Assessing the sustainability of brackish water aquaculture systems in the Phillipines. Working Paper 1: A typology of brackish-water pond aquaculture systems in the Philippines

Aquaculture in the Philippines is a long-standing activity but has witnessed relatively recent, rapid, technical change with the introduction of hatchery technology and commercial feed-mills changing the production possibilities for a fishpond operator. We are confronted with a diversity of aquaculture practices in the coastal areas of the Philippines, with new technologies being incorporated into more traditional systems. As a first step to understanding the sector, we therefore present a typology of farming systems with the motivation of generating domains (farm “types”) over which we can compare performance on a number of indicators. Our typology, restricted to brackish-water pond systems, is constructed using multivariate methods (principal components analysis, cluster analysis). Eight variables are used relating to the management of the farm across all the major factors of production. A stratified net sample of 136 observations provides the data for the analysis, from a farm-level survey carried out between January and June 2003 in the two main brackish-water production regions in the Philippines. We define five farm types from this analysis. In later work we will show how the use of this typology can be used for comparative study of economic, social and ecological performance at the farm-level. [PDF contains 42 pages]

Nutrient dynamics of seasonal tanks in the dry zone of Sri Lanka in relation to their hydrological regimes

Village tanks are put to a wide range of uses by the rural communities that depend on them for their survival. As the primacy of irrigation has decreased under these tanks due to a variety of climatic and economic reasons there is a need to reevaluate their use for other productive functions. The research presented in this paper is part of a programme investigating the potential to improve the management of living aquatic resources in order to bring benefits to the most marginal groups identified in upper watershed areas. Based on an improved typology of seasonal tanks, the seasonal changes and dynamics of various water quality parameters indicative of nutrient status and fisheries carrying capacity are compared over a period of one year. Indicators of Net (Primary) Productivity (NP): Rates of Dissolved Oxygen (DO) change, Total Suspended Solids (TSS): Total Suspended Volatile solids (TVSS) ratios are the parameters of principle interest. Based on these results a comparative analysis is made on two classes of ‘seasonal’ and ‘semi-seasonal’ tanks. Results indicate a broad correlation in each of these parameters with seasonal trends in tank hydrology. Highest productivity levels are associated with periods of declining water storage, whilst the lowest levels are associated with the periods of maximum water storage shortly after the NW monsoon. This variation is primarily attributed to dilution effects associated with depth and storage area. During the yala period, encroachment of the surface layer by several species of aquatic macrophyte also has progressively negative impacts on productivity. The most seasonal tanks show wider extremes in seasonal nutrient dynamics, overall, with less favourable conditions than the ‘semi-seasonal’ tanks. Never the less all the tanks can be considered as being highly productive with NP levels comparable to fertilised pond systems for much of the year. This indicates that nutrient status is not likely to be amongst the most important constraints to enhancing fish production. Other potential management improvements based on these results are discussed. [PDF contains 19 pages]

Avaliação dos consumos de materiais estratégicos para a conservação dos engenhos de pesca artesanal de Moçambique e Estudos de constituiçāo tipologia e distribuiçāo de alguns engenhos de pesca artesanal de Moçambique

This technical report comprises two different studies in terms of their conclusions, but based on the same field surveys: “Yearly consumption evaluation of the strategic materials for the artisanal fisheries of Mozambique” and “Constitution, typology and distribution studies of the Mozambican artisanal fishing gears”. In the first of the above studies, the amount of the materials found in each gear, the number of such gears and the wear factor “r” are subject to a computed data processing, producing the following outputs: list of materials demanded in each Mozambican fishing relevant province; list of materials demanded in the whole Mozambican territory. In the second study the observed gears constitutions are analysed and differences and similitudes among them are searched. The details of maneuver and productivity are referred as well. Attention is drawn to the fact that observations did not take place on the whole Mozambican territory, even not in the most representative but in some considerably important fishing centers with reasonable safety and connection facilities. About the first study, when it was not possible to reach such considerably important centers the determination of the approximate picture of them has been achieved by verbal information of people knowing them very well and by the sources referred here in after. Concerning the second study inferences have not been made. Although a limited number of samples has been collected, the accuracy of it has been checked by inquiry. Speculations have been developed only on observed cases. The surveys have been made by a team, assigned by the directors of UD-PPE and Equipesca, under author’s coordination.