Features

Climate change is a reality and it will affect aquaculture. Sena S. De Silva of Deakin University, Australia discusses the challenges that climate change poses for aquaculture.

Temperature changes can alter the growth, survival and feed conversion of cultured Pacific white shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei. To examine the effects of temperature on these performance factors, Dr Chalor Limsuwan, Kasetsart University, and Dr Carlos A. Ching,…

G. salaris is a tiny creature measuring less than half a millimetre in length. It uses its tiny claws to attach itself to the skin ofyoung salmon, which it then eats. G. salaris breeds prolifically and a young salmon may be host to up to 10,000 individual spec…

Sturgeon hatcheries play an important role in the rehabilitation of the sturgeon stocks in the Caspian Sea and elsewhere. This FAO report gives guidelines for sturgeon hatchery practices and management.

Salmon exposed to algal-produced neurotoxins show changes in both their brain activity and general behaviour. It has also been found that very small doses of these toxins can have an affect on how salmon relate to other fish.

Imaging with X-rays and nuclear magnetic resonance imaging (NMR/MRI) are technologies normally associated with hi-tech materials science or medical examinations; now Skretting is using them to examine the humble fish feed pellet.

As part of the FAO 2012 report 'The state of world fisheries and aquaculture', this article looks at the barriers to achieving low impact fuel efficient fishing in today's society.

Atmospheric gases naturally diffuse between air and water to reach an equilibrium of pressure. Gases dissolve in the blood of fish and shrimp, and equilibrate with gases in the animails water. When water is suddenly warmed, gas bubbles can form in the blood of…

Transmission of infection from neighbouring fish farms is the main way that the viral disease Infectious Salmon Anaemia (ISA) spreads during epidemics. This is the key conclusion of Trude Lyngstad's doctoral research.

This article from the FAO's 'The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2012 Report' looks at the acceptance of women in aquaculture and the promotion of women in aquaculture to help develop education, training and economic prospects.

Due to the build up of bacteria and viruses in bivalves from filter-feeding, bivalves can be harmful to humans when ingested. The different factors affecting the microbial quality of shellfish is therefore analysed in a study by Carlos Campos, Ron Lee, Simon K…

Researchers from the USDA ERS have explored whether US consumers adjusted their purchases of shrimp in response to the 2005 country-of-origin labels (COOL) requirements for seafood. Findings show that consumers were not responsive to the new country-of-origin …

This article by Peter S. Rand and B. A. Berejikian et al, from the Wild Salmon Center in Portland, Oregon, US, and the NOAA Northwest Fisheries Science Center, looks at the ecological interactions between wild and hatchery salmonids.

Fast growth and attractive market prices make wreckfish an interesting option among the new species considered for commercial aquaculture. Since 2009, the Spanish institutions Instituto Espaol de Oceanografa and Instituto Galego de Formacin en Acuicultura have…

People are at the heart of sustaining aquaculture. Development of human capacity and gender, therefore, is an important human dimension, according to authors from the Aquaculture Department, Southeast Asian Fisheries and Development Center and the Department o…

This article presents the initial results from a program of stock surveys led by professional fishermen and funded via an innovative project of marine renewable energy, writes Laure Robigo, Departmental Fisheries Committee of Ctes dArmor, Brittany, France.

The 2012 benchmark stock assessment and peer review have concluded that the American eel population is depleted in US waters. The stock is at or near historically low levels due to a combination of historical overfishing, habitat loss, food web alterations, pr…

Using fishmeal to feed to fish in aquaculture fisheries could prove to be unsustainable in the long run as the aquaculture industry grows and ocean fish stocks diminish, write Chris Harris.

A study demonstrated that byproducts prepared from salmon livers, salmon milt, black cod viscera and arrowtooth heads and viscera from Alaskan fisheries processing plants were easily digested by shrimp. These byproducts also contained a high level of protein o…

This report from the European Commission to the European Parliament (published July 2012) looks at member states' efforts during 2010 to achieve a sustainable balance between fishing capacity and fishing opportunities.

