Purpose and context of the project;

Throughout Southeast Asia interest in mangrove or mud crab aquaculture is increasing as wild catches diminish and export incomes decrease. Mud crabs are a common aquaculture species as they grow well in unused shrimp ponds, require less precise water quality than shrimp and can be cultured in mangrove areas, an environment-friendly alternative to clearing for shrimp aquaculture (Macintosh 1996). Mud crab farming is viewed as an alternative to the declining shrimp industry and like shrimp has high potential as an export crop.

Addressing issues regarding hatchery technology remains a major obstacle to providing the industry with a more sustainable foundation. This small project focuses on the transfer of research results to industry to maximise the flow of benefits arising from the earlier mud crab aquaculture project (FIS/92/17). The project concentrates on two countries, Vietnam and Indonesia, that are likely to derive substantial benefit from extension of these technologies.

The main objective is to develop "Lead Centres for Crab Aquaculture" at key institutions undertaking nationally-funded mud crab research programs in the selected countries. Training and extension programs are being developed within these countries to provide for the immediate dissemination of project outcomes and to confer timely support for these nationally funded mud crab aquaculture programs.

A series of eight activities are planned to support the Lead Centres. These activities fall into three components:
I. establishment of additional infrastructure for training and larval rearing trials
II. pilot extension workshops with institutional staff; and
III. locally organised workshops for hatchery operators.

The first two components involve exchanges of staff between BIARC and the institutions to develop the technical capacity, training manual and procedures to be used for the local extension program (Component III). Outcomes of this project will include; capacity building in training and extension methods, development of Lead Centres for in-country extension, improvements to commercial hatchery technology, higher seed crab production and mud crab hatchery manuals translated into Vietnamese and Indonesian.

Collaborating research institutions;

Bribie Island Aquaculture Research Centre (BIARC), Australia
Gondol Research Institute for Mariculture (GRIM), Indonesia
Research Institute for Aquaculture #3 (RIA#3), Vietnam

Results and their value;

Establishment & initial training

Australian and Vietnamese larval rearing methods were compared in Vietnam, giving project staff initial information on both methods prior to developing the hatchery manuals. Key staff from the both Vietnam and Indonesia visiting Australia for commercial-scale larval rearing trials at BIARC. Apart from training in hatchery techniques, drafting of the manual began and the extension workshops were planned.

Institutional extension workshops;

The workshop in Vietnam has been conducted and was well received by those who participated. This activity was important because it enabled a comprehensive update on the status of mud-crab larval rearing methods and other aspects of crab aquaculture to the personel responsible for the wider extension of the information beyond the context of the current project. At this institutional extension workshop it was noted that while this project could initiate extension activities, a larger extension program was needed to accommodate the rapid development of the industry in the north of Vietnam. This will have a bearing on the planning of the hatchery extension workshops remaining to be completed. Changes in project leadership in Australia and Indonesia caused a delay in scheduling of the initial training activity at GRIM, however this is currently in progress. Progress in Indonesia is being encouraged as a matter of urgency because of the continued interest in hatchery rearing of mud crabs.

Future research activities;

In the final phase of the project, the locally organised extension workshops in Vietnam and Indonesia are in the process of being organised for later this year.

Purpose and context of the project;

Throughout Southeast Asia interest in mangrove or mud crab aquaculture is increasing as wild catches diminish and export incomes decrease. Mud crabs are a common aquaculture species as they grow well in unused shrimp ponds, require less precise water quality than shrimp and can be cultured in mangrove areas, an environment-friendly alternative to clearing for shrimp aquaculture (Macintosh 1996). Mud crab farming is viewed as an alternative to the declining shrimp industry and like shrimp has high potential as an export crop.

Addressing issues regarding hatchery technology remains a major obstacle to providing the industry with a more sustainable foundation. This small project focuses on the transfer of research results to industry to maximise the flow of benefits arising from the earlier mud crab aquaculture project (FIS/92/17). The project concentrates on two countries, Vietnam and Indonesia, that are likely to derive substantial benefit from extension of these technologies.

The main objective is to develop "Lead Centres for Crab Aquaculture" at key institutions undertaking nationally-funded mud crab research programs in the selected countries. Training and extension programs are being developed within these countries to provide for the immediate dissemination of project outcomes and to confer timely support for these nationally funded mud crab aquaculture programs.

A series of eight activities are planned to support the Lead Centres. These activities fall into three components:
I. establishment of additional infrastructure for training and larval rearing trials
II. pilot extension workshops with institutional staff; and
III. locally organised workshops for hatchery operators.

The first two components involve exchanges of staff between BIARC and the institutions to develop the technical capacity, training manual and procedures to be used for the local extension program (Component III). Outcomes of this project will include; capacity building in training and extension methods, development of Lead Centres for in-country extension, improvements to commercial hatchery technology, higher seed crab production and mud crab hatchery manuals translated into Vietnamese and Indonesian.

Collaborating research institutions;

Bribie Island Aquaculture Research Centre (BIARC), Australia
Gondol Research Institute for Mariculture (GRIM), Indonesia
Research Institute for Aquaculture #3 (RIA#3), Vietnam

Results and their value;

Establishment & initial training

Australian and Vietnamese larval rearing methods were compared in Vietnam, giving project staff initial information on both methods prior to developing the hatchery manuals. Key staff from the both Vietnam and Indonesia visiting Australia for commercial-scale larval rearing trials at BIARC. Apart from training in hatchery techniques, drafting of the manual began and the extension workshops were planned.

Institutional extension workshops;

The workshop in Vietnam has been conducted and was well received by those who participated. This activity was important because it enabled a comprehensive update on the status of mud-crab larval rearing methods and other aspects of crab aquaculture to the personel responsible for the wider extension of the information beyond the context of the current project. At this institutional extension workshop it was noted that while this project could initiate extension activities, a larger extension program was needed to accommodate the rapid development of the industry in the north of Vietnam. This will have a bearing on the planning of the hatchery extension workshops remaining to be completed. Changes in project leadership in Australia and Indonesia caused a delay in scheduling of the initial training activity at GRIM, however this is currently in progress. Progress in Indonesia is being encouraged as a matter of urgency because of the continued interest in hatchery rearing of mud crabs.

Future research activities;

In the final phase of the project, the locally organised extension workshops in Vietnam and Indonesia are in the process of being organised for later this year.