This proceedings is a comprehensive account of the seminar and contains the papers read and discussed at the sessions, and the recommendations reached and formulated.

This publication represents the proceedings of the Regional Technical Consultation (RTC) on Aquaculture held in Bangkok, Thailand last 17-19 March 2010. The RTC was convened by the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center Aquaculture Department (SEAFDEC/AQD) as part of the preparatory undertakings for the ASEAN-SEAFDEC Conference on Fisheries held in June 2011. The main objectives of the RTC were to follow-up the developments of aquaculture in Southeast Asia after the 2001 ASEAN-SEAFDEC Millennium Conference on Fisheries and to define the strategic actions for the region s sustainable aquaculture development in the next decade. These proceedings contain 10 country papers and a summary status of implementation of the Resolution and Plan of Actions on six themes (supply of good quality seeds, environment-friendly aquaculture, getting out of the fish meal trap, healthy and wholesome aquaculture, biotechnology and rural aquaculture) which are the outcomes of the 2001 ASEAN-SEAFDEC Millennium Conference on Fisheries. It also presents the thematic papers and a synopsis of discussions on issues and recommendations on four thematic areas: (i) meeting social and economic challenges in aquaculture; (ii) quality seed production for sustainable aquaculture; (iii) healthy and wholesome aquaculture; and (iv) protecting the environment and adapting to climate change. These recommendations are expected to provide baseline information and directions in formulating the Resolution and Plan of Action (aquaculture component) for food security in Southeast Asia towards 2020.

This publication documents the proceedings and outputs of the tri-annual seminar-workshop on Aquaculture Development in Southeast Asia (ADSEA). This seminar, ADSEA 99, reviewed the recent developments in aquaculture and provided a forum to discuss strategies to ensure further development of responsible aquaculture in the region. It specifically covered the following: 1) assessment of the progress and development of aquaculture technologies in the region, and research and development in the Department since 1995; 2) review of recent advances in sustainable and responsible aquaculture elsewhere in the world; and, 3) identification of strategies for sustainable and responsible aquaculture in the region. The contributions of selected participants during ADSEA '99 appear in this present volume.

The groupers (Family Serranidae) are among the most popular species in the live reef food fish industry in the Asia-Pacific region. Groupers are generally fast growing, hardy, suitable for intensive culture, and with excellent characteristics for processing. The high demand for these fishes is due to their unique culinary attributes and scarcity. In 1997, the Asia-Pacific region contributed about 90% to the total world aquaculture production. The regional production of farmed grouper was estimated at 15,000 tons, with China as the biggest producer contributing 8,000 tons followed closely by Indonesia. Other countries in the region commonly produce 1,000-2,000 tons annually in 1990- 1997. Groupers are generally cultured in floating net cages or earthen ponds, but cage culture is more common in Southeast Asia. Grouper pond production is becoming an attractive alternative to intensive shrimp culture in countries where management problems have forced growers to abandon shrimp farming. Although grouper culture is widespread in Asia and the Pacific, its continued development is constrained by the limited availability of fingerlings. Most economies, with the recent exception of Chinese Taipei, rely almost totally on wild-caught fry and fingerlings for stocking. This demand for wild seeds has led to unsustainable and illegal collection practices such as the use of cyanide to capture large numbers of seed with relatively less investment in time and effort. The inadequate supply of seed is further aggravated by the lack of appropriate handling techniques during collection, transport and storage of collected fish, and sometimes by an unregulated management of the wild stocks. There is also the lack of appropriate techniques for efficient grouper culture to marketable sizes. A major production constraint is heavy mortality of groupers during the collection and culture phases due to handling stress and diseases. The utilization of non-destructive devices for grouper collection, proper fish handling and increased efficiency in culture management can result to socio-economic and environmental benefits. A well-developed grouper culture operation complemented by appropriate wild grouper fishery management can provide sustainable employment to many people – from marginal fishers to farmers to traders. Grouper fisheries based on illegal or destructive fishing practices underlines the urgent need for habitat protection and sustainable utilization of natural resources. The objective of this manual is to provide a farmer-friendly practical guide for grouper farmers in the Asia-Pacific economies. It is hoped that this manual will enhance farmers’ ability to culture and handle grouper, as well as to prevent and manage disease outbreaks.

An up-to-date account is given of the biology of milkfish (Chanos chanos) under the following chapter headings: Species identity and history; geographic distribution and variation; life history and habitat; food and feeding habits; age, growth and mortality; reproduction; behavior; environmental physiology; and, community relationships.

This practical book on the seaweeds of Panay, Philippines, acquaints and provides information to members of the academe and research institutions, policy makers, fishermen and businessmen regarding the taxonomy, distribution, ecology and economic importance of these resources. It consists of 4 major parts: (1) Introduction, which reviews the literature, habitat, distribution, morphological structure and reproduction; 2) Classification, which describes the classes to which the seaweeds generally belong; 3) Collection and preservation, which explains the procedure used in treatment of specimens; and, 4) Taxonomic list. A glossary is included, covering technical terms used. All species listed and described in this book are macrobenthic and were collected in Panay and Guimaras Islands.