World Aquaculture Magazine -December 2021

WWW.WA S .ORG • WORLD AQUACULTURE • DECEMBER 2021 37 ( C O N T I N U E D O N P A G E 3 8 ) by absentee landlords who typically hired family members and local labor to manage the farms. Fingerling carps (rohu, catla, silver, grass and common carp) were provided by Department of Fisheries hatcheries or from a few private sector hatcheries. Most of the carps and other freshwater fishes in the extensive polyculture ponds were fed a mash consisting of a mix of rice bran and broken rice flour, along with wheat flour, and a variety of oilseed meals (sesame, sunflower, soy, peanut) and some low-quality fishmeal. This mash was either broadcast on the surface of the pond or placed into used feed or fertilizer bags tied to stakes in the ponds. The bags would be placed below the water surface for the fish to feed from the bag. Although most shrimp farms depended only on the primary productivity of the pond, some eventually did use some fertilization and/or similar broadcast of mixed meals. Several Nile tilapia farms and hatcheries were started in the Ayeyarwady Delta region during the early 2000s but all were decimated in the Cyclone Nargis disaster of 2008. Tilapia were widely spread across the Delta by the extensive flooding and have contributed to the polyculture mix of fishponds across thousands of hectares in subsequent years. Tilapia increasingly became a popular fish across the country, primarily as a street food. Tilapia barbecue stands became ubiquitous around night markets. Smaller restaurants also served tilapia in various preparations. Starting in 2012 the US Soybean Export Council (USSEC) and USAID Farmer to Farmer programs began to support trainings in aquaculture activities in Myanmar. China also had supported some training as well, especially with fish-rice culture demonstration projects. By 2013 Australia and some of the EU countries were also sending experts to provide technical assistance, especially for small farmers. WorldFish also added aquaculture to the fisheries activities that had started a year or two earlier. These efforts were all designed to educate farmers and to share basic concepts in pond management, use of prepared feeds and improvements in post-harvest handling. Eventually, other groups, including the International Labor Organization, DANIDA, Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation and Dutch charities, also provided significant support to sustainable aquaculture development. The EU and GIZ developed the single largest effort, the Myanmar Sustainable Aquaculture Program (MYSAP) that started in 2017 but was closed after the coup. In 2014, USSEC began advising feed companies on improved practices and feed formulations and conducted a series of pond trials with formulated and pelleted feeds, compared to the traditional style of broadcasting a mix of ground ingredients on the water or placing them in a bag for the fish to swim into and grab a mouthful. Also in 2014, the University of Arizona was awarded a USAID contract to work with Yangon, Pathein and Sittwe universities to build the capacity of Myanmar universities. In addition to providing lab equipment, supplies and training, a central goal was to learn from Gravid mangrove crab in hatchery. Opening of the Aquaculture Learning Center. Book and journal donations from Dr. Gidi Hulata, WAS and ACIAR. Myanmar student interns working at lab in Vietnam.