WorldFish Digital Repository
WorldFish research is regarded as international public goods, and we are committed to the widespread dissemination of all our information products. One of the organizational objectives of WorldFish is to make all of its products open. This is in line with both the Center’s Research Data Management and Open Access Policy and the CGIAR Open Access and Data Management Policy. Opening our research, including publications, data and tools, ensures that more people can read and apply our research findings, thereby increasing the efficiency, reach and impact of our work.
This repository is built on the DSpace platform, and we hope this will make accessing our material easier.
Recent Submissions
Fish smoking in Madhya Pradesh is largely a women-driven activity. Indigenous fisherwomen are deeply involved in the entire value chain, from harvesting fish in rivers and reservoirs to processing, smoking, and selling the final product in local markets. In districts such as Mandla, Narmadapuram, Betul, and Jabalpur, this work plays a crucial role in household food security and income generation.
This document is a user guide designed to support aquaculture practitioners, extension officers, policymakers, and other stakeholders in effectively using the digital climate risk management tool for aquaculture. The guide provides step-by-step instructions on tool navigation, interpretation of climate information, and application of outputs to enhance climate-informed planning, risk reduction, and adaptive decision-making within the aquaculture sector.
Boeng Sneh Lake, one of Prey Veng’s most important floodplain ecosystems, has reached a new milestone in its journey toward sustainable water and fisheries management. In late 2025, the District Technical Working Group (DTWG) in Ba Phnom successfully secured support from the Provincial Department of Water Resources and Meteorology (PDoWRAM) to replace the deteriorated water gate that regulates flows in and out of the lake. This achievement is far more than an infrastructure upgrade-it is a clear demonstration of how local cooperation, cross-sector dialogue, and community-centered planning can translate into real investment and tangible improvements for people and ecosystems.
Rice cultivation in Cambodia faces challenges from climate change, including intensifying droughts, erratic rainfall, and declining market prices, which undermine the sustainability of traditional monoculture systems. Integrated Rice-Field Pond (RFP) systems, piloted under the CGIAR–Asian Mega Delta initiative, offer a climate-smart alternative by transforming rice paddies into multifunctional, resilient micro-ecosystems. Strategically embedded ponds provide water security, enhance aquatic biodiversity, diversify food and income sources, and strengthen household resilience against climate shocks. Demonstrations under the CGIAR–Multifunctional Landscapes (MFL) program in Prey Veng and Kampong Thom highlight significant benefits: fish harvests through improved pond management, integrated farming profits were several times higher than rice monoculture, and household nutrition and dietary diversity improved. Community adoption has been strong, with low investment requirements enabling scalability to thousands of households. However, management gaps such as widespread pond draining, passive use, and inconsistent practice adoption, limit system resilience. Addressing these challenges requires targeted capacity building, improved governance, and national policy alignment to formally recognize RFPs as climate adaptation assets. Scaling the vision of “One Pond, One Family” could transform Cambodia’s rice landscapes into interconnected, biodiverse of productivity and resilience, securing livelihoods and food systems for millions of rural households.
The Inter-Provincial Workshop on Sharing and Dissemination of Results of Decentralized Governance of Food Systems, Food Security, and Nutrition in Cambodia was convened at the Prey Veng Provincial Administration. The workshop brought together 83 representatives from national and sub-national government institutions, development partners, research organizations, and community stakeholders to reflect on lessons learned and explore pathways for scaling decentralized food systems governance across Cambodia. The workshop was co-organized by the Council for Agriculture and Rural Development (CARD), WorldFish Cambodia, and the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), with support from CGIAR’s Scaling for Impact (S4I), Sustainable Animal and Aquatic Food (SAAF) and Multi-Functional Landscape (MFL) program. It focused on sharing experiences from the implementation of District Working Groups on Food Security and Nutrition (DWG-FSN) in Ba Phnom District (Prey Veng Province) and Santuk District (Kampong Thom Province), including ecosystem-based sub-working groups in Boeng Sneh Lake and Boeng Ream Community Fish Refuge (CFR)
Rohu (Labeo rohita) is a major aquaculture species in Bangladesh, but poor broodstock management has compromised seed quality and growth performance. To address this, WorldFish launched a genetic improvement program in 2012, yet the on-farm performance of the widely available third generation (G3) rohu remains poorly studied. This study aimed to evaluate and compare the growth and profitability of G3 rohu and commercial local rohu under typical smallholder pond polyculture systems in Bangladesh. A total of 120 ponds across two locations were randomly assigned to Selected (30 per location, G3 rohu) or Control (30 per location, local rohu), with rohu stocked at an average of 2470 ha−1 in typical smallholder polyculture systems alongside 5287 ha−1 of other cocultured species. The study was conducted over a full production cycle from July 2023 to March 2024, and differences in performance were assessed using multivariate regression and ANOVA models. Water quality remained within acceptable ranges for aquaculture, despite fluctuations. The Selected rohu demonstrated significantly higher (p ≤ 0.05) harvest weight, weight gain, survival rate, and specific growth rate (SGR), growing 32.6% faster than Control rohu. Productivity of cocultured species did not differ significantly (p ≥ 0.05) between ponds with Selected or Control rohu. Furthermore, G3 rohu yielded significantly higher returns per ha than local rohu, with total productivity, gross revenue, gross margin, net margin, and benefit–cost ratios (BCRs) all significantly higher (p ≤ 0.05) in ponds with Selected rohu. Regression analysis identified pond size, commercial feed use, inorganic fertilization, and stocking density as positive drivers of rohu productivity, whereas pond age had negative effects. Findings are based on data from two districts in southern Bangladesh and may vary elsewhere depending on local farming intensity and management practices. These results suggest that wider dissemination of genetically improved fingerlings, coupled with improved pond management, could enhance smallholder productivity and profitability in Bangladesh.
