Contents
Acquiring benefits through reengineering local aquatic products…
From deep blue waters to the home fish tank in United States;
the story behind it…
Resolutions in order to meet the global trend to make revenue from the international market…
Let’s make it a reality from our efforts….
Appendices
References
Acquiring benefits through reengineering local aquatic products…
Reestablishing, regaining, refurnishing, reinventing are words that have been repeated in Sri Lankan economy plans and government policies throughout the ages and yet it has not been able to achieve the expected results from such so called impractical policies and they have only been limited to books and folders. The purpose of this research task is to create a new trend in developing local aquatic products while introducing new gleaming market opportunities for Sri Lankan aqua culturists and exporters community.
When the stock exchange is desperate, when the economy has become ashes while hunger and cost of living is arising the present situation of our country has become worst. Thus the people are demobilized and they are no more motivated. What we can do to make our futures is the matter we all of us face today. If the present economy of the country is not stable then we have to find new sectors that have to be developed in order to achieve the excellence. There fore as a country which has plenty of natural resources and being a tropical country a vast number of treasures could be generated from the surrounding ocean beds. Since the ocean had brought us lots of resources through out the ancient times our island was a successful business hub that interlinks the global nations during the ancient past. Reengineering simply defines the examination and modification of a system to reconstruct it in a new form and the subsequent implementation of the new form thus this forward goal oriented effort is to reengineer the aquaculture sector such that it extends the process of cultivation of aquatic animals. Through the introducing
strategic methods and business approaches to expand the aquatic exports while enabling each and every partner in business for a profit share would reestablish the economy and finance states of connected sub societies in the aquaculture sector. Further it would increase the foreign income revenue of state economy. Aquaculture is also known as the aquafarming and subsets of aquaculture include Mariculture (aquaculture in the ocean); Algaculture (the production of kelp/seaweed and other algae); Fish farming (the raising of catfish, tilapia and milkfish in freshwater and brackish ponds or salmon in marine ponds); and the growing of cultured pearls.
From deep blue waters to the home fish tank in United States; the story behind it…
Sri Lanka is situated south of the Indian sub-continent between 5° and 10° north of the equator. The island has a total land area of 65,000 km2 and a coastline of about 1, 585 km of which 300 km are beaches and sand dunes (GSL, 1985, Lowry and Wickremaratne, 1989, Olsen et al., 1992). The country's land area is about 65,610 sq km and is inhabited by approximately 20 million people. The maritime area of 230,000 sq km belonging to Sri Lanka is about three times larger than the land area. The continental shelf of the country as an area of about 31,000 sq km and the width ranges from 9 to 45 km with an average depth of 66 m (Cooray, 1967).There are fringing and offshore reefs of varying conditions around the country. These have been categorized into three main habitat types. They are the true coral habitats consisting of live coral as well as calcareous substances, sandstone and rocky habitats (Rajasuriya & De Silva, 1988; De Silva &
Rajasuriya, 1989; Rajasuriya, De Silva & Ohman, 1995). According to Swan (1983) about 2% of the coastline contains nearshore fringing reefs. The growth of coral reefs around Sri Lanka is influenced mainly by the monsoons which has a major impact on the level of turbidity and fresh water input into the coastal waters. As a result extensive coral reef habitats are limited to areas with lower levels of sedimentation with semi-dry climates found in the north-western and eastern coastal areas. Coral reef development in the southwestern sector of the coastline is poor due to heavy rainfall during the monsoon and the resulting impact from sedimentation and turbidity. Fringing coral reefs also occur around some of the islands around the Jaffna Peninsula.Sandstone and rocky habitats are extensive and widespread. They are found from near-shore areas to offshore areas to depths more than 50 m. Although living corals colonize them to varying levels, live coral cover on these habitats is generally below 10%.
The coastal region supports 32% of the country's total population on 24% of its land area. This region also contains 66% of the urban land, 67% of the country's industry, and 80% of its tourism infrastructure. The marine fisheries contribute about 65% of the animal protein consumed by the population. The coastal fisheries classified as within 40 km from the shore provide the majority of the marine fish production (Baldwin, 1991). Nearly all of Sri Lanka's reefs are located within 40 km from the coast and they contribute significantly to the marine fish production (Rajasuriya and White, 1995).For centuries, reef resources have been utilized for food and building materials. Increased
human activities in recent times have begun to degrade the quality of the reefs, particularly the nearshore habitats. The major uses of the reefs are extraction of living and dead coral for the lime industry, capture fisheries and the harvesting of exotic reef resources such as ornamental fish for export and for tourism related activities.
