University of New South Wales

Aquaculture land suitability maps at 1:10,000, 1:50,000 and 1:100,000 were refined and standardised in collaboration with BAKOSURTANAL. The project also standardised thematic maps (eg. soils, slope, geology, landuse, vegetation and specific soil variables) originally produced by ACIAR Project FIS/2002/076 to Government of Indonesia requirements. Thematic maps from the project have been disseminated to non-fisheries agencies in South Sulawesi and Central Java for land zoning projects and also distributed to agencies within the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (MMAF) to facilitate site assessment for pond culture at the farm level. The project team has worked with BAKOSURTANAL to integrate maps into the National Map Database and has also made the maps available in digital format via a dedicated website at Gadjah Mada University.
Farmer training workshops were conducted in the Regencies of Luwu, Pangkep, Takalar, Pohuwato and Berau. Draft maps and site selection criteria were used for training and to review the content and presentation of information. Feedback from farmers and extension officers from Dinas Perikanan and Technical Implementation Units was used to revise draft publications. Farmers and staff from Dinas Perikanan and other agencies were trained in site assessment methods, soil remediation strategies and pond management. The training involved basic theory and field-based practical exercises. Lead farmers and experienced extension officers who worked with the project team under ACIAR Project FIS/2002/076 participated in the training along with representative of farmer cooperatives and extension officers from non-fisheries agencies. Workshops in Berau, East Kalimantan, involved interaction with farmers and extension officers who had not participated in past ACIAR project activities. Follow-up training is planned for these participants in the next 6 months to further build their technical capacity.
Technical training workshops were conducted either independently or in conjunction with the farmer workshops. Government staff, principally extension and technical officers, were taught more technical methods of assessing sites as well as map interpretation. In Aceh, staff from the Centre for Brackishwater Aquaculture Development (CBAD) at Ujung Batee participated in field training to reinforce and extend skills from former training under FIS/2005/09 and FIS/2002/076. CBAD staff were taught by UGM team members to ground truth maps, check map boundary accuracy and assess site conditions using field and laboratory data in conjunction with map data. Field sites for related work by FIS/2007/124 (aquaculture diversification project) were selected by the project team for field trials and demonstration ponds in Aceh and South Sulawesi.
The project team explored opportunities to transfer a freshwater version of CADS_Tool originally produced by ACIAR Project FIS/2003/027 and under revision by ACIAR Project FIS/2009/054 using data from lake systems in the Philippines. There is potential to adapt the freshwater version of the software to cage culture in Indonesian lakes and reservoirs. ACIAR Project FIS/2008/023 in Papua New Guinea is currently adapting the aquaculture mapping models from the current project to map land capability for inland aquaculture. Opportunities to transfer freshwater aquaculture land capability mapping models to Indonesia will be considered once the PNG-based research is completed.

The project has continued to deliver a program of technical capacity building-based workshops at the Centre for Brackishwater Aquaculture Development (known as Balai Budidaya Air Payau). BBAP staff are now skilled in soil assessment, soil remediation, pond engineering and pond management, and have applied these skills to collaborative French Red Cross, GTZ, FAO and ADB-funded projects. Training in alternative farming practices for severely degraded ponds has also been provided. The training program is based on the principles of a 'train the trainer' approach to enable BBAP staff to train staff from other MMAF agencies and international programs operating in Aceh. Trained staff who have passed competency tests have participated in extension roadshows to train district Dinas Perikanan (Bureau of Fisheries), NGO staff and farmers. The community and agency-based training activities have been undertaken in collaboration with Component 2 of the Aceh Aquaculture Rehabilitation Project (AARP) funded by AusAid and ACIAR (FIS/2006/002).

During 2007/2008 the project conducted two 4-day training workshops at BBAP as well as two 1-day refresher workshops on soil assessment, soil remediation and pond engineering. Workshop participants also developed their skills in hydrological measurements, surveying, farm planning and dyke and pond design. BBAP staff have also participated in one-on-one training during soil mapping activities conducted by the Research Institute for Coastal Aquaculture (RICA) and Gadjah Mada University (GMU). The field-based training focuses on soil assessment, surveying, tidal measurements, the redesign of canals, ponds and dykes, and the collection of geospatial data for map production.

