Mussels (Mytilus smaragdinus) were posing a threat as fouling organisms in Bacoor Bay, on the south coast of Manila Bay but when attempts were made to market the mussel so much success was achieved that attempts to culture it were begun. A pilot farm was established; mussels now exceed oysters as the most important an profitable crop, 4 mussel projects have now been established, at Bacoor, Tinagong Dagat in northeast Panay, Jiabon in western Samar, and Panguil Bay in northwest Minanao. Projects of the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center (SEAFDEC) are also noted. The methods used in mussel culture are described; at Bacoor, Bamboo stakes are used as substrate. Cost and production estimates for a 1 ha farm using the bamboo stake substrate are given.

Based on FAO time series data, in 1984 there were only 33 countries reporting farmed shrimp production. This increased to 51 in 1989 and rose to 60 in 1996. The world total shrimps and prawns production reached 1.114 million mt in 1998. This level represents more than a five-fold increase over the 1985 production of 213 640 mt. The outbreak of disease in shrimp farms has been a serious problem; the example of the white spot virus (WSSV) is given. The situation in two major shrimp producing countries, Thailand and Ecuador, is illustrated.

As an R & D complex in aquaculture that can conduct replicated studies in marine waters, brackish water and freshwater, be it in aquaria, large tanks, earthen ponds or cages, there are not that many institutions in the world like the SEAFDEC Aquaculture Department (AQD). SEAFDEC AQD is one of four departments of the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center, a regional treaty organization with headquarters in Bangkok, Thailand. Starting with six countries when the SEAFDEC treaty was signed in 1969, SEAFDEC now includes Brunei Darusalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. The other three SEAFDEC departments are the Training Department (TD) in Thailand, the Marine Fisheries Research Department (MFRD) in Singapore and the Marine Fishery Resources Development and Management Department (MFRDMD) in Malaysia. Among the four departments, the Aquaculture Department, established in 1973 and hosted by the government of the Philippines, is the largest.

Mud crab farming is an important source of income for fish farmers in the Philippines. The expanding export market for mud crab as an alternative for shrimp has led to intensified collection of wild seed for grow-out and has threatened the wild stocks. To ensure the sustainability of crab farming and reduce the fishing pressure on wild stocks, the SEAFDEC Aquaculture Department developed a technology for large-scale production of juvenile mud crabs, Scylla serrata (giant mud crab), S. olivacea (orange mud crab) and S. tranquebarica (purple mud crab).

Sandfish, a type of sea cucumber, are both a high-value culture species and one that supports the aquaculture of other fish species by cleaning up waste on the bottoms of ponds or sea cages. Hatchery and nursery technologies for sandfish are being continuously refined by Vietnam’s Research Institute of Aquaculture No. 3, the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center and their partners. These technologies have also been initially transferred to the private sector through a training course and manual.