Bioeconomic Analysis of Improved Diets for Lobster,Panulirus ornatus,Culture in Vietnam

Culture‐based growout of tropical spiny lobster, Panulirus ornatus, is a nascent and unique industry that faces a number of challenges and opportunities. Of particular interest to this study is the imminent development of pelleted diets for lobster (probably within 3 yr) that will potentially reduce the industry's dependence on bycatch for feed (with benefits to wild stocks of fish and reduced downstream environmental impacts). The aim of this paper is to conduct a bioeconomic analysis of lobster growout farming in Vietnam and analyze the cost‐effectiveness of potential manufactured feed diets for these farms. Growout lobster farming is found to be a high‐cost and high‐return industry, with a benefit cost ratio of approximately 1.44. Approximately 60% of the total costs are feed related, with the quantity of feed being the production parameter with the highest variability. Hence, reducing the cost and increasing the efficiency of feeding will have a significant impact on the level and variability of profit. It is expected that manufactured diets will improve the profitability by approximately 267 million VND/yr for an individual farmer (15,000 USD) and approximately 435 billion VND/yr for the industry (24 million USD). This is expected to double again if the diets have the added benefit of reducing mortality through the inclusion of vitamins and other additives.     

River pen culture of giant freshwater prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii (De Man) in southern Vietnam

A technical and socio‐economic survey conducted in the Dong Thap province of Vietnam to assess the current status of river pen culture of giant freshwater prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii (De Man) showed that pen culture, which has been developed and operated by farmers' indigenous knowledge, requires more study in order to optimize stocking density and to assess its environmental impacts. In this study, the prawn pens were of rectangular shape, with an average size of 209 m². Prawns were stocked in June at an average density of 62 pieces m^?2 and fed on farm‐made feed and were harvested 2–4 times starting from 4 months after stocking until late December or the following January. The average prawn yield was 0.52 kg m^?2 year^?1, ranging from 0.14 to 1.6 kg m^?2 year^?1. The average net return was US$0.71 m^?2 year^?1, ranging from US$1.24 to 4.37 m^?2 year^?1. About 73% of the farmers achieved positive net returns. The top five constraints for prawn pen culture were lack of knowledge of culture technologies, poor water quality, disease problems, poor quality of wild seed and lack of capital. Almost all farmers have no environmental awareness, and environmental regulations for prawn pen culture have not been established. Field measurements showed that all measured water quality parameters were within the range for good growth of giant freshwater prawns, and indicated that there was no significant accumulation of nutrients and organic matter at the bottoms of rivers or canals.     

Evaluation of potential feed sources,and technical and economic considerations of small‐scale commercial striped catfish (Pangasius hypothalamus) pond farming systems in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam

A technical and socio‐economic survey was conducted in Dong Thap, Can Tho and An Giang, provinces of Vietnam in 2009. The results showed that most of the small scale farmers of striped catfish (Pangasius hypothalamus) carry out fish pond culture, developed and operated by self‐learned experience and from neighbours knowledge. The mean pond depth varied from 3.5 to 4.0 m, ranging from 2 to 6 m. Most of the fish farms have extremely high stocking density, with an average of about 40 fish m^?2, in some cases up to 70 fish per m². The average yields and net income of small‐scales pond farming is about 21–27 kg per m² crop^?1 and US$ 0.184–0.329 kg^?1 crop^?1 respectively. These figures are not significantly different compared with large‐scale pond farming. About 75%, 86% and 80% of fish farmers in Dong Thap, Can Tho and An Giang province, respectively, received positive net returns. Farm‐made feed is still playing an important role because of higher net profit compared with commercial pellet feeds. Rice bran and trash fish are the main feed ingredients for farm‐made feed formulations. Striped catfish farmers are now actively searching for locally produced plant protein sources as alternatives to marine trash fish or fish meal.     

Effects of Integrated Shrimp Farming in Vietnam

Despite being a leading shrimp exporter in the world market, shrimp farming in Vietnam is carried out by many small‐scale farmers who face constraints in complying with increasingly stringent food safety and sustainability standards. The best way for such small farmers to circumvent this paradox is to make effective integrations both horizontally and vertically. Using value chain and institutional economics approaches, this study determines the factors that influence the probability of horizontal and vertical integrations between the production and processing stages in the shrimp industry in Vietnam. Analysis results confirm that integrated shrimp aquaculture is much more effective than the traditionally small‐scale‐ and individual‐production mode. In addition, logit estimation results identify the key factors affecting integration, including effectiveness of the legal framework, production scale, infrastructure development, and farmers' skill and awareness. Several policy recommendations proposed to encourage the development of integration in shrimp farming in Vietnam could also be useful for other similar developing countries.     

