15. The Chairman invited the National Coordinators to present their respective country reports.
16. CHINA. Mariculture products was about 1,100,000 MT in 1987. Shrimp, scallop and abalone culture area and production enjoyed a rapid increase. To satisfy the market for high quality finfish, the culture areas and number of cages for grouper, red and black sea bream, and seabass have been increased. The number of culture species increased by 15 per cent.
Problems for mariculture include inadequate supply of fingerlings, shortage of good quality feeds for finfish and shrimp, and low level of seafarming technology.
17. DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF KOREA. The Government of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea took various measures in seafarming development aimed at increasing national income. Within the near future over 100,000 hectares will be further exploited aiming at an 8-million metric ton production target. The coastal surface area employed in seafarming doubled in the last year compared to the previous year whereas the number of enterprises and cooperative farms increased 3–4 times. Major commercial species being intensively farmed are oyster, laver, scallop, mussel, prawn and rainbow trout. Seafarming ranching is being done with flounder, sea cucumber and abalone. The seed of these species are produced artificially and released in large number in selected areas.
Considerable investments are being channelled into the scientific and technical development of seafarming technologies. A lot of emphasis is being placed on seafarming polyculture. Mussels and sea-tangle are often polycultured in the upper layers of the water column while sea cucumber and flounder are cultured on the bottom. Research is also being carried out on mechanization in heavy and labour-demanding work, on protection from typhoon, and on the utilization of rural materials.
18. INDONESIA. The Government has given high priority to seafarming for these reasons: the high potential of Indonesian waters for the development of profitable enterprises, and its important role in increasing fish production, providing employment with a low investment, and improving income as well as nutrition of the coastal dwellers. The important species of high potential for seafarming are seaweeds, various finfish like groupers, snappers, seabass, caranginids and siganids, and molluscs. Potential areas for development all over Indonesia have been identified and more intensive research is being done on fry production, culture of fishfood, feed formulations and culture of seaweeds.
19. INDIA. Seafarming is relatively new in India. A research and development programme for mariculture was begun in the early '70s under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research. Commercial farming has been limited to shrimp but there are several other species of considerable potential such as molluscs which include oysters, pearl oysters and green mussels, Gracilaria, and some finfish, for which technologies have been developed. However, the economic viability of farming these species has yet to be established. For this, pilot studies are being planned. The Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) in Cochin, the national nodal centre, has been organizing training courses in most of these technologies.
20. REPUBLIC OF KOREA. The basic policy for the development of seafarming aims at the promotion of finfish and pearl oyster culture due to their high commercial value; expansion of the seafarming area in deeper coastal waters; and continued development of sound management practices for commercially important species.
Production from seafarming from 1980 to 1986 increased by 59 per cent, with 940,000 MT in 1986. Of the total production in 1986, seaweeds and molluscs shared the major portion with 55 per cent and 42 per cent, respectively. Production of finfish, crustaceans and other marine organisms is increasing steadily year by year. In 1986, over 180,000 hectares were under culture. The Fisheries Research and Development Agency (FRDA) is the only national institute responsible for the research and technical development of seafarming activities. For the rational and effective development of coast seafarming a two-year nationwide survey of the coastal resources of the Republic of Korea has been carried out.
21. PHILIPPINES. The results of the training course on Eucheuma seaweed culture held in May 1988 in the Philippines was reported. The country has identified priority species for seafarming as well as the income-earning potentials of each species. Seafarming development has been recommended, by a national task force involved in the priority and needs identification, for high level attention by the government. Seafarming is seen to offer good opportunities for fishermen who might lose their livelihood for various reasons, for earning foreign exchange, producing more food, and providing more income.
22. SINGAPORE. Most aquaculture production is now from seafarming which has grown by 6 per cent in the past four years. There are 70 floating fish farms covering 35 of the 100 hectares of available coastal seafarming area. Production of cultured finfish in 1987 was 1,825 MT. Major finfish species cultured are seabass, groupers and snappers. Mussel production in 1987 totalled 1,025 MT while 330 MT of the mud crab (Scylla serrata) were “fattened”. Marine finfish are cultured in floating netcages and mussels in floating rafts. Floating netcages and rafts have been improved in the last few years to suit the needs of the farmers.
Singapore, through the Marine Aquaculture Section of the Primary Production Department, implemented the Finfish Netcage Culture training course.
Floating hatcheries to produce seabass and banana shrimp fry are being tried. Meanwhile, lack of seed of the premium species like groupers continues to be a problem.
Research and development is aimed at application of higher technology to maximise yield, save on labour, ensure high quality of produce, and reduce dependence on trash fish.
23. THAILAND. Seafarming activities have developed rapidly within the last few years due to a strong export market. Major seafarming species are seabass, grouper, red snapper, golden snapper, blood cockle, green mussel, oyster, marine shrimp and mud crab. Shrimp pen culture has been recently developed and considerable research is being channelled to environmental management of the pens. Marine culture production output in 1986 totalled 39,092 metric tonnes.
