The social impact of decline in prawn farming is enormous. Many of the farmers, who converted their agricultural land into aquaculture farms, are now getting no income from either agriculture or aquaculture. Many of these families now migrate either temporarily or permanently in search of employment and livelihood. In this situation, the Integrated Mangrove Fishery Farming System (IMFFS), wherein cultivation of mangroves, halophytes (salt-loving plants) and culture of fish, crab and prawn are integrated, provides some tangible solutions to sustain coastal aquaculture and also strengthen resilience of coastal communities. This also provides an opportunity to integrate livelihood and the mangrove bioshield. solutions to sustain coastal aquaculture and also strengthen resilience of coastal communities. This also provides an opportunity to integrate livelihood and the mangrove bioshield. Integrated Mangrove Fishery Farming System Design. Most of the prawn farms in India are rectangular shaped earthen ponds of about one hectare in size and a cluster of farms contains about 5 to 20 ponds. They are pump-fed – brackish water is periodically pumped in and out of the ponds to maintain water quality - and a kind of semi-intensive type of culture system is followed. Hatchery produced post larvae of prawn are transferred to ponds where they are fed with artificial feed until they reach marketable size, which takes about four to six months. As a result of this practice, the cost of inputs is always high and artificial feeds increase organic load leading to pollution. In the Integrated Mangrove Fishery Farming System (IMFFS), earthen ponds are designed to provide space for growing saline-tolerant vegetations including mangroves and halophytes. Space for planting is created by constructing bunds inside the pond in a zigzag manner or as small mounds (Figures 1 and 2). These bunds and mounds can be created by digging the soil from the bottom of the pond. This will also make the pond deeper and below the tidal level. As a result, tidal water will fill the pond by gravitation during high tide and drain out during low tide. The pond can be made deeper to allow three feet of water to remain in the pond as standing water. The tidal water inlet and outlet can be established at opposite ends or a single structure can be used both as inlet and outlet. The ponds will be designed in such a way that nearly 30 to 35 per cent of the space is left for planting mangroves and halophytes whereas the remaining 70 to 65 per cent is left for holding seawater for fish culture. I Water spread area N for fish culture N E R B Integrated Mangrove Fishery Farming System Design. Most of the prawn farms in India are rectangular shaped earthen ponds of about one hectare in size and a cluster of farms contains about 5 to 20 ponds. They are pump-fed – brackish water is periodically pumped in and out of the ponds to maintain water quality - and a kind of semi-intensive type of culture system is followed. Hatchery produced post larvae of prawn are transferred to ponds where they are 18 THE ASIA REGIONAL FORUM ON BIODIVERSITY fed with artificial feed until they reach marketable size, which takes about four to six months. As a result of this practice, the cost of inputs is always high and artificial feeds increase organic load leading to pollution. In the Integrated Mangrove Fishery Farming System (IMFFS), earthen ponds are designed to provide space for growing saline-tolerant vegetations including mangroves and halophytes. Space for planting is created by constructing bunds inside the pond in a zigzag manner or as small mounds (Figures 1 and 2). These bunds and mounds can be created by digging the soil from the bottom of the pond. This will also make the pond deeper and below the tidal level. As a result, tidal water will fill the pond by gravitation during high tide and drain out during low tide. The pond can be made deeper to allow three feet of water to remain in the pond as standing water. The tidal water inlet and outlet can be established at opposite ends or a single structure can be used both as inlet and outlet. The ponds will be designed in such a way that nearly 30 to 35 per cent of the space is left for planting mangroves and halophytes whereas the remaining 70 to 65 per cent is left for holding seawater for fish culture. Outlet No energy No artificial feed No chemicals Figure 1. Design of a seawater based integrated agro-aqua farming system with inner bunds. 2 U N D Figure 1. Design of a seawater based integrated agro-aqua farming system with inner bunds. Inner bund provides space for mangrove Inner bunds Halophytes can also be grown as cash crops Inlet
In Celebration of His Majesty the King of Thailand’s 84th Birthday Anniversary
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