Aquaculture
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12348/2
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- The Clostridium autoethanogenum-derived protein (CAP) is a microbial protein generated during ethanol fermentation of agricultural byproducts. The present investigation evaluated the use of CAP as a sustainable alternative to reduce fishmeal (FM) dependency in aqua-feeds. A 70-day feeding trial was done to examine the impacts of partially replacing FM protein by CAP at 0 % (control, CAP0), 10 % (CAP10), 20 % (CAP20), 30 % (CAP30), and 50 % (CAP50) inclusion levels in diets for European seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax) juvenile (initial weight 10.5 ± 1.5 g). Results obtained demonstrated that dietary CAP incorporation up to 50 % FM replacement did not significantly (P > 0.05) impact the growth performance, feed efficiency, or survival rates. Similarly, the expression levels of growth-related genes (IGF-1 and GH) remained unchanged across treatments. The intestinal digestive enzymes activities, including lipase, alpha-amylase, and proteases, as well as the haematological parameters remained unaffected by the dietary CAP inclusion levels. Histological assessment revealed normal tissue architecture in the intestine, liver, and spleen of fish fed on CAP-containing diets. That indicats no adverse effects of CAP on organs’ structure. A simple economic analysis showed reduced feed costs with increasing CAP inclusion, where production costs per ton of fish gain decreases by 19.3 % at 50 % FM replacement compared to the control diet. These findings establish that CAP is a viable and cost-effective protein source capable of replacing up to 50 % FM protein in practical diets for D. labrax juveniles without compromising their growth, health status, or organs’ structure.
- The Apatani community in Arunachal Pradesh, India has long practiced rice-fish coculture, integrating rice cultivation with fish farming to enhance food security and promote environmental sustainability. This traditional method utilizes the region’s wet rice terraces, allowing for the simultaneous production of rice and fish, contributing to efficient land and water resource utilization. Despite the organic nature of this practice, challenges such as suboptimal input distribution, inappropriate combinations of rice and fish species, and limited access to training have hindered productivity. The overall average yields of 1389 kg/ha for rice and 209 kg/ha for fish, indicating room for improvement. This study focused on optimizing resource utilization and fund allocation among Apatani farmers in Ziro Valley to address these issues. Data were collected from a random sample of 200 farmers across the valley. Using Cobb-Douglas production functions, researchers estimated rice and fish yields through regression models. Subsequently, a non-linear constrained optimization problem based on the Nash-bargaining framework was solved to assess the effects of optimization on fund allocation for various inputs. The findings revealed that rice and fish yields could potentially exceed 2000 kg/ha and 300 kg/ha, respectively, with proper resource management. Critical factors identified for enhancing productivity included using mixed manure and stocking fingerlings. Moreover, improving farmers’ technical knowledge and skills through institutional support and policy interventions was deemed vital for establishing rice-fish coculture as a sustainable livelihood in Ziro Valley. In conclusion, while the Apatani community’s traditional rice-fish coculture system offers a foundation for sustainable agriculture, targeted optimization of resource utilization, combined with enhanced training and institutional support, is essential to realize its full potential in improving productivity and ensuring long-term sustainability.
- Over the past 5 years, WorldFish’s work in Zambia has delivered tangible, measurable change, especially for smallholder farmers, women and youths in rural communities. In the remote provinces of Northern and Luapula, where access to quality fish seed, feed and training is limited, WorldFish introduced practical, inclusive models that have strengthened livelihoods and reshaped local food systems.
- The AABS work package two (WP2) executed the socioeconomic and environmental baseline survey study in Nigeria with the main objective of documenting the coastal aquaculture farmers in Nigeria socioeconomic. This baseline study provides a snapshot of the community's social, economic, environmental, and cultural characteristics, which serves as a reference point to measure changes and impacts resulting from IMTA implementation. In this study we identified key socioeconomic and environmental indicators. These indicators include income levels, education, health, gender dynamics, cultural practices, land ownership, livelihoods, infrastructure and service. Establishing a robust socioeconomic and environmental baseline helps in designing context-specific interventions, predicting potential challenges, and identifying key interventions that could promote the adoption and growth of IMTA in Nigeria.
