A comparison of traditional and modified inland artisanal aquaculture systems

Citation

Edwards P, Little DC & Yakupitiyage A (1997) A comparison of traditional and modified inland artisanal aquaculture systems. Aquaculture Research, 28 (10), pp. 777-788. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2109.1997.00942.x

Abstract
Traditional artisanal aquaculture systems are commonly assumed to be mainly for subsistence, to use predominantly on-farm inputs, and to have been developed by farmers themselves. Such systems with a long history in South East Asia exist mainly in northern Leo PDR, northern Vietnam and in West Java. In most other areas the traditional fish supply, wild fish, has declined only relatively recently, providing a stimulus for growth of aquaculture over the past few decades. An overview of artisanal aquaculture so defined in the South East Asian region is presented from a systems context considering social and economic aspects (micro- and macro-level perspectives), production technology (rice fields, ponds, cages), and environmental aspects (fitting into the local resource base without adverse environmental impact). Most artisanal aquaculture systems are integrated with crops and livestock but generally resource-poor farms constrain production. Rising expectations mean that productivity must be enhanced by off-farm inputs for aquaculture to contribute significantly to the farm household livelihood system. It is proposed that the term 'small-scale' be used rather than 'artisanal' because of increasing farmer interest in income rather than subsistence, because of increasing use of off-farm inputs, and because of the increasingly important role of science in the promotion of such systems.

Keywords
aquaculture; artisanal aquaculture; developing region; fishery system; modern method; traditional method

Journal
Aquaculture Research: Volume 28, Issue 10

People

Professor Dave Little

Professor, Institute of Aquaculture