The project team at BBAP was revised to include new staff. The team is now divided into core field and laboratory team members and supporting staff. Core team members are also responsible for community extension activities. The AARP-funded laboratories are now close to completion; the environmental laboratory will be equipped for soil analyses in 2008. BBAP laboratory staff will undertake further training at RICA in Maros, and will complete their analytical training program at BBAP once the laboratories are fully equipped. The environmental laboratory will provide a soil assessment service for farmers and agencies involved in the rehabilitation programs. Basic soil assessment will be provided at farms using the AARP-funded mobile laboratory. The BBAP team is developing a workplan to assess soils and provide technical and management advice to farmers at selected areas on the north east coast. Field-based training of farmers will be conducted at two AARP-funded pond demonstration sites.

A recent impact assessment of ACIAR's fisheries program in Indonesia recommended the expansion of the training program to deliver similar skill building workshops to other Technical Implementation Units (TIUs). A project variation to deliver technical training to 4 other TIUs was approved in May 2008 and the training program will commence in August.

The research support component of the project has continued to characterise and map soils and aquaculture ponds in the rehabilitation areas. The project has mapped over 470,000 ha of acid sulfate soils and has provided more accurate data on the extent of brackishwater aquaculture in Aceh. A soil texture model, based on fuzzy logic, was developed to map the distribution of sandy soils; these sediments cause significant pond engineering problems. A hydrological model was developed to predict tides and describe wave properties at selected locations. These models have provided important data for pond, dyke and canal design, and to identify appropriate soil remediation and pond management strategies.

The project has continued to deliver a program of technical capacity building-based workshops at the Centre for Brackishwater Aquaculture Development (known as Balai Budidaya Air Payau). BBAP staff are now skilled in soil assessment, soil remediation, pond engineering and pond management, and have applied these skills to collaborative French Red Cross, GTZ, FAO and ADB-funded projects. Training in alternative farming practices for severely degraded ponds has also been provided. The training program is based on the principles of a 'train the trainer' approach to enable BBAP staff to train staff from other MMAF agencies and international programs operating in Aceh. Trained staff who have passed competency tests have participated in extension roadshows to train district Dinas Perikanan (Bureau of Fisheries), NGO staff and farmers. The community and agency-based training activities have been undertaken in collaboration with Component 2 of the Aceh Aquaculture Rehabilitation Project (AARP) funded by AusAid and ACIAR (FIS/2006/002).

During 2007/2008 the project conducted two 4-day training workshops at BBAP as well as two 1-day refresher workshops on soil assessment, soil remediation and pond engineering. Workshop participants also developed their skills in hydrological measurements, surveying, farm planning and dyke and pond design. BBAP staff have also participated in one-on-one training during soil mapping activities conducted by the Research Institute for Coastal Aquaculture (RICA) and Gadjah Mada University (GMU). The field-based training focuses on soil assessment, surveying, tidal measurements, the redesign of canals, ponds and dykes, and the collection of geospatial data for map production.

The project team at BBAP was revised to include new staff. The team is now divided into core field and laboratory team members and supporting staff. Core team members are also responsible for community extension activities. The AARP-funded laboratories are now close to completion; the environmental laboratory will be equipped for soil analyses in 2008. BBAP laboratory staff will undertake further training at RICA in Maros, and will complete their analytical training program at BBAP once the laboratories are fully equipped. The environmental laboratory will provide a soil assessment service for farmers and agencies involved in the rehabilitation programs. Basic soil assessment will be provided at farms using the AARP-funded mobile laboratory. The BBAP team is developing a workplan to assess soils and provide technical and management advice to farmers at selected areas on the north east coast. Field-based training of farmers will be conducted at two AARP-funded pond demonstration sites.

A recent impact assessment of ACIAR's fisheries program in Indonesia recommended the expansion of the training program to deliver similar skill building workshops to other Technical Implementation Units (TIUs). A project variation to deliver technical training to 4 other TIUs was approved in May 2008 and the training program will commence in August.

The research support component of the project has continued to characterise and map soils and aquaculture ponds in the rehabilitation areas. The project has mapped over 470,000 ha of acid sulfate soils and has provided more accurate data on the extent of brackishwater aquaculture in Aceh. A soil texture model, based on fuzzy logic, was developed to map the distribution of sandy soils; these sediments cause significant pond engineering problems. A hydrological model was developed to predict tides and describe wave properties at selected locations. These models have provided important data for pond, dyke and canal design, and to identify appropriate soil remediation and pond management strategies.