Major causes of reef degradation are sedimentation, destructive fishing methods such as the use of explosives and bottom-set nets, mining of coral from the sea for lime production and uncontrolled harvesting of reef resources. Pollution and sewage have also contributed to the overall degradation of the marine environment.
The condition of reefs based on a combination of substrate cover, diversity and abundance of reef organisms indicate that the best reefs are associated with the Barrier-type reefs located offshore These are found mainly in the northwestern, southeastern and the eastern waters. Similar reefs have also been investigated off Colombo and Negombo in the western area. Live reef building coral cover in excess of 50 % is found mainly in some of the offshore reefs. The live coral cover on most inshore coral reefs is less than 50% while the rocky and sandstone habitats support a percentage of live coral less than the true coral reefs (Rajasuriya and De Silva, 1988; Rajasuriya et al 1995). A total of 183 species of stony corals divided among 68 genera have been recorded from Sri Lanka. The dominant reef building species belong to the families of Acroporidae, Faviidae, Poritidae and Pocilloporidae. Almost 400 species of reef and reef associated species have been
identified during the reef surveys conducted by NARA from a total of nearly 1000 known reef and reef associated species. A very high diversity of butterfly fish species (35 species) have also been recorded for Sri Lanka.Sri Lankan reefs also support many species of invertebrates including commercially important species of spiny lobsters, shrimps and crabs and marine flora such as sea grasses and algae. Dolphins, whale sharks and sea turtles have also been sighted among inshore and offshore reefs.
Today Sri Lanka has a population of about 20 million people and nearly half of the population live in the coastal districts. The majority of economic centers are also located within these areas. Fishing is the most important economic activity carried out in the sea and supports a large number of coastal dwellers. Fish amounts to approximately 65 % of the animal protein consumption and 13 % of the total protein intake of the people. Over 90 % of the total fishing population in the country belongs to the marine sector and the marine fisheries had supplied over 97 % of the total fish production during 1987 - 1988 (Baldwin, 1991). However it is not clear how much of the total catch is supplied by reefs. Most of the fishing is concentrated in coastal waters classified as within the first 40 km from the shore (Baldwin, 1991). Prior to the last two decades, fishing in Sri Lanka was primarily carried out from non-motorized crafts such as dugout canoes, catamarans and log crafts employing non-destructive fishing techniques such as angling, gill-netting in deep blue waters and beach seining.
In addition to fishing activities, collection of reef fish, invertebrates and live coral for the ornamental fish export industry is of considerable importance. In fisheries export
products, ornamental fish exports is rated as the third highest in volume and value after prawns and lobsters (Baldwin, 1991). Other fisheries and aquatic products harvested around coral reefs are sea cucumber, spiny lobsters and various species of molluscs (e. g. cowries). Collection and export of ornamental fish has increased several fold in recent times.
Resolutions in order to meet the global trend to make revenue from the international market…
The legal background in local Aquaculture.
In Sri Lanka there had been Legislation to protect marine organisms more than a century ago. An example can be traced back to the late 19th century when the Chanks Ordinance of 1880 was introduced to control the collection and export of chanks from the Gulf of Mannar region and around the Jaffna Peninsula. Subsequently this legislation was expanded to introduce a ban on the collection of chanks, beche-de- mer, coral and shells from Mannar to a point 2 miles south of Talawila. The protection to marine organisms had been provided under the "Crown Lands Ordinance of 1929', where removal of coral and certain organisms were prohibited from specific locations. Sanctuaries were declared in Ambalangoda and Hikkaduwa Rocky Islets by Gazette No. 8675 of 25th October 1940. Similarly the Naval Headworks in Trincomalee and the Great and Little Sober Islands within the Trincomalee harbour were declared in 1963. In 1973 the Paraitivu Island west of the Jaffna Peninsula and in 1974 the Pigeon Islands north of Trincomalee were declared as sanctuaries (Gazette No. 136 of 1st November 1974). Although these
areas were mostly offshore islands it is not clear whether the sanctuary status extended to include the adjacent waters. In 1973 regulations were drafted to declare the sea area between Mt. Lavinia and Galle Face on the west coast as a Lobster Reserve, but there is no evidence to indicate that it was ever Gazetted. In 1980 Cabinet approval had been granted to the Ministry of Fisheries to declare the Hikkaduwa Harbour area, Polhena Reef area, Great and Little Basses Reefs, Passekuda and Kalkuda Bay and the Pigeon Island as Marine Sanctuaries under the Fisheries Ordinance. However, there is no indication that these areas were ever declared as marine sanctuaries under the fisheries ordinance.
