The Fishery Committee for the Eastern Central Atlantic (CECAF) seeks to promote the sustainable utilization of the living marine resources across the Eastern Central Atlantic between Cape Spartel and the Congo river through informed development of fisheries management actions. Aquatic Sciences and Fisheries Abstracts (ASFA) is contributing to the CECAF-PESCAO project “Improved Regional Fisheries Governance in Western Africa”, by developing a comprehensive inventory of marine fisheries research covering both primary literature (available online on both commercial and free to use platforms) and grey literature available at institutions holdings and not always accessible online. This assessment of fisheries management research in the region will enable CECAF, ASFA and, critically, member countries the means to access relevant contextual and discernible science-based materials and publications. Cataloguing and subsequent bibliometric analysis of large amounts of information specific to regional fisheries management will encourage solid research-based fisheries management recommendations at the national level by highlighting areas of fisheries management to investigate. This paper presents the preliminary results of the research inventory and bibliometric analysis, comparing the amount and type of information available in primary and grey literature collections for the region and at individual country level.

The efficient level of MBM for good growth and survival of milkfish, Chanos chanos Forsskal, without histological changes in tissues (liver, intestine, muscle, kidney and brain) was determined in both freshwater (FW) and seawater (SW) culture conditions. To determine this level, growth and digestibility experiments were conducted in FW and SW together with observations on histology of tissues. In the growth experiments, fish (wet weight less <5g) in triplicate groups were fed for three months with either of the six test diets formulated to be isonitrogenous at 36% with varying dietary levels of MBM at 0%, 7.5%, 15%, 22.5%, 30% and 37.5%. The apparent digestibility coefficients of crude protein and crude fat in diets were determined using a dietary indicator (Chromic Oxide). Intestinal content of fed fish (wet weight, 85g – 65g) were collected by stripping the last posterior third of the intestine. Milkfish survival was 100% in all treatments in FW. Protein of MBM was more digestible to milkfish in SW (93.64%) than in FW (67.34%). Based on growth efficiencies, survival data, and histology of tissues examined, milkfish was able to utilize dietary level of MBM at 30% in FW and at 22.5% in SW. Assimilation of organic matter in test diets that contained MBM at 7.5% to 30% were high (88% - 93%) in both FW and SW.

Survival and growth of mud crabs and any other crustaceans depend on molting. Molting is influenced by several hormones, two of which are Molt-Inhibiting Hormone {MIH} and a molt promoting hormone, the Extracellular Signal-regulated Kinase (ERK). Controlling and synchronizing the molting of the crabs would be a big boost to the mud crab industry, especially in the production of soft shell crabs. The best way to control molting would be to stock juvenile crabs of the same molting stage together. In this study, hormone expressions were analyzed using quantitative Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (1RT-PCR). Molt stages of 36 juvenile S. serrata were established based on MIH and ERK expression levels that was analyzed using Principal Component Analysis (PCA). One group of six individuals had MIH value equal to zero and presumed to be in the PR stage. The rest of the crabs had values for MIH and were presumed to be in the PM-IM stage. The value of ERK for the PM-IM stage was higher at 24.79 than in the PR stage at 21.67. Based on the data gathered, morphological markers may now be identified to standardize hormone expression. This would be the first study concerning the comparison of hormones during molting.

The Second International Conference on the Culture of Penaeid Prawns and Shrimps (SICCPPS) was convened in Iloilo City by the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center (SEAFDEC) on May 14-17 1996 to bring together scientists, researchers and industry practitioners to discuss developments and constraints in shrimp culture. Two simultaneous workshops were held after the presentation of scientific papers: the Workshop on Seed Production and the Workshop on Pond Grow-out Culture of Shrimp.

