to inform the refinement and scaling of antimicrobial stewardship interventions in aquaculture. The report was jointly produced under the Antimicrobial Resistance and One Health South Asia (AMROH-SA) Project and the CGIAR Sustainable Animal and Aquatic Foods (SAAF) Science Program.
- The presentation was jointly produced under the Antimicrobial Resistance and One Health South Asia (AMROH-SA) Project and the CGIAR Sustainable Animal and Aquatic Foods (SAAF) Science Program. It presents the design and piloting of a people-centric, community-led antimicrobial stewardship intervention implemented in two aquaculture-intensive upazilas (Fulbaria and Tarakanda) of Mymensingh, Bangladesh. Through courtyard meetings involving fish farmers, agrovet shop owners, veterinarians, and Department of Fisheries officers, the intervention combined AMR awareness-raising, biosecurity education, interactive learning tools, and water-quality demonstrations to address key drivers of antimicrobial use at farm level. Participatory methods—including educational board games, visual IEC materials, and pre- and post-knowledge assessments—were used to encourage responsible AMU, strengthen community ownership, and promote informed farm management decisions. The document provides practical evidence on how people-centric pilot interventions can support sustainable antimicrobial stewardship in aquaculture systems under the One Health framework.
- Economic breeding objectives identify the most profitable candidates by weighting trait performance, with economic values, according to each trait’s expected impact on farm profit. Trait preferences amongst farmers also impact breeding objectives, particularly in adoption of genetic material. The production of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) in Nigeria has increased in recent years, and as production grows, it is important to consider the genetic merit of the fish. In this study we calculated economic values in Nigerian naira₦ m-2 cycle-1 for feed conversion ratio (FCR;-175.39), growth rate (-1.02), survival (3.41), resilience to low oxygen (1.22) and skin colour (0.4) traits. The economic values were used to design a trait preference trade-off survey, which was deployed across 8 States in Nigeria. Multivariate cluster analysis grouped farmers into 4 distinct trait preference clusters. Trait preference clusters were used to adjust (up or down) the economic values to give new sets of economic values that reflect trait preferences in the respective cluster. Farmers in Cluster 1 prioritize improving fish skin color. Cluster 2 prioritizes FCR, while placing less importance on resilience to low oxygen. Cluster 3 prioritizes survival and low oxygen resilience, while placing less importance on growth. Cluster 4 prioritizes harvest weight and low oxygen resilience. Implementation of a selection index that uses the calculated trait preference adjusted economic values in a breeding program could lead to the development of Nile tilapia strains that are tailored for Nigerian farmer economic conditions and trait improvement preferences.
- This study addresses the limited information on aquamedicine use, including antimicrobial use (AMU), in commercial tilapia farms in Bangladesh. A retrospective cross-sectional survey was conducted in November 2022 in the Mymensingh district, a major tilapia production hub. Nearly half of the farms (46.6%) experienced fish mortality during the last production cycle, and 75.0% of farmers did not seek professional assistance during disease outbreaks. Among those who did, 68.0% relied on chemical or drug suppliers for guidance rather than veterinary experts. Biosecurity practices were inadequate, with 98.3% not implementing four basic monitored measures: disinfection of vehicles, footwear, hands, and equipment. Awareness of AMU risks among respondents was low, with 56.0% unaware of its negative impacts and 88.8% unfamiliar with antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Farms with polyculture systems or fish showing clinical signs or mortality were more likely to use treatment products (p<0.01). Treatment use varied significantly across different upazilas (p<0.001), suggesting location-specific differences in disease management. Antibiotic use was low, with only 15.5% of farms reporting antibiotic treatments, primarily oxytetracycline hydrochloride (23.8%), enrofloxacin (19.0%), and erythromycin–sulphadiazine–trimethoprim (19.0%). However, other chemicals with antimicrobial properties, such as disinfectants, were more commonly applied, reported by 39.7% of farms for disease management. Imprudent use of disinfectants and aquamedicines may pose One Health risks, including disruption of pond microbial ecosystems, AMR development, chemical residues, and occupational hazards. In-depth qualitative studies are needed to further understand and optimize aquamedicine use practices and determine how tilapia farmers may benefit from improved biosecurity, training, and veterinary access.