China's distant‐water fisheries in the 21st century

We conservatively estimate the distant‐water fleet catch of the People's Republic of China for 2000–2011, using a newly assembled database of reported occurrence of Chinese fishing vessels in various parts of the world and information on the annual catch by vessel type. Given the unreliability of official statistics, uncertainty of results was estimated through a regionally stratified Monte Carlo approach, which documents the presence and number of Chinese vessels in Exclusive Economic Zones and then multiplies these by the expected annual catch per vessel. We find that China, which over‐reports its domestic catch, substantially under‐reports the catch of its distant‐water fleets. This catch, estimated at 4.6 million t year^?1 (95% central distribution, 3.4–6.1 million t year^?1) from 2000 to 2011 (compared with an average of 368 000 t·year^?1 reported by China to FAO), corresponds to an ex‐vessel landed value of 8.93 billion € year^?1 (95% central distribution, 6.3–12.3 billion). Chinese distant‐water fleets extract the largest catch in African waters (3.1 million t year^?1, 95% central distribution, 2.0–4.4 million t), followed by Asia (1.0 million t year^?1, 0.56–1.5 million t), Oceania (198 000 t year^?1, 144 000–262 000 t), Central and South America (182 000 t year^?1, 94 000–299 000 t) and Antarctica (48 000 t year^?1, 8 000–129 000 t). The uncertainty of these estimates is relatively high, but several sources of inaccuracy could not be fully resolved given the constraints inherent in the underlying data and method, which also prevented us from distinguishing between legal and illegal catch.     

Economic Feasibility of Aquaculture of Spiny Lobsters Jasus edwardsii in Temperate Waters

Around the world there is strong interest in the aquaculture of spiny lobsters (family Palinuridae). However, there is little published information about the economic feasibility of spiny lobster aquaculture. For more than 20 yr there has been experimental grow out of the spiny lobster Jasus edwardsii in New Zealand in land-based systems using seed animals (puerulus) taken from the wild. These studies provide sufficient information on growth, mortality, food conversion, handling and capital costs to enable an assessment of the economic feasibility of the commercial culture of spiny lobsters in temperate waters. This assessment suggests that profitable spiny lobster aquaculture will rely on greatly reducing the infrastructure and operating costs of land-based farming operations, as well as lowering feed and labor costs. Financial simulations suggest that increasing productivity through faster growth rates and lowered culture mortalities will only have a minor effect on profitability unless infrastructure and operating costs can be reduced significantly. Seacage culture or sea ranching of spiny lobsters may offer a means of avoiding high infrastructure costs associated with land-based farming operations. The development of a cost-effective artificial feed would also appear to be a priority for improving the economic outlook for culturing spiny lobsters. The results of this study are relevant to the economics of spiny lobster culture developments in other temperate regions of the world.     

Risk in aquaculture: farmers’ perceptions and management strategies in Bangladesh

Abstract

This study examines Bangladesh fish farmers’ perception for risk sources, risk management strategies, and the relationship with socio-demographic variables. Data were collected from a sample of 350 farmers in Bangladesh. Exploratory factor analysis of a set of perception measurement items was used to assess farmers’ attitudes towards risk and their risk management strategies. The results reveal that fish-diseases, fish price variability, low quality of feed and fingerlings, flood and credit constraints were perceived as the most important sources of risk. For risk management, supply of good quality feed and fingerlings, diseases prevention, crop insurance, increasing personal savings, and assurance of bank loans were considered as the most important strategies to mitigate risks. Empirical evidence shows that farmers engage in multiple management strategies to reduce production risk.     

A closer look into shrimp yields and mangrove coverage ratio in integrated mangrove-shrimp farming systems in Ca Mau,Vietnam

Shrimp aquaculture is the biggest source of export income in Vietnam. However, the development of the shrimp poses a serious threat to coastal mangroves by converting coastal mangroves into shrimp farms. Much effort has been made to replant mangroves and reduce the impacts of shrimp farming on the environment, and maintaining mangrove coverage at 30–50% of total farm area has provided the highest benefits in the integrated mangrove shrimp model. In this study, we re-examine the benefits of forest cover on the survival and yield of tiger shrimp (Penaeus monodon) in the integrated mangrove shrimp farming systems in Ca Mau province, Vietnam. The study found positive linear correlations of log transformed survival and yield of tiger shrimp with forest cover of the forms: Ln (survival)?=????1.39?+?0.038?×?forest coverage (r²?=?0.22; p value?=?0.0007); Ln (yield)?=?3.55?+?0.026?×?forest coverage (r²?=?0.16; p value?=?0.004). The households with high forest cover (i.e.,?>?45%) also had 1.07?±?0.29 and 1.39?±?0.36 (CI 95%, p value?=?0.000) kg ha^?1 higher yield per night harvest than those with medium and low forest cover, respectively. As a result, households with high forest cover have higher benefits than those with lower forest cover. Our findings together with previous published studies lead to the recommendation that farmers maintain mangroves in farming systems for better economic and environmental benefits.

     

Improving water‐use efficiency for Ictalurid catfish pond aquaculture in Northwest Mississippi,USA

We used a 50‐year (1961–2010) daily record of precipitation and evaporation in a hydrological model to simulate ground water withdrawal for the foodfish grow‐out phase of ictalurid catfish culture in northwest Mississippi, USA. The model quantified the effects of seepage, reusing water for multiple years, and managing water levels to capture rainfall (drop‐fill water management). Selecting sites with relatively impervious soils and reusing water for multiple years had large impacts on annual water use, and combining those practices with drop‐fill water management reduced simulated groundwater withdrawal to less than 60 cm year^?1 compared with more than 450 cm year^?1 for the least conservative scenario. Water conservation measures reduced estimated costs of pumping ground water from ~$1150 ha^?1 year^?1 for the least conservative set of water‐use variables to less than $110 ha^?1 year^?1 for the best set of water conservation practices. Efficiency of pumped water use was dramatically improved by intensifying production in the foodfish grow‐out phase. Combining water‐conservation practices with production intensification improved the water use index from 9.18 m³ kg^?1 for foodfish grow‐out ponds with the least conservative set of practices to 0.28 m³ kg^?1 for ponds built on soils with negligible seepage, managed with a 22.9‐cm drop/7.6‐cm fill, drained every 10 years, and producing 15 000 kg of catfish ha^?1 year^?1. When simulated ground water use for the best set of water conservation practices in foodfish grow‐out ponds was combined with estimates of ground water used for fingerling production and water used in producing grain‐based feedstuffs, total consumptive water use index for catfish culture was estimated at ~2.7 m³ kg^?1. This index is competitive with most other types of animal agriculture. Efficient water use in catfish farming is easily achieved under commercial conditions using existing simple technologies.     

Aquaculture feed technology adoption and smallholder household welfare in Ghana

This study employs double‐hurdle model and propensity score‐matching techniques to examine the determinants and extent of adoption and the welfare impacts of improved fish feed technology in Ghana using cross‐sectional data of fish‐farming households. The study focuses on the Ashanti, Brong Ahafo, and western regions of Ghana. The results show that the quantity of improved feed used on‐farm is far below what is technically recommended for maximum yield. The analysis provides evidence that the adoption of improved feed technology increases fish income, as well as reduces poverty among fish‐farming households in the study area. In order to spur the adoption and intensity of the technology, complementary factors such as improving education, delivery of extension services and credit facilities, expansion of area under fish farming, and reduction in the price of improved feed are recommended.     

The economics of sutchi catfish (Pangasianodon hypophthalmus) aquaculture under three different farming systems in rural Bangladesh

This paper examines production costs and returns of sutchi catfish (Pangasianodon hypophthalmus) aquaculture under three different farming systems in Bangladesh. Based on the production technology, sutchi catfish farming is classified as extensive, semi‐intensive and intensive. Results showed that sutchi catfish farming is profitable irrespective of the level of intensification and in all three instances the cost of feed dominated the variable costs of production. The average annual production costs were estimated at US$5217 ha^?1 in intensive farming, while US$2694 ha^?1 in semi‐intensive and US$981 ha^?1 in extensive farming. Despite the higher production costs per hectare, the average annual net return was higher in intensive farming (US$3364), compared with semi‐intensive (US$2048) and extensive (US$1099) farming. The average annual production per hectare under intensive farming conditions (13 945 kg) was higher than semi‐intensive (7705 kg) and extensive (3380 kg) farming mainly due to higher levels of inputs, including seed, feed, fertilizer and labour. However, the Cobb–Douglas production function model suggests that inputs are inefficiently used in the intensive farming system. Conversely, there is enough scope to increase the production and income from the semi‐intensive and extensive farming systems by using more inputs.     

