Fish nutrition in Malaysia: Status and problems
Share
Abstract
In aquaculture, nothing is more important than a well-balanced diet and adequate feeding. An undernourished fish is never able to maintain its health and attain its growth potential regardless of the quality of its environment. The production of nutritionally balanced diet for fish requires research, quality control, and biological evaluation. The Department of Fisheries first acknowledged the importance of formulated feed when it established the Feed Section at the Fisheries Research Institute in Glugor in 1976. With the establishment of the research branch, Brackishwater Aquaculture Research Centre (BARC), in Gelang Patah, Johor in 1979 and the National Prawn Fry Production and Research Centre (NAPFRE) in Pulau Sayak, Kedah in 1987, the feed section has been expanded further to cover pond grow-out feeds for fishes and shrimps and the postlarval stage of shrimps. The feed section in Glugor placed greater emphasis on larval and postlarval feed. In the case of freshwater fishes, research and production of feeds began in 1975 at the Freshwater Fish Research Station, Batu Berendam, Melaka. The development of formulated feeds is concentrated on fishes and crustaceans.
Suggested Citation
Talib, Z. (1993). Fish nutrition in Malaysia: Status and problems. In C. T. Villegas, M. T. Castaños, & R. B. Lacierda (Eds.), Proceedings of the Aquaculture Workshop for SEAFDEC/AQD Training Alumni, 8-11 September 1992, Iloilo, Philippines (pp. 71-73). Tigbauan, Iloilo, Philippines: Aquaculture Department, Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center.
Type
Conference paperISBN
9718511253Related items
Showing items related by title, author, creator and subject.
-
Aquaculture industry profile and trends
(University of the Philippines Aquaculture Society, Inc., 2001) -
Aquaculture in Malaysia
(Aquaculture Department, Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center, 1995)Aquaculture in Malaysia is experiencing rapid growth. Total production in 1992 amounted to 79,699 tons valued at RM 207.4 million. These figures are 23% and 25% higher than the previous year's. Semi-culture of the cockle Anadara granosa was still predominant, contributing about 70% of the total output. Culture and production of the oyster Crassostrea iredalei is still insignificant. Sea bass Lates calcarifer constituted over 80% of the production from marine cages. Cage culture of grouper Epinephelus sp., snapper Lutjanus sp. and pompano Trachinotus blochii were also done in much smaller scale. The mangrove snapper Lutjanus argentimaculatus was recently spawned in captivity and larvae and juveniles were produced. In 1992, the tiger shrimp Penaeus monodon constituted about 87% of brackishwater pond production. Pond culture of the white shrimp P. merguiensis and the mudcrab Scylla sp. is at the experimental stage. Red tilapia hybrid was the major freshwater species cultured in cages, with 1,486 tons harvested in 1992. Freshwater pond production was valued at RM 100.85 million, 22% of which was due to the eel Anguilla japonica. Production of freshwater ornamental fishes is also becoming significant. Other exotic species recently bred and cultured are the African catfish Clarias gariepinus and the pacu Piaractus brachypomus. The indigenous freshwater catfish Mystus nemurus and carp Probarbus julleini have recently been bred in captivity and cultured experimentally. Lately, there have been attempts to culture non-conventional species such as the bullfrog Rana catesbeiana, the soft-shell turtle Trionyx sinensis, and aquatic ornamental plants. -
Coastal aquaculture in Thailand
(Aquaculture Department, Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center, 1995)Coastal aquaculture in Thailand has expanded rapidly in both area and production in the last decade. The important cultured species are the shrimps (Penaeus monodon and P. merguiensis), sea bass Lates calcarifer, groupers Epinephelus malabaricus and E. tauvina, green mussel Perna viridis, horse mussel Modiolus senhausenii, blood cockles Anadara granosa and A. nodifera and the oysters Crassostrea belcheri, C. lugubris and Saccostrea commercialis. The total production from coastal aquaculture in 1991 was 230,444 tons, consisting of 70.3% shrimp, 28.8% mollusks, and 0.9% fishes. The seaweeds Gracilaria spp., pearl oysters, scallops, and abalones are cultured on a pilot scale in some places. Hatchery technologies have recently been developed for groupers, oysters, scallops, and abalones. Expanded aquaculture has had some adverse effects on the environment and has also suffered from the environmental changes and conflicts due to other sectors using the same water and other resources.