- The diverse water resources in Mandla are underutilized and have not yet been fully investigated and examined. However, a variety of logistical, social, technological, and environmental obstacles make it difficult to develop suitable aquaculture technology in Mandla's challenging environment. Farm ponds (both seasonal and perennial) and shallow seasonal wetlands are two different forms of water resources that have been the focus of an initial exercise. An attempt has been made to look at relevant water ecological characteristics and related socioeconomic aspects of the associated aquatic food systems.
- This study aims to first of all establish baseline data for the Climate-Resilient Aquaculture Systems for Africa project, which focuses on enhancing aquatic food systems in Kenya. As a repeated cross-sectional study, this will be followed by midline and endline studies. Conducted in five counties— Homabay, Busia, Kakamega, Migori, and Kisii—the study employs a mixed-method design using purposive and three-stage sampling approaches. The study will select 65 key informants and focus groups and 2000 survey respondents across the aquaculture value chains. Through structured survey questionnaires and semi-structured interview guides, the study will gather comprehensive baseline data on socio-economic conditions, postharvest technologies, financing, livelihood characteristics challenges and opportunities within the aquaculture value chains. The collected information will provide a critical reference for monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of the CASA project activities and will inform evidence-based policy and management strategies in the Kenya aquaculture sector.
- Integrated Agriculture–Aquaculture (IAA) in Egypt is technically feasible and offers major benefits for water efficiency, food security, and income diversification, but adoption remains limited due to high setup costs, weak technical capacity, and fragmented governance. Market demand for fish and crops is strong, yet premium markets for IAA products are undeveloped. Scaling requires coordinated action across seven pillars: policy stability, capacity building, financial support, value chain development, data and research, climate adaptation, and market awareness. Key recommendations include establishing training centers, simplifying licensing, providing soft loans, creating pilot farms, and promoting branding and certification for IAA products.
- This report provides an overview of the WorldFish GIFT Tilapia training conducted for the Bayelsa State cohort. It highlights the training objectives, activities carried out, participant engagement, key outcomes, and recommendations for future capacity-building initiatives
- This technical policy brief provides an evidence-based overview of aquaculture systems in Bayelsa State, Nigeria, highlighting key production challenges, livelihood implications, and opportunities for tilapia expansion under the WorldFish Scaling for Impact Programme.
- Mandla, in central India, is a land of contrasts, riverside banks, rolling hills, and drought-prone uplands shape its unique landscape. This undulating terrain provides an ecological setting where both seasonal and perennial farm ponds are part of the village fabric. For many communities here, ponds are more than just water bodies; they represent food security, nutrition, and opportunity. Yet Mandla is also one of the more socio-economically vulnerable districts. Resource-poor tribal communities dominate the population, and poverty and malnutrition remain widespread. In such a context, farm ponds have a vital role to play in reducing vulnerability. They can serve as reliable sources of food and income if managed properly. Unfortunately, their potential is still far from being realized.
- Farm ponds serve as critical livelihood assets for smallholder farmers in socioeconomically vulnerable regions such as Mandla district, Madhya Pradesh; however, suboptimal water quality management, limited scientific guidance, and low primary productivity continue to constrain aquaculture performance. Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA) offers a resilience-enhancing model by promoting nutrient recycling, ecosystem balance, and diversification of outputs. However, IMTA adoption at scale requires timely ecological monitoring and informed decision-making, an ongoing challenge for resource-constrained farmers. To address this gap, we developed EcoFarm, a mobile application equipped with advanced computational analytics to support precision management of IMTA systems. The application integrates machine learning algorithms for disease risk prediction and ecological performance scoring using key water quality parameters, plankton indices, stocking ratios and production. A Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) framework is embedded to evaluate resource efficiency, species-wise productivity, and nutrient utilisation performance, enabling the identification of high-performing farmers and context-specific corrective interventions. EcoFarm simultaneously supports bottom-up data acquisition, automated spatiotemporal trend analysis, and expert-informed advisory services and recommendations. Designed with lightweight architecture and multi-lingual accessibility, the tool ensures usability among digitally marginalised communities. Results demonstrate that integrating IMTA knowledge with machine-learning-enabled decision support significantly enhances environmental stability, reduces disease incidences, and improves the economic viability of farm-pond aquaculture. EcoFarm thus represents a scalable digital decision-support ecosystem for strengthening multifunctional landscape strategies and accelerating sustainable aquaculture transitions in rural India.
