Status of oyster culture in selected Asian countries
by
Alessandro Lovatelli *
One of the objectives of the UNDP/FAO Seafarming Development and Demonstration Project (RAS/86/024) is to stimulate the development and expansion of seafarming systems through inter-country training and information exchange.
This report was compiled with the objective of putting together in one comprehensive volume information on production data, culture status, practices, problems, constraints and future plans of the oyster industry in selected Asian countries. Such information is not easily available or scattered in numerous sources. The statistical data used in this report was gathered from various sources (e.g. FAO Yearbook of Fisheries Statistics, Country Fisheries Statistic when available and from relevant literature) and compared for their reliability. Several other countries involved in oyster farming have not been included due to the unavailability of information and data.
The report is certainly not complete in all its aspects, again due to the lack of published information.
The countries analysed in this work are China, India, Indonesia, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Taiwan and Thailand.
For each of these countries, production data for the period 1980– 1986 is provided, where possible, as well as the general status, culture practices, constraints and prospects of their oyster industry.
This working paper was prepared for the Seventh Session of the IPFC (Indo-Pacific Fisheries Commission) Working Party of Experts in Aquaculture.