Sustainable fisheries and aquaculture play a crucial role in food and nutrition security and in providing for the livelihoods of millions of people. FAO's latest flagship publication on the state of fisheries and aquaculture, launched at the opening of the 30t…

Seafood export value for the first quarter of 2012 is up by 8.6 per cent compared with the first quarter of 2011 to NZ$388m, states a new seafood industry economic report from the New Zealand Seafood Industry Council.

India's marine fisheries are in a state of crisis, despite official statements that there is still scope or fish landings to increase. Ninety per cent of India's fish resources are at or above maximum sustainable levels of exploitation (Srinath 2003, Srinath e…

As a response to the request for information regarding scientific advice on biotoxins in conjunction with the work for developing Standards for live and processed bivalve molluscs, the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) and the World…

A review into commercial fisheries policy, management and administration in New South Wales, Australia was done by an independent review team comprised of three experienced individuals Richard Stevens, Peter Neville and Ian Cartwright who have extensive expert…

Nutrient-rich small fish species in aquaculture have the potential to improve human nutrition and health according to a study in Bangledesh and Cambodia by Shakuntala Haraksingh Thilsted, Senior Nutrition Adviser to The WorldFish Center.

Stricter management of fisheries is needed to prevent overexploitation and decline of tuna and their mackerel relatives, according to an international study.

There are many different eco-labels for both wild and farmed fish. But the requirements to use eco-labels for fish products have little impact on Norwegian fishermen.

This report by the International Pole and Line Foundation reviews and synthesises information on live baitfish fisheries for tuna pole-and-line fishing. It explores several elements of live baitfish fishery, including techniques used, locations and ecological …

Comparisons of production, water and energy efficiencies of aquaculture versus an array of fisheries and terrestrial agriculture systems show that nonfed aquaculture (e.g. shellfish, seaweeds) is among the worlds most efficient mass producer of plant and anima…

Milkfish is one of the largest volumes of fish traded each day in almost all public markets in the Philippines. About a fifth of the 25 kilograms of fresh fish consumed by Filipinos each year is bangus or 4 kilograms of milkfish per person per year, according …

The proper management of pond water quality plays a significant role for the success of aquaculture operations, writes Elisabeth Mayer, Biomin.

Supply increases for groundfish in 2012, but less pronounced than in 2011, according to the FAO Global Food Outloook.

The Ministry for Primary Industries has published the Governments Aquaculture Strategy and Five-year Action Plan. The plan sets out the government pathway to facilitate the sustainable growth of New Zealands aquaculture sector, working to enable the sector to …

The occurrence of mycotoxins is ubiquitous, which is why it represents a worldwide problem for the animal industry. Even with the use of prevention techniques in the field or during storage, it is actually impossible to avoid mycotoxins completely in agricultu…

Purple-hinge rock scallops are highly prized by local communities and harvested for subsistence in coastal Alaska. To evaluate the suitability of purplehinge rock scallops for mariculture in Alaska, R. RaLonde, K. Brenner and A. C. M. Oliveira of the Universit…

Strong supply growth of farmed salmon in 2012 and firm underlying demand should bring stability to this market thanks to attractive prices, according to the FAO Global Food Outloook.

ETH researchers have for the first time succeeded in discovering the optimal escape response of fish using a supercomputer. The aim was to test whether the escape mechanism of small fish, developed in the course of evolution, is optimal for achieving the maxim…

Chinas output of aquatic products in 2011 amounted to 56.1 million tons, a YoY rise of 4.4 per cent; at the same time, the disparity between seawater and freshwater products in production ratio was narrowing year by year, accounting for 51.9 per cent and 48.1 …

Adoption of the ecosystem approach to fisheries management relies on recognition of the link between fish and other components of the ecosystem, namely their physical and biological habitat. However, identifying the habitat requirements of marine fishes and he…