The technical training program was reviewed in June 2008 to address the evolving needs of the staff at BBAP. Master Trainers were also involved in competency testing to ensure that their technical skills are developing and to maintain a high standard of technical support and training. RICA and UNSW staff monitored the Master Trainers to ensure technical accuracy and to mentor the trainers, especially new staff with less experience in technical extension. Previous training modules were repeated for new staff appointments at BBAP, and one-on-one training was used to facilitate the progression of new staff with no prior experience in environmental assessment. The core Master Trainers were involved in refresher courses and introduced to more challenging course materials on mapping methods. New planning tools from FIS/2002/076 were also introduced into the training program. The focus of the program has shifted towards more practical training now that theory is well grounded in the Master Trainers.
The environmental laboratory, established by Component 1 of the AARP, was also commissioned in this reporting period and staff of RICA commenced training laboratory staff from BBAP, Ujung Batee, in soil analytical methods. BBAP staff also participated in training at RICA.
During 2008/2009 the project conducted further training on soil assessment and remediation, with a focus on the AARP demonstration ponds and surrounding areas. The demonstration ponds are being developed as training nodes for farmers and Dinas Perikanan staff. The goal is to demonstrate best management practices in collaboration with other ACIAR projects operating in Indonesia. The collaboration is managed by the AARP and the Master Trainers from FIS/2005/009 are part of the joint training team. The collaboration will produce integrated farming packages that cover environmental assessment, disease management, pond design and engineering, soil remediation, pond management and nutrition.
The research support component of the project has continued to characterise and map soils and aquaculture ponds in the rehabilitation areas. Data collected by the project team has been used to assess the effects of BMPs at selected sites and to improve pond management strategies. The project has mapped over 470,000 ha of acid sulfate soils and has provided more accurate data on the extent of brackishwater aquaculture in Aceh. This information has been made available to other programs in Aceh (eg. ADB, FAO, GTZ and French Red Cross). A soil texture model, based on fuzzy logic, was developed to map the distribution of sandy soils; these sediments cause significant pond engineering problems. A hydrological model, developed in earlier in the project, was refined to more accurately predict tides and describe wave properties. These models have provided important data for pond, dyke and canal design, and to identify appropriate soil remediation and pond management strategies.
Mr Tarunamulia graduated from UNSW with a Master of Science. His thesis focused on developing and applying mapping methods on soil properties in Aceh to support aquaculture pond rehabilitation. The project used the technologies to map environmental constraints, design ponds, identify appropriate methods of soil remediation, and select pond engineering techniques to minimise pond degradation. Mr Tarunamulia's research findings were widely disseminated at workshops, seminars and conferences, and incorporated into technical guidelines.

The project was officially launched in November 2005 in Makassar, Indonesia following the foundation of a National Steering Committee in Jakarta to coordinate the extension components of this project and FIS/2003/027. Prior to the official launch, the project leaders and collaborating scientists from RICA, GMU, AIMS and UNSW met in Sydney to develop the research and extension strategy and build a more effective collaborative network between the partner agencies. The team also commenced reviewing existing, relevant datasets from the former project (FIS/97/22). Data collected from FIS/97/22 is suitable for the current project and has been compiled and converted into raw files for GIS analyses. A fieldwork plan was implemented in January 2006. Additional soil and water quality and farm production data were collected for Barru, Wajo and Luwu to build on the database of the previous project. The elevation and coordinates of past and new sampling locations have been surveyed into a network of benchmarks to build terrain and GIS models of each study site. Hydrological assessment of tidal conditions and surface hydrology has also been conducted. Hydrological models have been applied to data to predict tides and characterise tidal regimes. Primary and secondary soil, topographic, climatic and hydrological data from Australian shrimp farming areas commenced and will be supplemented by additional primary data collection in late 2006 to early 2007.

The project has updated the computer mapping facilities and soil and water testing laboratory at RICA. GMU academics trained RICA mapping staff in Image Analysis in April 2006 and have assisted RICA by building expertise in Remote Sensing to compliment the centre's strengths in GIS modelling and mapping. GMU, RICA and UNSW staff have also conducted joint fieldwork to produce preliminary mapping units for the land classification scheme. The mapping laboratory at RICA will be expanded in mid 2006 through Government of Indonesia funding to accommodate an increase in project staff and new mapping resources jointly funded by ACIAR and the Government of Indonesia. The expansion of the laboratory will maintain its leadership in coastal aquaculture mapping in Indonesia.