- As 2030 nears, SDG progress remains slow, heightening the need for sustainable food systems. Aquatic foods are vital for nutrition and low environmental impact. Nigeria, Africa’s largest fish consumer and aquaculture leader, faces supply gaps. WorldFish’s Bayelsa study assesses aquaculture systems to guide innovations improving food security, livelihoods, and sector performance.
- At the inter-provincial workshop in Prey Veng, organized by the Council for Agricultural and Rural Development (CARD) under the CGIAR S4I, SAAF, and MFL programs, stakeholders from government, community, and development partners gathered to strengthen district-level food system governance. The presentation on Integrated Rice-Field Pond (RFP) systems highlighted their importance in Cambodia’s rice-growing regions, where one in three households maintain ponds that provide fish harvests averaging 40 kilograms per year. These ponds serve as refuges for fish during dry seasons and pesticide exposure, while also supporting diversified livelihoods. Findings from studies around Boeng Sneh revealed that rice farming remains the dominant livelihood, but RFP systems contribute significantly to household food and income security. Despite challenges such as pond drying, pesticide use, and unsustainable fishing practices, good management approaches; like aquatic plant cultivation, fish shelters, and broodstock retention; demonstrated potential for resilience and productivity.
- Vietnam is one of the world’s leading producers and exporters of aquatic foods, contributing around 6-7% to the national GDP and a similar proportion of employment. Pangasius catfish and brackish water shrimp are the main aquaculture and export products, but generate substantial negative environmental impacts and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. At the same time, Vietnam’s aquatic food system faces severe threats from climate change. The country’s extensive coastline and large river deltas – including the highly productive Mekong – make it one of the world’s most vulnerable regions to climate impacts like sea level rise, salinity intrusion, and extreme weather events, such as typhoons. Rising temperatures and ocean acidification are altering marine ecosystems and habitats, threatening fish stocks and the viability of aquaculture. Vietnam has committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 and to reducing GHG emissions by 9% by 2030 domestically, or up to 43.5% with international support. Food security is also a top priority in national socioeconomic development and sustainability policies. Given the aquatic food sector’s climate vulnerability, overexploitation of natural resources, pollution, and high GHG emissions, integrating aquaculture and capture fisheries into national adaptation and mitigation strategies that are responsive to the needs of all stakeholders, including women, would advance national food security and climate goals. This brief is part of a series assessing how blue foods can support national climate goals by combining country-specific data on production, trade, consumption, GHG emissions, and climate risks to identify opportunities for mitigation and adaptation. It is intended for decision-makers developing national climate strategies in Vietnam and similar contexts, as well as funders and implementing partners targeting blue foods in climate initiatives.
- Mexico’s rich marine and freshwater ecosystems support diverse and culturally significant blue food systems. In 2019, the fisheries and aquaculture sector supported nearly 297,000 direct jobs, mainly in capture fisheries. Mexico is a net exporter of blue foods, generating US$1.4 billion in export earnings. Mexicans consume nearly 13.8 kg of blue foods per person annually, below the 2022 global average of 20.2 kg per year. Recognizing their broad contributions, the Mexican government has stated that fisheries and aquaculture are priorities, with efforts to strengthen regulations, increase seafood consumption to reduce malnutrition and obesity, and support ecosystem restoration. Fully realizing the potential of blue foods will also require addressing overfishing and planning for climate threats such as warmer waters, deoxygenation, and stronger storms. This brief is part of a series assessing how blue foods can support national climate goals by combining country-specific data on production, trade, consumption, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and climate risks to identify opportunities for mitigation and adaptation. It is intended for decision-makers developing national climate strategies in Mexico and similar contexts, as well as funders and implementing partners targeting blue foods in climate initiatives.
