Tuesday, May 28, 2013

28/05/13: Aquaculture circa 1522; developing feed for red mahseer; Indonesia and FAO strengthen cooperation

We may think of aquaculture as a modern invention but records in the United Kingdom show that a form of fish farming was in action in 1522. This extract from city records in York details the stock at the ‘Pyke Garths’ in 1522. A garth was a small piece of enclosed ground, and a fish-garth was an enclosure on a river or the seashore for keeping fish. Fish included the familiar - salmon, eel and turbot - and the not so well known - trenches, bret and keelyngs.

Is there such as thing as the perfect feed? Researchers at Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) are investigating the perfect feed for the red mahseer. This fish is heavily sought after by both anglers and food fanatics, making it one of the one of the most expensive fish in Malaysia. A kilo can fetch RM800 -1,200. 
Finding the right food for this river dwelling creature has proved tricky. In the wild, the omnivorous fish feeds on fruit that has fallen into the water and small crustaceans; a diet which is hard to replicate in pellet form. However, the team at UPM is looking at protein, lipid, carbohydrate and other requirements will launch a prototype early next year.

Indonesia and FAO will strengthen cooperation in the field of marine affairs, fisheries and aquaculture under an agreement signed on May 27, 2013.
The three-year Memorandum of Agreement, which sets up a framework for future joint activities in those sectors, was signed by Indonesian Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries Sharif C. Sutardjo and by FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva, paying a three-day official visit to Indonesia.
Under the agreement, specific arrangements will be made to increase cooperation in a number of areas including sustainable fisheries and aquaculture development, marine conservation and the prevention, deterrence and elimination of Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing.

The agreement also covers capacity building, education and training, research and the exchange of experts - including  through South-South cooperation - as well as food safety. Indonesia is a prominent actor in  South-South cooperation and a member of the G20.

 
English: Zig-zag eel (Mastacembelus armatus)
English: Zig-zag eel (Mastacembelus armatus) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
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