- Maximizing shrimp yield necessitates the efficient utilization of key inputs to enhance technical efficiency and overall production performance. This study employs Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) with a double-bootstrap procedure to derive statistically robust efficiency estimates. Using cross-section data of 256 semi-intensive whiteleg shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) farms in Tamil Nadu, India, the study shows that most farms operate below the production frontier with an average technical efficiency score of bias-corrected, radial, and non-radial measures equivalent to 0.57, 0.60, and 0.38, respectively. Notable inefficiencies in input utilization underscore the need for targeted interventions to refine resource allocation strategies. The divergence between radial and non-radial efficiency scores suggests that while overall input use is relatively efficient, further optimization in specific resource management practices is required. The determinants of technical efficiency scores are farm size, stocking density, culture duration, and specific growth rate, all exerting statistically significant positive effects on shrimp yield. Findings highlight the critical role of strategic resource allocation to enhance farm performance by improving productivity, which helps ensure the long-term viability of shrimp aquaculture.
- This 6-monthly report covers the activities from October 1, 2023 – March 31, 2024. These activities are related to the four major outputs of the project. The three major thematic outputs are related to increased availability (Output 1), accessibility (Output 2) and consumption (Output 3) of fish; and the fourth output is about knowledge sharing and dissemination (Output 4).
- This report presents the activities of the Partnership for Aquaculture Development in Timor-Leste Phase 2 (PADTL2) from October 1, 2023, to September 30, 2024, focusing on the project's four major outputs: increased availability (Output 1), accessibility (Output 2), and consumption (Output 3) of fish, along with knowledge sharing and dissemination (Output 4).
- This banner outlines the objectives and scope of CAINA project, funded by IDRC and led by WorldFish in collaboration with partner universities and organizations in Malaysia and the Solomon Islands.
- This social media card outlines the objectives and scope of CAINA project, funded by IDRC and led by WorldFish in collaboration with partner universities and organizations in Malaysia and the Solomon Islands.
- This poster outlines the work packages (WP), impact pathways and potential nature-based aquaculture system in Malaysia and Solomon Islands. The project aims to support the transformation of aquaculture into a climate-resilient and inclusive food system through nature-based solutions.
- This poster outlines the impact pathway of the work packages (WP) and potential case study locations in Solomon Islands. The project supports sustainable aquaculture development through nature-based approaches in nascent, small-scale sector.
- This poster outlines the objectives, work packages (WP), impact pathway and potential case study locations in Malaysia. The project aims to support the transformation of aquaculture into a climate-resilient and inclusive food system through nature-based solutions.
- Bacterial diseases can pose a significant challenge to aquaculture in Kenya, leading to significant economic losses. A fish farm in Narok County, Kenya, reported mass mortality among its reared fish which included Nile tilapia, catfish and ornamental fish. This study aimed to characterize an Aeromonas isolate recovered from the farm and assess its potential role in the outbreak. Water samples (n=10) were collected randomly from different points within the fish ponds using sterile universal bottles and transported to the bacteriology laboratory at the Department of Veterinary Pathology, Microbiology and Parasitology, University of Nairobi. The bacterial isolate was identified using conventional culture methods, biochemical assays, Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry (MALDI-TOF), BD Phoenix machine tests, and Whole Genome Sequencing. Based on morphological, biochemical, and MALDI-TOF analyses, the isolate was identified as Aeromonas veronii and further confirmed as Aeromonas veronii biovar Sobria using the BD Phoenix system. The genome size of the isolate was approximately 4.6 Mb with a GC content of 59%. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the isolate clustered with fish isolates from South America and Asia and with human isolates from Asia and Australia. The study underscores the need for more studies on this bacterium’s pathogenicity and development of an autogenous vaccine for the prevention of its bacteriosis.