In 1982, an Inter-Ministerial Committee on Marine Parks and Sanctuaries formed by the National Aquatic Resources Agency (NARA) had identified more than 20 coral reef areas around the island to be declared as sanctuaries. Sri Lanka's Coastal Zone Management Plan, the National Environmental Act, the Fisheries Ordinance and the Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance provides the necessary guidelines and regulations for the use and protection of the marine environment in general and sensitive marine ecosystems in particular. Nevertheless due to inadequate coordination at different levels of government as well as various political considerations make it difficult to implement the laws and regulations.
Protection has also been given to selected marine species listed under the Fisheries ordinance as well as the Fauna and Flora protection Ordinance of the (Department of Wild Life Conservation (Wood and Rajasuriya, 1996).
The Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Act establishes control over the setting up and operation of an aquaculture enterprise and regulates the application, form and duration, renewal and cancellation of an aquaculture licence. The licence may be subject to such terms and conditions as may be imposed for the protection of the environment.
The licence procedure and the requirements for setting up and operating an aquaculture enterprise are prescribed in the Aquaculture Management Regulations (1996). An application for a licence shall be made in Form A, set out in part II of the Schedule. The application needs to specify the following issues:
Name of enterprise.
Type of aquaculture system.
Name and address of applicant.
Location.
Type of investment.
Date of commencement of operation.
Number of employees.
General description:
Land (owned or leased); land use within 0.5 km radius; description of existing industries within 1 km radius).
Water (source; water requirement; final discharge point).
Species cultured and targeted annual production.
Details of holding facilities.
Culture methodology.
Environment Protection Licence
Environment Impact Assessment
Approval of the Coast Conservation Department
Monitoring plan.
Expansion of the enterprise.
Live fish trade has two parts to it, both food fish (for dinner) as well as ornamental fish (for aquariums). While the fish can come from many different places around the globe, the majority comes from Southeast Asia.Live fish are collected for the international live food fish trade. Some seafood restaurants keep live fish in aquaria for display or for cultural beliefs. The majority of live fish kept at seafood restaurants, however, are desired for the freshness of the seafood, being killed only immediately before being cooked. Suiting customer preference, this practice makes the seafood higher in quality and better in taste. The prevalence of cultural beliefs and consumer standards helps to drive the demand for the live food fish trade. Hong Kong, for example, is estimated to have imported in excess of 15,000 tonnes of live food fish in 2000. This
brought the value of their live food fish trade industry to US$400 million as reported by the World Resources Institute.
Fish can also be collected in ways that do not injure them such as in a seine net or by placing an electric current into the water. Such techniques are used most often by researchers for observation and study but are also used by those who collect fish for the aquarium trade. There are several organizations devoted to improving the methods of collecting, handling, transporting, exporting and farming of wild and domesticated live food fish, as well as freshwater and marine tropical fish destined for aquaria in Sri Lanka.
Within the live food trade there are certain types of fish demanded more frequently by consumers, particularly smaller and medium sized fish. According to the book While Stocks Last: The Live Reef Food Fish Trade consumer demand has caused the fish captured on coral reefs to be the most valued fish in the trade. In addition to these types of fishes, many juvenile fish are used for the live food trade. There are also cultural and regional preferences among consumers, for example, Chinese consumers often prefer their fish to be reddish in color believing the color to be auspicious.These preferences inevitably affect the biodiversity of marine life making certain fish species rarer to find.
The life fish food trade is a lucrative business. According to University of Washington Professor Patrick Christie, live fish caught for food export earns approximately $6000 a ton. Although many feel the fish are worth the cost, a typical dinner can cost up to one hundred dollars per kilogram. The wholesale value on these fish is anywhere from eleven
US dollars to sixty-three US dollars per kilogram, meaning there’s a large markup and resale value. (Hong Kong alone is estimated to be about four hundred million US dollars a year.) A large part of the live food fish trade is that there is a lot of money being made here. Estimates conclude probably over one billion US dollars each year.