Analysis of the use of credit facilities by small-scale fish farmers in Kenya

The government of Kenya encourages aquaculture development by offering credit facilities through the government agricultural finance institution, Agriculture Finance Corporation. Nevertheless, the level of credit use in fish farming is very low. Access to credit is among several factors that affect farmers’ decision of whether to use particular technology or services. The study examined factors that affected the decision of fish farmers in Kenya to utilize credit facilities in fish production using a probit model. The analysis suggests that farmers in the Western province will have a 19% more probability of using credit facilities for their fish farming operations than farmers from the other provinces such as the Rift Valley, Central, and the Eastern province. The effect of tilapia sales on the probability of credit use by fish farmers is more than three times that of catfish sales. Total pond acreage owned by fish farmers had a positive effect on credit use but the effect was very small and negligible. The level of fish farmers’ use of credit facilities is very low, and there is probably the need to educate farmers on credit use and for the government agricultural lending agency and other commercial agricultural lenders to invest in this enterprise. Kenyan lending institutions have financed traditional agricultural enterprises, and with the growing production of farmed fish, more research is needed to document the aquaculture business model to assist in assessing the profitability potential in aquaculture.     

Study on regional production and economy of cobia <Emphasis Type="Italic">Rachycentron canadum</Emphasis> commercial cage culture

In recent years, cobia has become an emerging farmed species in Asia due to its quick growth and high economic value. This study collects biological and economic data affecting the economic performance of cobia farming in three countries, namely Taiwan, China, and Vietnam. The data are collected by questionnaire sampling and analyzed by multivariate statistical analysis in order to compare the key factors affecting the production and economy of cobia farming in these three countries. The results show that Taiwan, China, and Vietnam have significant differences in input intensities and profitability. China has the highest input intensity (3372.42 TWD/m³), as its high stocking density increases feed input. Taiwan has the highest unit input cost (103.44 TWD/kg), as the high quality of the product increases the price of cobia in Taiwan, which offsets the high product costs. In terms of profitability, the benefit–cost ratio is over one in all three countries, indicating that the profitability of cobia farming is good in all three countries. Profitability analysis shows that fingerlings in China achieve 36.50, which is the highest among the three countries; whereas Taiwan has the highest feed profitability of 0.78, which reveals that the fingerlings produced in China are competitive in both price and quality, while Taiwan has the best feed management efficiency. The production costs and profitability of Vietnam fall between those of Taiwan and China. Feed cost is the main expenditure in cobia culture; thus, good feed management could effectively reduce production costs and increase business performance. The feed quality and input management model of Taiwan, in conjunction with the fingerling quality and stock model of China, could provide future reference for farming management in such areas as feed input and selection of fingerling.     

FRESHWATER PRAWN FARMING IN GHER SYSTEMS IN SOUTHWEST BANGLADESH

The livelihoods of a large number of farmers are associated with freshwater prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii) farming in gher (modified rice fields with high, broad peripheral dikes) systems in southwest Bangladesh. Most farmers integrated prawn with fish and rice in their gher and followed extensive methods using low inputs. Although farmers have improved their social and economic conditions through prawn farming, constraints include high production costs, low supply of wild fry and snail meat as prawn feed, lack of technical knowledge of farmers, and negative environmental impacts.     

An evaluation of fish health‐management practices and occupational health hazards associated with Pangasius catfish (Pangasianodon hypophthalmus) aquaculture in the Mekong Delta,Vietnam

This study aimed to evaluate the current status on the use of probiotics, disinfectants and antimicrobials in hatcheries, nurseries and grow‐out farms producing Pangasius catfish (Pangasianodon hypophthalmus) in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam. Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with 83 aquaculture enterprises (15 hatcheries, 32 nurseries and 36 grow‐out farms). Farmers reported use of a total of 24 different antimicrobials, e.g. for treatment of bacillary necrosis and motile aeromonad septicaemia, and a variety of disinfectants, probiotics and nutritional supplements. In contrast to small‐scale farmers, all large‐scale grow‐out farmers studied were certified and therefore had higher levels of formal education and specialized aquaculture training to diagnose and treat diseases. All farmers prepared their own medicated feed with a high risk of treatment failure, negative environmental impact from released antimicrobials and resistance development. Small‐scale farmers were at particular occupational health risks when handling antimicrobials and other chemicals, e.g. mixing medicated feed with bare hands. There is an urgent need to improve knowledge and use innovative approaches, e.g. private‐public partnerships, to assure a prudent use of chemicals, to improve capacity and access to disease diagnosis, particularly for small‐scale grow‐out farmers and nurseries. Efforts to control use of antimicrobials in aquaculture should be coordinated with the livestock and human health sectors taking an One‐Health approach.     