- This report details the progress made during the 1st quarter of 2025 (January to March), covering the three sub-components of the project.
- The report outlines the achievements of WorldFish and its contributions to the AICCRA Zambia project in 2024. AICCRA stands for Accelerating the Impact of CGIAR Climate Research for Africa. The AICCRA Zambia cluster is led by the International Water Management Institute (IWMI).
- This report presents the results of an assessment of a quarantine facility and three hatcheries in Côte d’Ivoire. The objective of the assessment was to check the readiness of the facility and the hatcheries to receive the Genetically Improved Farmed Tilapia (GIFT) strain of tilapia from WorldFish Malaysia. Two WorldFish scientists traveled to Côte d’Ivoire, where they had an initial consultative meeting with key government stakeholders and interviewed managers at the quarantine facility and the hatcheries. They conducted a practical assessment of the facilities during comprehensive site visits on December 18–23, 2024. The assessment focused on existing infrastructure, biosecurity measures and the technical capabilities necessary to successfully quarantine the soon-to-be-imported GIFT fry and the subsequent nursery, grow-out and multiplication phases required to establish a tilapia breeding program in the country. The quarantine facility and the three hatcheries did meet the minimum requirements. However, they still require a number of important improvements based on the results of the assessment, and the staff at all of the facilities would benefit from additional training and technical support.
- This study explores whether addressing gender constraints in aquaculture can enhance women’s empowerment and climate-adaptive capacities. The study uses a mixed-methods quasi-experimental design and draws on primary data collected in October 2022 in Northern and Luapula provinces, climate change hotspots where gender equality and climate-adaptive capacities are acutely challenged. It examines the extent to which gender-intentional and gender-responsive aquaculture interventions by WorldFish in Zambia that address some of these constraints—such as women’s limited agency and limited access to technology, information and knowledge—are associated with women’s empowerment, better food and nutrition outcomes and enhanced climate-adaptive capacities. The research additionally compares project-level Women's Empowerment in Agriculture Index (pro-WEAI) measures between treatment and control groups.
- This document, "50 Years of WorldFish: From Fisheries Science to Aquatic Food Systems for Sustainable Development," celebrates WorldFish's journey from its origins as ICLARM in 1975 to its current role as a leader in aquatic food systems. This brief highlights the organization's evolution from focusing solely on fisheries science to embracing a holistic approach that includes aquaculture, value chains, socio-economic dimensions, and environmental aspects of aquatic food production. The publication showcases key achievements such as the development of influential tools like ELEFAN and Ecopath, and the creation of FishBase, the world's most comprehensive database of fish species. It also emphasizes WorldFish's commitment to bridging the gap between science and development, empowering small-scale fisheries, integrating gender into research, and addressing global challenges like climate change and food insecurity through sustainable aquatic food systems.
- The project cracked new ground in aquaculture by overcoming a long-standing barrier: the absence of scalable seed production technologies for nutrient-rich small indigenous fish such as mola, swamp barb, pool barb, reba carp, tengara catfish, and climbing perch. Through applied research and locally adaptable innovation, the team developed simple, low-cost, and replicable hatchery protocols, enabling the production of over 52.57 million SIS seeds (approx. 20,782 kg of survived fry) in India (Assam and Odisha) and Bangladesh. Integrated into existing carp hatcheries, the innovation helps operators diversify incomes, enhance biodiversity, and improve diets—especially for women and children in low income communities.
- In 2024, the project achieved significant breakthroughs in hatchery-based seed production of nutrient-rich small indigenous fish, contributing to both biodiversity conservation and nutritional security. A major highlight was the successful induced breeding, nursery rearing, and seed transport protocol development for five SIS—mola (Amblypharyngodon mola), swamp barb (Puntius chola), pool barb (Puntius sophore), reba carp (Cirrhinus reba), and tengara catfish (Mystus tengara)