ECOFISH II (2019-2024), a USAID-funded project led by WorldFish in collaboration with the Department of Fisheries (DOF), aimed to enhance the resilience of Bangladesh’s coastal fisheries and communities. Building on the ECOFISHBD, the project supported 72,000 women, youth, and fishers from 15,010 coastal artisanal fishing households, with a focus on those impacted by the Rohingya crisis. ECOFISH II improved ecosystem health by engaging 140 local youth as blue guards (BGs) to combat ghost gears and plastics. It also advanced scientific research on fish larvae, salinity impacts on fish diversity, seasonal water quality, biodiversity, and the role of phytoplankton in hilsa nutrition. The project assessed various aspects of marine conservation, including MPA suitability, tourism impacts on ghost crabs, small-scale fisheries in Nijhum Dwip, riverine catfish hotspots, and non-conventional fishery products. Catch data from 10 fish landing centers and 40 citizen scientists revealed a 330% increase in small hilsa landings and stable marine fish catch, while the price of larger hilsa doubled. Catch per unit effort (CPUE) data highlighted fluctuations in species such as Bombay duck, hilsa, and thryssa anchovy. ECOFISH II expanded co-management from hilsa to broader marine fisheries by forming 369 Fisheries Conservation Groups, involving 15,010 small-scale fishers, and piloting a fish landing center-based co-management model at 10 landing centers along the Bay of Bengal coast. It also trained 1,508 boat skippers and built national capacity through EAFM training for 48 professionals and 322 committee members, laying the groundwork for sustainable fisheries governance. The project contributed to the development of more than eight key policies, including a revised Hilsa Fisheries Management Action Plan (HFMAP), MPA delineation, the Nijhum Dwip management plan, blue economy guidelines, and low-extractive mariculture strategies, all essential for advancing coastal and marine fisheries management in Bangladesh.
Small-scale fishers are highly impacted by conservation measures, so balancing their needs requires just, equitable, and inclusive strategies. ECOFISH II addressed this by supporting the fishing households through diversified livelihoods, women’s empowerment, and improved access to technology and markets. It helped establish Community Savings Groups (CSGs) and Women Income and Nutrition Groups (WING), empowering 6,575 women and raising BDT 10.6 million in savings. The project also promoted safe dried fish production and climate-resilient horticulture, leading to improved nutrition and dietary diversity. The project also changed nutrition behavior through targeted training and BLS sessions. As a result, 77% of households adopted year-round vegetable cultivation, increasing household income by 78.5% and enhancing dietary diversity for 90% of households. The project also developed nutritious fish and seaweed powders, which generated strong consumer interest. Additionally, it tested various fish-based technologies, such as low-trophic mariculture, dried fish, crab fattening, and seaweed farming, offering new opportunities for technology adoption and market linkages.
This study focuses on the adoption of Improved Aquaculture Management Practices (IAMP) to boost farm productivity and income, examining factors influencing adoption among small-scale aquaculture fish farming households. The research involved 1178 fish farmers practicing three (small-scale commercial aquaculture, Gher based farming and homestead aquaculture) different aquaculture production systems in Bangladesh. Among them, 715 received training on IAMP and support (fingerlings, feed etc.) from WorldFish, while 463 served as control farmers. Adoption levels were measured using the adoption quotient index, and the impact on productivity and income was estimated using propensity score matching (PSM). Results indicated that approximately 65% of project farmers fully adopted IAMP, with around 28% adopting it partially. The adoption quotient of project farmers exceeded that of control farmers. Fish productivity and income were significantly higher for project farmers in all three technologies, and as the level of adoption increased, their productivity significantly surpassed that of control farmers. The findings show that farmers training, participatory trials, guidebooks, and farmers' field days have significant impact on IAMP adoption levels. Thus, in order to ensure sustainable aquaculture production and income for Bangladesh's small-scale farmers, it is recommended that improved aquaculture management practices be prioritized in an attempt to mitigate the challenges caused by environmental and economic factors in the aquaculture sector.
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 Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA) system is sustainable and environmentally friendly for producing different aquaculture species such as finfish, shellfish, and seaweeds. The development and deployment of the IMTA system are within the scope of the Asia-Africa BlueTech Superhighway project (AABS), Work Package 2 (WP2) implemented by WorldFish in Nigeria, Kenya, and Bangladesh. This scoping study was designed to investigate the current mariculture practices in the target states of Nigeria, with hopes of scaling up using the concept of the IMTA system. The one-month study gathered data from field observations during the visit, key informant interviews of forty-four (44) stakeholders from the Ondo, Ogun, and Lagos states and focus group discussions. The responses were used to produce qualitative and quantitative data on the suitable areas and species combination for IMTA, status of coastal aquaculture in the areas, the species caught from the wild, the involvement of men, women, and youths in the mariculture value chain, and the barriers, prospects and opportunities for mariculture development in the areas. The report also detailed the outcome of the focus group discussions on licenses and permits for IMTA, construction, and deployment of cages for IMTA development in Nigeria.
Research related info