Mangrove rehabilitation has a long history in the Philippines dating back to the 1930s. The standard practice is the planting of bakhaw Rhizophora propagules by paid community members (or volunteers) in seafront sites selected during spring low tides. In 2009, the Community-based Mangrove Rehabilitation Project (CMRP) of the Zoological Society of London was established to: (a) rehabilitate abandoned government-leased fi shponds into healthy mangroves; (b) increase coastal protection, food resources, and livelihood income through sustainable management of mangroves; and (c) re-establish the legally mandated mangrove ‘greenbelt’ along the coast. Over four years, the CMRP has planted the following in various partner sites in Panay and Guimaras: (a) 58,000 seeds or wildings bagged in nurseries by 3,000 participants, and (b) 99,000 seedlings/wildings outplanted by 4,000 planters in ~20 ha of greenbelts and abandoned ponds. The species are mainly bungalon/piapi Avicennia marina, pagatpat Sonneratia alba, and to a lesser extent, bakhaw Rhizophora. The planters include high school/college students and teachers, members of people’s organizations, barangay and municipal government employees, BFAR and DENR staff , and civil society organizations. The extensive CMRP trials have yielded signifi cant learnings, many of them paradigm shifts from present protocols, as included in the 20 Golden Rules of Mangrove Rehabilitation. A manual that documents these learnings with concrete examples based on CMRP monitoring of fi xed quadrats and other standardized protocols, is currently in press. Some of these protocols are the following: (a) planting site: shift from seafront sites to abandoned ponds (whenever possible); (b) time of site selection: during (low tide of) Neap Tide rather than Spring Tide; (c) species selection for seafront sites: the ecologically correct bungalon/piapi and pagatpat, rather than the easy-to-plant but unsuitable bakhaw; (d) sources of planting materials: use of available wildings is harvesting nature’s excess (equivalent to withdrawing from ‘seedling banks’), which also saves time; (e) labor: “No Pay” planting is based on the premise that labor contributed by the community provides the basis for ownership, thereby obligating them to nurture the plants to maturity and validating their role as de facto managers of mangrove resources. Similar mangrove initiatives have been observed elsewhere in Southeast Asia, as follows: (a) barriers/breakwater in MaIaysia, Vietnam, and Thailand; (b) use of wildings in Malaysia; and (c) mangrove ecoparks/reserves in Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and Brunei.

In central Philippines, the Aquaculture Department of the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center (SEAFDEC/AQD), with strong collaboration and support from the Research Institute for Humanity and Nature (RIHN) of Kyoto, Japan, has been looking into the stock enhancement of tiger shrimp Penaeus monodon in the New Washington Estuary (NWE), province of Aklan, central Philippines. The NWE was a productive fishing ground that has been suffering from degenerating brackishwater fisheries and estuarine environment. Average daily catch declined from 24 kg in 1970s to only 0.7 kg at present. Shrimp fisheries, the most important livelihood, declined in quality and quantity. Tiger shrimps were abundant in catch until the early 1990s when these were observed to decline in volume, replaced by smaller and cheaper species. This was coincidental with the rapid decline in mangrove cover for ponds and huge increase in fishing pressure. It is clear that crucial interventions are required to restore the tiger shrimp fisheries in the NWE in order to increase income of local fishers, while promoting reduction of fishing gears and restoration of mangroves. Stock enhancement of tiger shrimps shows good potential in answering these needs. Site-specific assessments were conducted to evaluate prospects of shrimp stock enhancement in NWE. Conservative simulations of capture of released stocks showed that fishers can increase income by 300%. To decrease fishing pressure in the area, number of gears per fisher may have to be reduced but shrimp catches will be relatively high-priced. Comparative experiments using aquaculture techniques were done to identify strategies especially in the delicate intermediate acclimation rearing. Aquaculture protocols like those for pond preparation were also adapted to be used in a mangrove pen nursery rearing system for shrimps. Supplemental feeding with formulated feeds increased carrying capacity of the culture area, while enhancing growth and survival of stocks. Culture experiments showed that shrimps grow to 0.5 g within 1 mo and >1g in 2 mo. High stocking density of 40-60 shrimps m-2 can be used for <2 mo rearing in a mangrove pen. Release experiments showed that 60-d old shrimps have higher chances of survival when released in the estuaries. With strong support from local communities, government and other sectors, together with effective management and law enforcement, aquaculture-based stock enhancement of tiger shrimps can be a viable intervention to restore livelihood and promote estuarine rehabilitation in the NWE.