As is often the case, consumers are willing to pay large amounts of money on rare and fresh fish. One 500-pound, polka-dot grouper, estimated to be more than a century old, was hacked into fillets by seven kitchen workers in about half an hour, the Economist reports. It was expected to bring about $15,000. (Moll 1996)
The center for the Live Food Fish Trade is located in Hong Kong -- the markets consumers contribute $400 million to the estimated $1 billion of the trades global value (Seaweb). Total imports flowing into Hong Kong included 10153 metric tons, of which 30 percent was re-exported to mainland China (Montaldi). Other major markets include Singapore, mainland China, and Taiwan (Graham). The primary suppliers of wild caught fish are Indonesia (accounting for nearly 50 percent of Hong Kong's imports), Thailand, Malaysia, Australia, and Vietnam (Graham). However, Taiwan and Malaysia are leading the charge towards farmed live fish specializing in an industry that "harvested annually has probably been in the billions [Metric Tons](Graham)." Farming live fish is gaining popularity as tastes for live fish are burgeoning across South Asia and countries look to become more and more self sustainable, this is appareant in nations with sizable Chinese populations such as Indonesia and Malaysia.
In Southeast Asia, Singapore alone consumes 500 tons of live coral fish a year(ibid). Exports from Southeast Asia rose to over 5,000 tons in 1995 from 400 tons in 1989(ibid). However, in 1996, exports declined by 22%(ibid). Indonesia, which accounts for over 60% of the harvest, saw exports falling by over 450 tons. That same year, other Southeast Asian countries have experienced similar drops in stocks of live coral fish for food(ibid). In 1996, the Philippines' exports were halved, while Malaysian exports declined by over 30%. These decreases in catch have been due to the excessive amount of fish caught for exports and the degradation of the coral reefs from such procedures.
The live fish trade is a complex issue that involves many different perspectives, all of which must be considered in trying to approach a solution. While, at first, one may point the finger at the fishermen themselves as the criminals, there are many other factors. One is the economic disparity of many of the communities that participate in cyanide, dynamite, or other illegal fishing practices.Coral reefs found in the South Pacific are regarded as the "rainforest of the sea" harboring countless fish species large and small. However, recently the live fish trade has threatened the sanctity of these endangered areas. The Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network has issued a recent report that estimates that 25% of the world's reefs are severely damaged and another third are in grave danger. (Moore Online) The live fish trade is part of this alarming ecological trend caused by the popular use of cyanide which is injected into the coral reefs in order to stun inhabiting fish so they can be easily caught by nets. It is estimated that since the 1960s, more than one million kilograms of cyanide has been squirted into Philippine reefs alone,
and since then the practice has spread throughout the South Pacific. (Moore Online) The live fish trade is only growing, in 1994 the Philippines exported 200,000 kg of live fish; by 2004 the Philippines were annually exporting 800,000 kg annually. (Aguiba Online) Although Asian markets are the primary buyers of live reef fish for food, the recently created U.S. Coral Reef Task Force has concluded that the U.S. is the primary purchaser of live reef fish for aquariums as well as eclectic jewelry. (Moore Online) Even though the use of cyanide in the live fish trade is severely detrimental, one must realize that this issue is multidimensional. Small-scale native fishermen of the small South Pacific coastal communities are the backbone of the live fish trade, and are forced to resort to the illegal use of sodium cyanide due to demand and high prices offered by the industry.In local communities people are participating in the live food fish trade because it is a source of income, or at least a source of temporary income. For some communities this is one of the few income-generating opportunities. Along with the environmental, ecological, and economic consequences of this industry, there are serious health risks as well. Because of inadequate training and lack of quality equipment, divers, especially young men are in large risk of paralysis.
Because of the great profitability of this industry, there is a great incentive to identify sustainable practices. The Marine Aquarium Council (MAC) works to provide the hobbyist with a product that is certified as environmentally sound and sustainable. Additionally, the International Marinelife Alliance (IMA), The Nature Conservancy (TNC), and MAC are working with the Hong Kong Chamber of Seafood Merchants to
develop standards for the live fish trade. The Hong Kong Seafood Merchants represent ninety percent of the buyers of live reef food fish in Hong Kong and have an extensive impact on collection practices.
