Features

Infectious myonecrosis (IMN) is a viral disease caused by infectious myonecrosis virus (IMNV), a putative totivirus. IMNV particles are icosahedral in shape and 40nm (nano metres) in diameter, reports the Network of Aquaculture Centres in Asia (NACA).

Freshwater ecosystems are very vulnerable to invasion by pests, including introduced animals and weeds. Since European settlement many exotic fish have been accidentally or deliberately introduced into New South Wales (NSW) waterways, and some have become wide…

Various opponents to the salmon farming industry claim that the fish used for producing fishmeal, should be used directly for human consumption. While this can be correct for some species, it does not tell the whole story, writes Marine Harvest.

This study, by N. Ahmed from the Department of Fisheries Management, Bangladesh Agricultural University, describes the existing marketing systems of low-valued cultured fish with its value chain analysis. Theaim of this paper is to highlight key issues determi…

Major changes are taking place in two traditional integrated aquaculturesystems, the VAC and wastewater-fed aquaculture in the Red River Delta,Vietnam, especially in peri-urban Hanoi and adjacent provinces, writes Peter Edwards, for the Network of Aquaculture …

Next month, traps will be lowered into the waters of the Hauraki Gulf in a renewed bid to find out more about the prevalence and impact of the toxin that is threatening seafood safety, writes the Cawthron Research Institute.

After 11 years, Target Marine Hatcheries in Canada, is expecting to harvest its first batch of white sturgeon caviar in the next few months. Charlotte Johnston, TheFishSite Editor speaks to Justin Henry, General Manager.

There have been substantial technical advances in recent years which have dramatically changed the use of fish meal and the efficiency of feeding. Marine Harvest, the worlds biggest salmon producer, has now explained some of the major factors behind the fish f…

The direct threat from the killer warty comb jellyfish to the Baltic cod population has been shown not to be so serious after all. Even though the invasive killer jelly feeds constantly, cod eggs seem not to be on the menu. In fact, if they accidentally swallo…

Vegetable ingredients can replace much of the fish proteins and fish oil used in conventional feeds for farmed salmon and salmon trout without sacrificing the health benefits of consumer products.

Record-high farm prices for corn in 2010/11 are expected to ration demand over the coming months, according to the latest report from the USDA Economic Research Service.

Eel stocks are currently undergoing a steep decline, although no one knows exactly why.

Catfish research at Mississippi State University is no surprise given that Mississippi leads the nation in catfish production, but the potential applications of that research through the College of Veterinary Medicines fish hatchery are another story.

A market for over six million metric tons of soybean meal has been successfully created over the past 15 years through the development,field testing, and demonstration of all-plant protein, soymeal-based feeds to fish farmers in China, says Dr Michael Cremer, …

A relatively new virus is causing havoc in the international oyster industry. Charlotte Johnston, TheFishSite editor speaks with David Jarrad from the Shellfish Association of Great Britain about the fatal oyster herpes virus.

This briefing note summarises the current status of the cage aquaculture industryin Malawi, development opportunities, and economic social and environmentalconcerns that need to be addressed to ensure sustainability of the industry, from the World Fish Centre.…

Dr John Forster, a US consultant looks at whether seaweeds could be used in aquaculture feeds.

Egypt produced 1,008 million tonnes of seafood in 2007, whilst Morocco produces only 1,600 tonnes, writes Lara Barazi-Yeroulanos, FAO Consultant.

With increasing feed prices, researchers are looking at alternative diets for shrimp, says Dr D. Allen Davis from the University of Auburn, Australia.

This report by the Australian government looks at the financial and economic performance of the Southern and Eastern scalefish gillnet, hook and trap sector for scalefish.

The Eastern Tuna and Billfish Fishery (ETBF) is a multispecies fishery that stretches from the tip of Cape York to the South Australian Victorian border and includes the waters around Lord Howe Island and Norfolk Island.

Tunisia currently produces 12.6 million European seabass and gilthead seabream juveniles and imports 2.2 million juveniles, writes Lara Barazi-Yeroulanos, FAO Consultant.

Perkinsus organisms are a group of protistan (single-celled) parasites that can infect shellfish, especially bivalve molluscs, in various parts of the world, reports Denie Petty from the University of Florida IFAS Extension.

During all of 2009 and early 2010, groundfish prices declined as a result of good supply and strong market competition from other whitefish species, such as pangasius, reports Globefish, a unit of the FAO Fisheries Department responsible for information on int…

Feed grain production for 2010/11 is estimated at 330.0 million tons, according to the latest report from the USDA Economic Research Service.

China's aquatic production in 2011 is forecast at 53.6 MMT, up two percent over the estimated 52.5 MMT in 2010, according to the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service. The production growth is driven by strong domestic consumption due to growing disposal incomes, …

This report looks at how effective the Irish strategy for improved pest control on Irish salmon farms (which was implemented two years ago) has been.

The Commonwealth Trawl Sector (CTS) is one of four sectors in the Southern and EasternScalefish and Shark Fishery (SESSF), and is the largest sector in catch and value terms. This report by the Australian government looks at the economic and financial performa…

Aquaculture in France has an important tradition and history. France was one of the pioneers in Europe in the development of research and technology which led to the growth of the industry in general.

Research by Sandra Bravo, from the Aquaculture Institute at the Universidad Austral de Chile, has identified that sea lice Caligus rogercresseyi, a Caligidae species not previously documented, occurs widely in both the South of Chile and Southern Argentina.

A new study which benchmarks the abilities of laboratories around the world to measure heavy metals (arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury, methylmercury and inorganic arsenic) in seafood has been published by the Joint Research Centre

Over the last decade, aquaculture has been one of the fastest growing food production sectors in Cyprus. Today it accounts for 70 per cent of the national fisheries production and for 70 per cent of its value, writes Lara Barazi-Yeroulanos, FAO Consultant.

The purse-seine fishery of Namibia consists largely of horse mackerel and pilchards. The latter are mainly canned within Namibia and in South Africa, and are also destined for the South African and UK markets, reports Globefish, a unit of the FAO Fisheries Dep…

Dr Wade Watanabe and Dr Md Shah Alam, scientists at the University of North Carolina Wilmington-Center for Marine Science (UNCW-CMS) are developing alternative plant protein based practical diets for the culture of black sea bass, Centropristisstriata.

Lower forecast corn yields this month reduce U.S. corn production 124 million bushels to 12.54 billion, according to the latest report from the USDA Economic Research Service.

The aquaculture industry in Spain is varied and rather well-developed with a total production of 292575 tonnes and a value of 532 million euros in 2007, writes Lara Barazi-Yeroulanos, FAO Consultant.

US Atlantic salmon imports in the first quarter of 2010 fell nine per cent in terms of volume, totaling 46953 tonnes. However, in terms of value imports showed a slight increase (+ one per cent), reflecting the upward trend in prices, reports Globefish, a unit…

Both government regulators and the Canadian salmon aquaculture industry face ongoing pressure to reduce the industrys potentially adverse effects on the surrounding natural aquatic environment. One option currently being considered is closed-containment, a pra…

The general economic recovery led to brisk shrimp trading in the first half of 2010. Generally demand exceeded supply, and prices moved up sharply. Shrimp importers and traders in the main markets were unable to build up inventories, as the product moved quick…

Turkey is the second largest producer of European seabass and gilthead seabream in the Mediterranean countries (small production in Black Sea) with an annual production in 2007 of 75,400 tonnes, writes Lara Barazi-Yeroulanos, FAO Consultant.