Environment and aquaculture in developing countries

Table 7. Indicators of coastal aquaculture production in Aaia and the Pacific in 1990.

Coastal aquacultu~

Coastal production

aquaculture

production Land area Coastline per area per coastline

Countryfregion (t) (X lo3 ha) (krn) (kg1,OOO ha1) (tkm-l)

Bangladesh

Bhutan

Brunei Darussalam

Cambodia

China

Hong Kong

India

Indonesia

Iran

Korea, D.P.R.

Korea, Rep. of

Lao P.D.R.

Malaysia

Myanmar

Nepal

Pacific Islands

Pakistan

Philippines

Singapore

Sri Lanka

Taiwan

Thailand

Vietnam

Developing muntries

Australia 10,637 761,793 20,000 0.01 0.6

Japan 1,270,778 37,652 29,761 33.76 42.7

New Zealand 34,660 26,867 5,400 1.29 6.4

Developed countries 1,316,075 826,312 65,151 1.59 23.9

Asia-Pacific total 6,674,616 2,806,842 268,854 2.49 24.8

tenure patterns in the coastal zone have
produced a different picture. Tidal
wetlands were traditionally common
property resources with rather low
perceived value, used primarily by small-
scale fishers and other artisans. In most
countries of the region, traditional,
extensive trappinglgrowingponds, the size
of which far .exceeded the dimensions of
freshwater ponds, were constructed in the
coastal zone. In Indonesia, for instance,
almost 80% of freshwater fishponds are
smaller than 0.1 ha, while more than 62%

of the brackishwater ponds are bigger

than 2 ha (Cholik 1988). In the recent rush

for suitable shrimp pond sites, influential

investors have had substantial advantages

over small farmers (Hannig 1988). Thus,

the ratio of small farms has further

decreased in coastal areas.

Coastal aquaculture also differs from

inland aquaculture in other ways. Whereas

semi-intensive freshwater pond fish

culture blends well with the rice-based

rural economy of Asia, some negative

environmental impacts of some coastal