Two postgraduate students are conducting their Masters by Research programs under the project. Mr Tarunamulia, an Ausaid-funded student and a Research Assistant under another ACIAR project, is working on the application of fuzzy logic to site assessment and land classification. Ms Claudette Rechtorik commenced employment as a part time Research Assistant in November 2005 and is conducting her Masters by Research program on Australian farms.

A review of research progress in May 2006 showed that the study sites in South Sulawesi will not provide sufficient data for the development of a combined coastal aquaculture classification scheme due to the low intensity of sea cage culture. To address this issue FIS/2002/076 and the related seacage project (FIS/2003/027) will be including sea cage and land-based sites in Lampung, Sumatra where both industries occur at the same location and at higher intensity than in South Sulawesi. The review of project data also showed that sandy soils, which are a problem elsewhere in Indonesia, are not sufficiently common in South Sulawesi. Accordingly, data from a recently launched ACIAR project in Aceh (FIS/2005/009) will be incorporated into the current study. Study sites in Aceh include sandy soils, acid sulfate clays and acid sulfate sands.

The Australian and Indonesian teams have designed and commenced implementing farm surveys to collect data on farm management, production and environmental conditions in Barru, Sinjai, Wajo, Luwu and Lampung in Indonesia and northern NSW and South East QLD in Australia. Farms in Far North Queensland will be surveyed in the next 6 months. The Australian Prawn Farmers Association is facilitating the survey work. Socioeconomic data from farmer interviews in both countries are being used to: investigate environmental risk perception and how it influences on farm management and site selection; identify socioeconomic and policy issues that influence site selection, and; to develop more effective dissemination strategies. The farm surveys are continuing through to the beginning of 2007 due to the incorporation of the Lampung and Aceh study sites. Primary data from the former project (FIS/97/22) for both countries have been collated into a database and are being analysed and converted into GIS data files for integration with socio-economic data from the farm surveys.

A major review of Indonesian and Australian aquaculture policy and planning tools has commenced to evaluate the current approaches to environmental decision making and to determine levels of scientific and technical information available to farmers and government officers.

The project is now in its second year and has developed draft site selection criteria for land-based farming and has commenced creating GIS models to map areas according to suitability for extensive, semi-intensive and intensive farming. Environmental factors relevant to the development of the Australian prawn farming industry have also been identified and, by the end of 2007, can be incorporated into existing policy and revised development guidelines to improve decision making for both farmers and government agencies. Findings from the Indonesian project and the development of site assessment methods will be directly applicable to intensive farming in Australia demonstrating benefits to the Australian industry from the collaborative research. The draft site selection criteria have been divided into two formats. The first format presents more technical criteria that target the staff of the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries and Australian Government Departments who have access to research support services. These more technical criteria rely on numerical data that can be analysed and interpreted using guidelines, to assess land according to physical properties (eg soil type, landform, erosion, elevation and slope), hydrological and meteorological (eg tidal conditions, rainfall), sociocultural (eg effects on or from adjacent landuse, proximity to areas of cultural significance or conservation areas, areas protected by other policies or environmental planning instruments) and accessibility to infrastructure. Draft guidelines to support the decision making process are now under development. The second format involves the presentation of site selection criteria in less technical, farm level guidelines on site assessment relevant to both Australian and Indonesian farmers, and also to farmers in South East Asia and South Asia (with modification to the supporting guidelines). These guidelines use less text and do not heavily rely on scientific data. The guidelines present simple and cost effective methods to evaluate land according to the physical, chemical and biological characteristics of a farm or an area of interest. Both formats will be evaluated by the Local Advisory Committee in Indonesia and stakeholders at an extension workshop and field visits scheduled for November 2007.