- Indonesia’s coastal and marine ecosystems support one of the world’s largest fisheries and aquaculture sectors. Blue foods supply an average of 41 kg of fish per person annually, providing essential micronutrients to millions of Indonesians. They also support the livelihoods of millions, generate billions in export earnings, and contributed nearly 2.8% to national GDP in 2020. Recognizing these benefits, Indonesia has elevated blue foods in its medium- and long-term development plans and the Indonesia Blue Economy Roadmap, which aims to grow the sector while protecting ecosystems and promoting community well-being. Realizing the full potential of blue foods will also require addressing overfishing and planning for climate threats such as warmer waters, rising seas, and stronger storms. This brief is part of a series assessing how blue foods can support national climate goals by combining country-specific data on production, trade, consumption, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and climate risks to identify opportunities for mitigation and adaptation. It is intended for decision-makers developing national climate strategies in Indonesia and similar contexts, as well as funders and implementing partners targeting blue foods in climate initiatives.
- Ghana’s rich marine and freshwater ecosystems support fisheries that are important for both exports and local consumption. While aquaculture production is currently relatively small, it is growing rapidly, supported by policies and strategies such as the Ghana National Aquaculture Development Plan and the recently passed Fisheries and Aquaculture Bill, which aim to sustainably grow the sector and enhance the income generated from it. Blue foods are central to national food security, accounting for 60% of animal protein consumed in Ghana, and roughly 10% of the population is employed by the industry. Ghanaians consume 24 kg of blue foods per person per year, above the 2022 global average of 20.2 kg, with small pelagics making up the bulk of diets. In recent years, marine capture fisheries have been under strain from overfishing and illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing. Small-scale fisheries increasingly struggle to compete with overcapitalized industrial fleets, many of them foreign-owned. Realizing the full potential of Ghana’s blue foods will require improvements to the management and regulation of fisheries and coastal resources and greater resilience in the face of climate threats such as warmer waters, deoxygenation, and stronger storms. This brief is part of a series assessing how blue foods can support national climate goals by combining country-specific data on production, trade, consumption, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and climate risks to identify opportunities for mitigation and adaptation. It is intended for decision-makers developing national climate strategies in Ghana and similar contexts, as well as funders and implementing partners targeting blue foods in climate initiatives.
- Pacific Island countries and territories (PICTs) are reliant on aquatic resources for food and nutrition security, income, livelihoods, cultural practices, economic development, and government revenue. Fisheries and aquaculture are particularly important in these large ocean states, making it essential to understand how climate change will affect oceanic, coastal and freshwater resources. This can then inform effective management measures and policies that minimize risks and sustain benefits for communities and governments.
- In the Pacific Islands region, aquatic ecosystems (ocean, rivers and lakes) are integral to people’s culture and well-being, with fisheries and aquaculture making vital contributions to food and nutrition security, livelihoods, economic development, and government revenue. However, growing human populations and an increasing demand for resources, is resulting in land-based pollution and coastal development, unsustainable fisheries practices (including illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing), as well as expanding global trade and value chains, all of which represent significant pressures and drive change in the region. In addition, climate change – through increases in ocean temperature, ocean acidification, sea-level rise, and declines in dissolved oxygen – is an increasingly present and significant threat to ecosystems. These changes are already having, and will continue to have, profound effects on the structure and function of coastal, oceanic and freshwater ecosystems, as well as impacts on their component finfish and invertebrate species and the fisheries and aquaculture they support. These impacts will have consequences for the communities and economies that depend on them for food and nutrition security, livelihoods and revenue.
- The report provides a comprehensive analysis of the challenges and opportunities for including women and youths within Egypt’s aquaculture sector. It was developed as part of the baseline scoping study conducted under the Center for Renewable Energy in Aquaculture (CeREA) project, funded by the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Cairo and implemented by WorldFish in Egypt (2023–2027). The project seeks to refine, test and scale innovative renewable energy solutions so that fish producers, processors and others working in aquaculture can increase their productivity and income. These efforts aim to improve diets and nutrition in Egypt, reduce food waste and loss and create food value chains that are more energy efficient by using appropriate renewable energy technologies for aquaculture. The authors looked for opportunities and identified pathways to empower women and youths in aquaculture by integrating renewable energy solutions with approaches that gave due consideration to gender responsiveness.