Freshwater Aquaculture Development In China

This report was prepared withing the framework of the FAO Fisheries Department's continued efforts to contribute to poverty alleviation and hunger reduction in developing countries through aquaculture development. It seeks to analyse the reasons and factors, especially the role of public sector policies, which were behind aquaculture development in China. The aim is to make the Chinese experience available to other parts of the world, especially developing countries, to enable these countries to evaluate ways whereby they could benefit from this experience of sustainable and lucrative aquaculture practices. The report discusses valuable lessons that can be learned from the Chinese experience.

Fish have been a major component of our diet and it has been suggested that fish/seafood consumption contributed to the development of the human brain, and this together with the acquisition of bipedalism, perhaps made us what we are. In the modern context global fish consumption is increasing. However, unlike our other staples, until a few years back the greater proportion of our fish supplies were of a hunted origin. This scenario is changing and a greater proportion of fish we consume now is of farmed origin. Aquaculture, the farming of waters, is thought to have originated in China, many millennia ago. Nevertheless, it transformed into a major food sector only since the second half of the last century, and continues to forge ahead, primarily in the developing world. China leads the global aquaculture production in volume, in the number of species that are farmed, and have contributed immensely to transforming the practices from an art to a science. This book attempts to capture some of the key elements and practices that have contributed to the success of Chinese aquaculture. The book entails contributions from over 100 leading experts in China, and provides insights into some aquaculture practices that are little known to the rest of the world. This book will be essential reading for aquaculturists, practitioners, researchers and students, and planners and developers.

This report looks at small-scale aquaculture from the viewpoint of poverty reduction. What are the main factors that enable fish farming to generate livelihoods and reduce poverty? Based on case studies, the first part of the report highlights the importance of access to capital assets--human, social, natural, physical, and financial--and to a range of transforming processes, such as markets, institutions, facilities, infrastructure, and services.

Fish species cultured, reproduction, feeding and nutrition, genetics and breeding, fry and fingerling production, integrated fish farming, open waters, cages and pens, special aquaculture, and diseases, are among the aspects of Chinese freshwater fish culture presented. Much of the literature reported is difficult for westerners to access. Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR