Paper was presented at the International Workshop on Cage and Pen Culture, SEAFDEC, Tigbauan, Iloilo, Philippines in February 1979. It deals with cage farming in freshwater lakes of milkfish (Chanos chanos) and mentions briefly Tilapia mossambica, T. nilotica and trial culture of the prawn Penaeus monodon.

The black tiger shrimp, Penaeus monodon, has been successfully raised by the SEAFDEC Aquaculture Department, Technology Verification and Extension Section at its Dumangas Brackishwater Station. The approaches in the culture method employed in the series of verification runs in the brackishwater station are documented to serve as an interim guide for shrimp growers while these are still being further refined and standardized.

The SEAFDEC Aquaculture Department is mandated to: 1) conduct scientific research to generate aquaculture technologies appropriate for Southeast Asia; 2) develop managerial, technical and skilled manpower for the aquaculture sector; and, 3) disseminate and exchange aquaculture information. The Aquaculture Department in the Philippines maintains 4 stations: the Tigbauan Main Station and Dumangas Brackishwater Station in Iloilo; the Igang Marine Station in Guimaras; and, the Binangonan Freshwater Station in Rizal. Highlights are provided of the seven research programmes and activities conducted by the department during the year 2004.

Discusses AQD's accomplishments in 1997 in the areas of: • poverty alleviation -- the community fishery resource management projects in Malalison Island and Honda Bay • food security issues -- the technical assistance to local government units on low input aquaculture products like tilapia and mussel-oyster • environment-friendly aquaculture technologies -- the development of mudcrab culture techniques in reforested mangrove areas, and the rehabilitation of mangroves / abandoned ponds through aquasilviculture • research into export or cash crops -- mudcrab, tiger shrimp, grouper, seabass, snapper, catfish, seaweeds, abalone, marine ornamental fish. Also discussed: technology verification activities, training, and information dissemination.

A feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the potential of replacing fish meal with processed animal by-product meals, meat meal and blood meal (4:1 ratio), in practical diets for juvenile grouper (Epinephelus coioides). Eight isonitrogenous diets were formulated to contain 45% protein and 12% lipid. Fish meal was replaced by 0%, 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 60%, 80%, and 100% of meat meal and blood meal (4:1) mixture (diets 1–8). The diet with 100% fish meal (diet 1) or trash fish as feed (diet 9) were used as controls. Grouper juveniles were reared in 250-l circular fiberglass tanks maintained in a flow-through seawater system. Each dietary treatment was tested in quadruplicate groups of 25 fish per tank arranged in a completely randomized design. Fish were fed the diets twice per day at a daily feeding rate of 5–6% of biomass and trash fish at 10–12% of biomass for 60 days. Percentage weight gain, specific growth rate (SGR), survival, feed conversion ratio (FCR) and body composition of grouper juveniles were measured. There were no significant differences (P>0.05) in growth performance among fish fed diets 1–7 (0–80% fish meal replacement) with those fed diet 9 (trash fish as feed). However, fish fed diet 3 had significantly higher (P<0.05) growth than those fed diet 8 (100% fish meal replacement). Survival among fish fed the experimental diets did not significantly differ (96–100%) but was significantly higher (P<0.05) than survival (90%) of fish fed trash fish. These results showed that up to 80% of fish meal protein can be replaced by processed meat meal and blood meal coming from terrestrial animals with no adverse effects on growth, survival, and feed conversion ratio of E. coioides juveniles.

This report describes bamboo back disease affecting Penaeus monodon in the Philippines. Affected and normal shrimps were processed for bacterial isolation and histopathology. Morphological changes in the external anatomy were also noted. The cuticle of the abdominal segments of shrimp with bamboo back disease do not overlap properly which gives them a bamboo-like appearance. The appendages are shorter compared with normal shrimps. No bacteria were recovered from the hepatopancreas, lymphoid organ, and hemolymph thus ruling out bacterial infection. Histopathology shows normal hepatopancreas, but the muscle fibers of the abdominal segments are fragmented and necrotic.

After a brief history of the cage culture of fish in Europe, the results of cage culture experiments in Hungary are presented with particular reference to the cage cultures of wels, Silurus glanis , bester (hybrid of Huso huso and Acinpenser ruthenus) and the common carp Cyprinus carpio .

The Karnafuli Reservoir (Kaptai Lake) has immense prospects for aquaculture as shown by recent limnological and biological studies. It is therefore expected that fish cages culture will become a booming industry in Karnafuli Reservoir.

This paper describes the prospects of cage and pen culture in Sudan and recommends that a project for developing pen and cage culture techniques be started for marine and freshwater aquaculture.