World Aquaculture Magazine -December 2021

WWW.WA S .ORG • WORLD AQUACULTURE • DECEMBER 2021 39 producing at a high level and poised for expansion when Covid hit and reduced soft-shell crab demand drastically for both domestic and international markets. Just as the economy began to rebound, the military coup occurred and plans were shelved to restart the hatchery indefinitely and the ex-pat managers all left the country. Another aspect of technology and modernization that was being developed was a virtual presence with an aquaculture phone app, database and internet conferencing/training. Most of this effort has now been dropped due to communication restrictions associated with military control of the internet. We have hopes that it will be re-established but changes to the financial structure for the phone app will price it out of reach of most farmers. The various aid/donor efforts had common goals of developing a more sustainable aquaculture industry across the various sectors. Most focused on small and medium size enterprises from virtually subsistence farmers to mid-size farms, hatcheries, feed mills and processors. Universities were provided with substantial assistance to improve their capacity to produce knowledgeable graduates prepared to start jobs in the industry with little or no on-the-job training. The total financial collapse of the country has devastated most of the marketing and production through the entire seafood value chain. At the present time (November 2021), there appears to be little if any likelihood of the military loosening its grip again. So much progress has been lost already in less than a year. Notes Kevin Fitzsimmons, Professor, Extension Specialist &Research Scientist, University of Arizona, Department of Soil, Water and Environmental Science Spoon counting Penaeus monodon post-larvae before stocking into a mangrove-friendly shrimp pond. Trap used to collect shrimp from mangrove-friendly pond destined for a five- star hotel restaurant. Farmer holding shrimp from traps set in her mangrove- friendly pond.