SEAFDEC/AQD’s Stock Enhancement Program started in 2001 with the first stock enhancement initiative on mud crab Scylla spp. funded by the European Commission. This was followed by another stock enhancement program in 2005 supported by the Government of Japan Trust Fund with seahorses Hippocampus spp., giant clam Tridacna gigas, abalone Haliotis asinina, and sea cucumbers Holothuria spp. as priority species. This paper discusses the release strategies that have been established for giant clam, abalone and mud crab.

Interest in mud crab aquaculture is increasing throughout the Philippines because of its demand both in local and export markets. Mud crab culture started as low-density polyculture with fish or shrimp using wild crab juveniles and developed to monoculture in ponds and cages. Recently, an integrated mangrove-crab culture system has been practiced. Mud crab species commonly cultured are Scylla serrata, S. tranquebarica, and S. olivacea. The yearly increase in production from 1996 to 2000 (Table 1) may indicate a corresponding increase in the seed collection activity due to greater demand of seeds for stocking. According to many gatherers in the country, there has been a declining volume of all size-classes, from juveniles to adult crabs, gathered from the wild over the last decade. Hence, the development of a commercially viable hatchery technology can play an important role in promoting sustainable crab aquaculture and fisheries management.

This paper provides information on the seafarming activities in the Philippines, which includes milkfish, seabass and grouper cage and pen culture. It also provides some other seafarming alternatives including mud crab, seaweed, mussels and oysters. The paper gives information on community-based coastal resource management as a strategy for community development. The Philippines Government Fishery Resources Management project was outlined. The problems and issues associated with seafarming in the Philippines are described.

Antibiotics have been used in aquaculture as feed additives to promote growth and added in water to prevent disease occurrence. Therapeutic doses are used to treat diseases. Long-term use and misuse of antibiotics may result to drug resistant bacterial strains and accumulation of unwanted residues in the cultured commodity upon slaughter and harvest. Some of the antibiotics that have been used in shrimp hatcheries and grow-out ponds are tetracycline, rifampicin, chloramphenicol, nitrofurans, erythromycin, oxolinic acid and furazolidone. Oxytetracycline, furanace, terramycin, Ektecin, chloramphenicol and sulfa drugs have been used to treat fish bacterial infections. Antibiotic resistant bacteria have been isolated from shrimp rearing water, natural bodies of water that received effluents from aquaculture, and from cultured apecies in the Philippines. Resistance to oxytetracycline and furaltadon were reported in bacteria isolated from crab and nearshore sediments. Bacteria from shrimp ponds have been reported to be resistant to oxytetracycline, furazolidone, oxolinic acid and chloramphenicol. Luminous vibrios from shrimp larvae and ponds were resistant to erythromycin, kanamycin, oxytetracycline, Penicillin, streptomycin, sulfadiazine and triple sulfa. Aeromonas sp. from fish, shrimp, and their rearing water were resistant to streptomycin, oxytetracycline and trimethoprim/sulphamethoxazole. Multiple antibiotic resistance has also been reported in bacteria isolated from shrimp, shrimp ponds, luminous bacteria from shrimp post larvae, and Aeromonas hydrophila from fish. Despite the recorded usage, antibiotic residues in cultured food fish have not yet been a problem of the Philippine aquaculture industry as far as trade is concerned. However, chloramphenicol and nitrofurazolidone residues have been detected in shrimp for export using the enzyme link immunoassay (ELISA) technique. To minimize the use of antibiotics, different alternative methods to prevent diseases in aquaculture have evolved. Government agencies also issued regulations on the use of antibiotics.