One widespread point of confusion and misinformation concerns aquaculture feeds. There is no true figure for the amount of feed necessary to produce a single pound of fish. This is because factors such as varying characteristics of the different species of fish being cultured, environmental conditions, and the composition of the feed substantially impact the FCR (Feed Conversion Ratio). This figure can be as high as 2+ pounds of feed per pound of weight gained, but the FCR is very close to one-to-one for best-in-class salmon producers.Aquaculture feeds usually contain fish meal which is derived from wild caught fish. Fish meal inclusion levels are typically less than 50% of the diet at most with grains and other ingredients filling out the remainder of the formulation, thus showing that one pound of fish can be raised using much less than one pound of wild caught fish.
Furthermore, with modern knowledge of fish nutrition, the protein component of the diet can be derived from non-aquatic sources such as soybean meal and similar highly processed sources of protein that have had their anti-nutritional factors removed. This means that a linear programming economic/nutritional model, which provides the least cost diet formulation, determines the choice of ingredients in the diet. Whether fish meal, soy meal and/or corn gluten are used in the feed pellets has little to do with whether the fish are carnivorous and eat fish in the wild. Rather, it is substantially a function of the
economic and nutritional value relative to other animal feed producers (chickens, pigs, cows, etc.) who are competing for the same protein sources.
Secondly, farmed fish are kept in concentrations never seen in the wild (e.g. 50,000 fish in a two-acre area) with each fish occupying less room than the average bathtub. This can cause several forms of pollution. Packed tightly, fish rub against each other and the sides of their cages, damaging their fins and tails and becoming sickened with various diseases and infections. However, fish tend also to be animals that aggregate into large schools at high density. Most successful aquaculture species are schooling species, which do not have social problems at high density. Aquaculturists tend to feel that operating a rearing system above its design capacity or above the social density limit of the fish will result in decreased growth rate and FCR (food conversion ratio - kg dry feed/kg of fish produced), which will result in increased cost and risk of health problems along with a decrease in profits. Stressing the animals is not desirable, but the concept of and measurement of stress must be viewed from the perspective of the animal using the scientific method.
Some species of sea lice have been noted to target farmed coho and Atlantic salmon. Such parasites may have an effect on nearby wild fish. For these reasons, some aquaculture operators frequently use strong antibiotic drugs to keep the fish alive (but many fish still die prematurely at rates of up to 30%. In some cases, these drugs have entered the environment. Additionally, the residual presence of these drugs in human food products has become controversial.
The lice and pathogen problems of the 1990's facilitated the development of current treatment methods for sea lice and pathogens. These developments reduced the stress from parasite/pathogen problems. However, being in an ocean environment, the transfer of disease organisms from the wild fish to the aquaculture fish is an ever-present risk factor.The very large number of fish kept long-term in a single location produces a significant amount of condensed feces, often contaminated with drugs, which again affect local waterways. However, these effects are very local to the actual fish farm site and are minimal to non-measurable in high current sites.
Other potential problems faced by aquaculturists are the obtaining of various permits and water-use rights, profitability, concerns about invasive species and genetic engineering depending on what species are involved, and interaction with the UN Law of the Sea Treaty.
Environmentally Friendly Methods
An alternative to open ocean cage aquaculture, one in which the the risk of environmental damage is substantially eliminated is through the use of a recirculating aquaculture system (RAS). A RAS is a series of culture tanks and filters where water is continuously recycled. To prevent the deterioration of water quality, the water is treated mechanically through the removal of particulate matter and biologically through the conversion of harmful accumulated chemicals into nontoxic ones.
Other treatments such as UV sterilization, ozonation, and oxygen injection are also utilized to maintain optimal water quality. Through this system, many of the environmental drawbacks of aquaculture are minimized including escaped fish, water usage, and the introduction of harmful pollutants. The practices also increase efficiency of feed utilisation and growth by providing optimal water quality parameters (Timmons et al., 2002; Piedrahita, 2003).
One of the drawbacks to recirculating aquaculture systems is water exchange. However, the rate of water exchange can be reduced through aquaponics, such as the incorporation of hydroponically grown plants (Corpron and Armstrong, 1983) and denitrification (Klas et al., 2006). Both methods reduce the amount of nitrate in the water, and can potentially eliminate the need for water exchanges, closing the aquaculture system from the environment. The amount of interaction between the aquaculture system and the environment can be measured through the cumulative feed burden (CFB kg/M3), which measures the amount of feed that goes into the RAS relative to the amount of water and waste discharged.
Because of its high capital costs, RAS has generally been restricted to practices such as broodstock maturation, larval rearing, fingerling production, research animal production, SPF (specific pathogen free) animal production, and caviar and ornamental fish production. Although the use of RAS for other species is considered by many aquaculturalists to be impractical, there has been some limited successful implementation of this with barramundi in the US.
Commercial fishing provides a large quantity of food to many countries around the world, but those who practice it as an industry must often pursue fish far into the ocean under adverse conditions. Commercial fishermen harvest almost all aquatic species, from tuna, cod and salmon to shrimp, krill, lobster, clams, squid and crab, in various fisheries for these species. Commercial fishing methods have become very efficient using large nets and sea-going processing factories. Many new restrictions are often integrated with varieties of fishing allocation schemes (such as individual fishing quotas), and international treaties that have sought to limit the fishing effort and, sometimes, capture efficiency.Fishing methods vary according to the region, the species being fished for, and the technology available to the fishermen. A commercial fishing enterprise may vary from one man with a small boat with hand-casting nets or a few pot traps, to a huge fleet of trawlers processing tons of fish every day.Commercial fishing gears today are surrounding nets (e.g. purse seine), seine nets (e.g. beach seine), trawls (e.g. bottom trawl), dredges, hooks and lines (e.g. long line and handline), lift nets, gillnets, entangling nets and traps.In addition to the above, commercial fishing can also be thought of as encompassing "pay to fish" enterprises, which provide anglers with controlled access to stocked lakes, ponds or canals. These provide fishing opportunities outside of the permitted seasons and quotas applied to public waters. Prices for fish caught in North American "pay to fish" waters are generally in the range of $0.10 to $0.20 per cm or from $5.00 to $10.00 per kg.
New Aquatic Products
Ancient methods of preserving fish included drying, salting, pickling and smoking. All of these techniques are still used today but the more modern techniques of freezing and canning have taken on a large importance.
Fish curing includes methods of curing fish by drying, salting, smoking, and pickling, or by combinations of these processes have been employed since ancient times. On sailing vessels fish were usually salted down immediately to prevent spoilage; the swifter boats of today commonly bring in unsalted fish. Modern freezing and canning methods have largely supplanted older methods of preservation. Fish to be cured are usually first cleaned, scaled, and eviscerated. Fish are salted by packing them between layers of salt or by immersion in brine. The fish most extensively salted are cod, herring, mackerel, and haddock. Smoking preserves fish by drying, by deposition of creosote ingredients, and, when the fish are near the source of heat, by heat penetration. Herring and haddock (finnan haddie) are commonly smoked. Kippers are split herring, and bloaters are whole herring, salted and smoked. Sardines, pilchards], and anchovies are small fish of the herring family, often salted and smoked and then preserved in oil. Fish are dried under controlled conditions of temperature, humidity, and air velocity. Since the dried product is relatively unappetizing and rehydrating slow, other preservation methods are common.In the past, fishing vessels were restricted in range by the simple consideration that the catch must be returned to port before it spoils and becomes worthless. The development of refrigeration and freezing technologies transformed the commercial
fishing industry: fishing vessels could be larger, spending more time away from port and therefore accessing fish stocks at a much greater distance. Refrigeration and freezing also allow the catch to be distributed to markets further inland, reaching customers who previously would have had access only to dried or salted sea fish.Canning, developed during the 19th century has also had a significant impact on fishing by allowing seasonal catches of fish that are possibly far from large centres of population to be exploited. For example: sardines.The flesh of many fish are primarily valued as a source of food; there are many edible species of fish as well as other sea food.Shellfish include shelled molluscs and crustaceans used as food. Shelled molluscs include the clam, mussel, oyster, winkle and scallop; some crustaceans are the shrimp, lobster, crayfish, and crab.Eggs, called roe, of various species may be eaten; roe comes from fish and certain marine invertebrates, such as sea urchins and shrimp. In some cultures, roe is considered a delicacy, for example caviar from the sturgeon.Squid and octopus are valued as food.Sea cucumber is considered a delicacy in Chinese cooking and is often served at New Year's feasts, usually in soups.In some cultures, for example China, Japan, and Vietnam, certain species of jellyfish . Fish oil is valued as a dietary supplement.Pearls and mother-of-pearl are valued for their lustre. Traditional methods of pearl hunting are now virtually extinct.Sharkskin and rayskin which are covered with, in effect, tiny teeth (dermal denticles) were used for the purposes that sandpaper currently is. These skins are also used to make leather. Sharkskin leather is used in the manufacture of hilts of traditional Japanese swords.Sea horse, star fish, sea urchin and sea cucumber are used in traditional Chinese medicine.Tyrian purple is a pigment made from marine snails Murex brandaris
and Murex trunculus.Sepia is a pigment made from the inky secretions of cuttlefish.Fish glue is made by boiling the skin, bones and swim bladders of fish. Fish glue has long been valued for its use in all manner of products from illuminated manuscripts to the Mongolian war bow.Isinglass is a substance obtained from the swim bladders of fish (especially sturgeon), it is used for the clarification of wine and beer.Fish emulsion is a fertilizer emulsion that is produced from the fluid remains of fish processed for fish oil and fish meal industrially.