Comparison of diets for the tropical spiny lobster Panulirus ornatus: astaxanthin-supplemented feeds and mussel flesh

The fast‐growing tropical lobster Panulirus ornatus is a good aquaculture candidate generating increased research to develop potential feeds. We conducted a 12‐week experiment, assessing growth, survival and tissue carotenoid levels of juvenile P. ornatus. Lobsters were fed either pelleted feeds supplemented with astaxanthin and containing 30, 60, 90 or 120 mg total carotenoid kg^?1; or one of two fresh mussel reference feeds – blue Mytilus edulis and green‐lipped Perna canaliculus. There was no clear dose response, in terms of growth rate, to increasing dietary astaxanthin content; mussel‐fed lobsters had inferior growth rates. Twelve‐week survival was unaffected by treatment. Whole lobster carotenoid (4.7, 16.7, 27.8 and 32.8 mg kg^?1, dry matter basis) increased with increasing dietary astaxanthin; pre‐treatment carotenoid was 22.2 mg kg^?1. Apparent total carotenoid content of the mussel‐fed lobsters was unexpectedly high because of interference by other pigments. High‐performance liquid chromatographic analysis of free astaxanthin levels varied from a pre‐treatment value of 7.3 mg kg^?1 to 2.0, 7.6, 12.5 and 23.6 mg kg^?1 with increasing dietary astaxanthin, and 3.5 (green‐lip) and 5.9 (blue) mg kg^?1 for the mussel‐fed lobsters. Although dietary astaxanthin, over the investigated range, did not affect growth rate or survival, there was a dose–response increase in tissue carotenoid content and darkening of the exoskeleton pigmentation, which may have important implications for immunocompetency and marketing. These implications are discussed in the context of pelleted feed development for this species.     

PERCEPTIONS OF RISK AND RISK MANAGEMENT IN VIETNAMESE CATFISH FARMING: AN EMPIRICAL STUDY

Although Vietnamese catfish farming has grown at a rapid rate in recent years, the industry has also faced many problems that affect its sustainability. This paper explores the perceptions of catfish farmers regarding risk and risk management strategies in their production activities. The relationships between farm and farmer socioeconomic characteristics and perceptions of risk and risk management are also examined. Data for the study were collected in 2008 from a sample of 261 catfish farmers in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam using a questionnaire survey. The results show that, in general, price and production risks were perceived as the most significant risks. Farm management and technical measures were perceived to be more effective than other kinds of risk management strategies in risk reduction. Although price risks were rated as important, price risk management strategies were not perceived as important measures for risk mitigation. The results of the study are discussed to identify the implications for various industry stakeholders, including policymakers, processors, advisors, and developers of new risk management strategies.     

Economic contribution of fish culture to farm income in Southeast Vietnam

Rural aquaculture is the farming of aquatic organisms with extensive and semi-intensive husbandry practised by small-scale rural households for their consumption and income. From a field survey in Southeast Vietnam, using enterprise budget analysis and nonparametric tests with indices of change, adoption, and agreement, this study justifies that rural aquaculture is a good option for rural development, making an important contribution to farm income with a high adoption rate among poor farmers. Fish farmers have gained an increased level of satisfaction by means of fish culture production growth along with corresponding economic gains. This enterprise continues to play an increasing important role in their livelihoods and has potential to develop further in the area.     

Acute toxicity of emamectin benzoate (SLICE™) in fish feed to American lobster, Homarus americanus

SLICE? (active ingredient 0.2% emamectin benzoate (EMB)), a feed premix developed by Schering‐Plough Animal Health for the control of sea lice on cultured salmonids, is registered for use in several countries and is being prescribed on an emergency basis in Canada and the United States. The concentration of EMB in feed administered to farmed salmon ranges from 1 to 25 μg g^?1. To determine the acute toxicity of the compound to juvenile and adult American lobster (Homarus americanus), commercial salmon feed was coated with SLICE? at a range of concentrations and provided to the animals for 7 d in the laboratory. The LC₅₀ is estimated to be 644 μg g^?1 (95% CI=428, 1275) for adult lobsters and >589 μg g^?1 for stage V and VI juvenile lobsters. The consumption of medicated pellets by adult lobsters decreased significantly with increasing concentration of EMB. Adult lobsters that died during the study had a significantly greater concentration of emamectin B1a in their muscle tissue than those that survived. These results support the conclusion that salmon feed medicated with EMB at the concentrations used by the aquaculture industry is unlikely to pose an acute lethal threat to adult and small juvenile American lobsters.