THE AQUACULTURIST | January 2011
Enterprises would form the key nodule of the model and would instruct farmers to raise the quantity of tra fish based on orders and the enterprises would then have to purchase the entire produce, she added. The department would monitor the new working model closely, she said. Read more…
January 21, 2011
Anger over New Zealand’s new aquaculture legislation
Our wilderness coastline is under attack from the government’s plans to speed up the development of marine farms, says Forest & Bird. Forest & Bird was originally established to protect New Zealands native forests and birds, but their role has been extended in recent years to include protection of all native species and wild places – on land and in oceans, lakes and rivers. The organization states that people concerned about protecting the marine environment and the coast have only until Friday 11 February to send a submission on the Aquaculture Legislation Amendment Bill (No 3) to Parliament’s primary production select committee. The bill, introduced to Parliament in November, will loosen the rules for marine farming and encourage the industry’s development through government handouts, while limiting the opportunities for the public to comment on proposals in their area. “This will lead to another gold rush for coastal space. We will lose iconic coastal seascapes, clean coastal waters and many special seafloor communities,” said Forest & Bird North Island Conservation Manager Mark Bellingham. “It will also have serious consequences for coastal boat owners and fishers, who will have to navigate their way around rafts of fish and mussel farms,” Dr Bellingham said. Read more...
US$5billion in seafood exports targeted
This year, Vietnam’s seafood industry targets to farm and catch 5.3 million tonnes of seafood, and earn US$5 billion in exports, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development's Directorate of Fisheries. Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Vu Van Tam said the sector would develop through increased focus on quality and value improvement, by expanding farming areas, and by further developing key product such as tiger prawns, white-leg shrimp, catfish and oysters. Aside from expanding the scale of catfish and shrimp production, localities should create favourable conditions for qualified and hygienic breeding to ensure enough materials for production, he said. To increase export value, the sector plans to develop traditional as well as potential markets, such as China, South Korea, Russia, the US, the EU and Japan. Le Thanh Luu, head of the Aquaculture Research Institute No1, said promoting trade and predicting changes in natural resources related to the industry were crucial. Nguyen Viet Thang, chairman of the Vietnam Fisheries Society, said that to maintain long-term sustainable development of the sector, Viet Nam should not focus only on exports but also on domestic consumption. Currently, there are 150 enterprises and 4,000 household businesses producing goods for domestic consumption. Labourers working in these businesses, however, only account for 12.7 per cent of the total workers in the sector, according to Tran Thi Dung, director of the Centre for Fisheries Planning. Read more...
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