Economic importance
In 2003, the total world production of fisheries product was 132.2 million tonnes of which aquaculture contributed 41.9 million tonnes or about 31% of the total world production. The growth rate of worldwide aquaculture is very rapid (> 10% per year for most species) while the contribution to the total from wild fisheries has been essentially flat for the last decade.In the US, approximately 90% of all shrimp consumed is farmed and imported.[2] In recent years salmon aquaculture has become a major export in southern Chile, especially in Puerto Montt and Quellón, Chile's fastest-growing city.
Aquaculture is an especially important economic activity since we are living in an island.
Let’s make it a reality from our efforts….
Some scientists and non-profit organizations have raised concerns about aquaculture, particularly for its impact on the environment and on animal welfare, but there is a great deal of misunderstanding regarding many of the largest issues.
It should also be noted that aquaculture production, specifically grouper rearing is rapidly expanding in Asia. From 1998 to 2001 the Indo-Pacific countries involved in aquaculture; China, Indonesia, Republic of Korea, Kuwait, Malaysia, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Singapore, and Thailand witnessed a 119 percent increase in output (FAO fishery Information Data and Statistics Unit 2003). The explosion in this practice can most likely be attributed to the large profit margins that can be derived in very little time. It is estimated that the majority of farms after annual returns can be paid back in less than one year. In comparison to other species of fish such as the Milkfish, the Grouper, because of high demand is able to garner high rates of return, in order to earn 1,000 dollars a grouper farm would only have to raise 400 kilograms in contrast to 5,000 kilograms of Milkfish.My final opinion is that through reingeering the products as well as the organizational structures we would be able to create a win win situation to completely global market with the maximum usage of available resources.
APPENDICES
Government Acts with regards to Aquaculture
The Board of Investment (BOI) Act (2002)
Animal Diseases Act (1992)
Animal Diseases (Control and Prevention) Regulations (1998)
Animal Feed Act (1986)
Coast Conservation Act (1981, as amended in 1988)
Coast Conservation Regulations (1982) (Page 23-25)
Control of Pesticides Act (1980, as amended in 1994)
Cosmetics, Devices and Drugs Act (1980)
Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Act (1996)
Aquaculture Management Regulations (1996)
Aquaculture Management (Disease Control) Regulations (2000)
Aquaculture (Monitoring of Residues) Regulations (2002)
Export and Import of Live Fish Regulations (1998)
Fish Products (Export) Regulations (1998)
Fish Processing Establishments Regulations (1998)
Food Act (1980, as amended in 1991)
Land Development Ordinance (1935, as amended)
Land Grants (Special Provisions) Act (1979)
Marine Pollution Prevention Act (1981)
National Environmental Act (1980, as amended in 1988)
National Environmental (Impact Assessment) Regulations (1992)
National Environmental (Procedure for Approval of Projects) Regulations (1993)
National Environmental (Protection and Quality) Regulations (1990).
Order under section 23Z of the National Environmental Act 1980 (1993)
National Aquaculture Development Authority of Sri Lanka Act (1998)
North Western Province Environmental Statute (1990)
State Lands Ordinance (1949)
Water Resources Board Act (1964, as amended in 1999)
References
Bourne, G.C., 1905. Report on solitary corals collected by Professor Herdman at Ceylon in 1902. Rept. Govt. Ceylon Pearl Oyster Fish. Gulf of Mannar (Suppl.). 29, 187-242.
Baldwin, M.F., (ed.). 1991. Natural Resources of Sri Lanka: Conditions and Trends. Natural Resources Energy and Science Authority (NARESA), Colombo, Sri Lanka, 280p.
Cooray, P.G. 1967. An introduction to the Geology of Ceylon. Spolia Zeylonica 31: 1 - 324
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