Environment and aquaculture in developing countries

Out of the 12.9 million t of aquatic
organisms cultured in 1990 in Asia and
the Pacific, 54% was finfish. Seaweeds
made up 24% of the total, while molluscs
represented 17% (Table 3). Crustacean
aquaculture, which received most of the
attention in the past decade, produced
only5% ofthe totalvolumein1990. Despite
some minor changes in the share ofcertain
commodities, total aquaculture production
in the Asia-Pacific region has shown a
remarkable steady and balanced growth
over the past decade (Fig. 1). Average
annual growth of total production was 7%
in the region between 1975 and 1990, with

developing countries showing more rapid

annual growth (8%) than the developed

ones (3%).

It should be noted, however, that

behind the generally bright picture there

are significant differences among the

individual countries ofAsia and the Pacific.

Eight out of 44 countrieslterritories of the

region did not report aquaculture

production at all in 1990 (Maldives and

Mongolia in Asia; Cook Islands, Nauru,

Western Samoa, Tonga, Tuvalu and

Vanuatu in the Pacific) and ten others

produced less than 1,000 t (Bhutan and

Brunei in Asia; Fiji, French Polynesia,

Guam. Kiribati. Federated

Commodity 1975 Pacific). The top ten countries,

PUPS (~10~ t) (%) (x 109 lgg0 (%) 1 on the other hand, all produced

states of ~icrdnesia, New

Table 3. Share of major commodity groups in the aquacultuw of

Asia and the Pacific. (Sources: FA0 1984,1992a). caledonia, papua N~~ ~~i~~~

and the Solomon Islands in the

Finfishes 1,842.6 44.1 6,996.7 54.0 more than 100,000 t in^1990

(Table 4).

Mollusce 676.5 16.2 2,196.6 16.9

Seaweeds 1,630.8 39.0 3,144.0 24.3

Othem 6.9 0.1 43.6 0.3

I I

Fig. 1. Gmwth of aquaculture production in Asia and the Pacific. (Sources: Csavas 1988; FA0

1992a).

Inland Aquaculture

The details of total

aquaculture production by

inland and coastal aquaculture

Total 4,182.6 100.0 12,954.8 100.0

in Asia and the Pacific are

presented in Table 4. Inland