The project team has developed draft GIS models to map areas for land-based aquaculture using South Sulawesi study sites and selected areas of Aceh drawing on data from FIS/2005/009. Only preliminary analysis of data from Lampung, Sumatra has been undertaken but will be completed by November 2007 when all data collection and analyses will be completed. The draft GIS models have been applied to 1:100,000, 1:50,000 and 1:10,000 scales to evaluate resolution and accuracy limitations. At 1:100,000 and 1:50,000, coarse scale mapping is proving to be useful as a scoping tool. At these two scales, the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries can use the mapping classes to identify areas that are suitable or unsuitable for land-based aquaculture but a further breakdown into different levels of suitability is not possible at 1:100,000. At 1:50,000 a breakdown of the suitability classes is hamstrung by data availability. By contrast the 1:10,000 draft maps demonstrate a capacity to breakdown the suitability classes into:

highly suitable - suitable for all forms of land-based aquaculture but best used for intensive farming
moderately suitable - suitable for extensive to semi-intensive farming
marginally suitable - best suited for extensive farming or polyculture

These draft classes will be reviewed further in November 2007 with stakeholder inputs and groundtruthed before a final set of classes are applied. Each suitability class is currently being subdivided further so that sub-classes specify farm management requirements to ensure that the carrying capacity of the land is not exceeded and prevent environmental and social impacts. Project FIS/2002/076 is also developing similar GIS models for seacage farming in collaboration with Project FIS/2003/027 to develop an overall coastal classification scheme for aquaculture.

The socioeconomic studies have shown that there is a significant need for integration of information on disease prevention and management with site assessment. Accordingly, the current project is collaborating on ACIAR Project FIS/200/061 to develop complimentary extension materials and to target a common audience. In addition, the two projects have designed joint studies to investigate associations between patterns of disease outbreaks with environmental risk factors (eg. soil type).

The draft guidelines, maps and related extension materials will undergo stakeholder review in November 2007 and published by May 2008. In 2008 the project team will focus on the production and promotion of extension materials and will run workshops to facilitate uptake. All extension activities involve inputs and guidance from the National Steering Committee and Local Advisory Committee in Indonesia.

The project focussed on the completion of fieldwork, data analyses, production of draft site selection criteria and associated draft land capability maps. The project also co-developed mapping models for seacage farming with FIS/2003/027 (seacage project).

Fieldwork was completed at all South Sulawesi-based locations including the ground truthing of draft maps for land- and sea-based aquaculture. Sites on the east and west coast of South Sulawesi were used to compare different soil, geomorphic and hydrological settings and various production systems (shrimp monoculture, polyculture, seaweed culture and fish monoculture). Data from FIS/2005/009 in Aceh were used to include sandy soil environments in the data analyses and subsequent development of the site selection criteria and mapping models. Study sites in Lampung were included under a project variation to enable the land-based and seacage projects to conduct joint research where seacage and land-based farming operate intensively in close vicinity. Environmental, socioeconomic and production data were analysed using multivariate methods to develop site selection criteria for a range of extensive farming practices. The draft site selection criteria target farm-level decision making. The criteria are based on low cost technologies to evaluate the physical and human constraints on brackishwater aquaculture development, and decision making processes to identify issues that require technical intervention from government agencies. Draft site selection criteria guidelines are close to completion and will be reviewed by stakeholders in 2008.

Site selection criteria were developed further and translated into GIS-based mapping criteria to underpin the development of mapping models for spatial planning purposes. Field and remote sensed data were combined in the analyses to refine techniques for land evaluation over large areas, and to improve the predictive accuracy of the image classification used in the mapping. The draft GIS models were first tested in Pinrang regency and more recently applied to sites in Lampung and the east coast of South Sulawesi. Ground-truthing was used to test the accuracy of mapping boundaries and land classification. Data from the Australian study sites are currently being analysed to revise existing site selection criteria and provide inputs to policy development in NSW and Queensland. Site selection criteria from the Indonesian component are being revised in the context of the Australian data set and the intensity of the farming systems on the east coast of Australia. The analysis of the Australian data set also involves multivariate approaches.

Mapping models for Indonesia are based on three spatial scales. At 1:100,000 the maps differentiate between suitable and unsuitable classes for regional-scale planning. Selected areas have been mapped at 1:50,000 and the project is currently testing the accuracy of suitability sub-classes at this scale. At the 1:10,000 scale all maps are sufficiently detailed to divide the suitability classes into well-defined sub classes which include specific information on farming methods, the type of culture systems best suited to the location and the maximum intensity of the farming systems. Draft guidelines for map interpretation are being produced and will be reviewed by government agencies in July/August 2008.

The land-based and seacage project have continued to operate under the auspices of the National Steering Committee (NSC) and a Local Advisory Committee (LAC) in South Sulawesi. The two committees have successfully fostered information exchange between the research agencies and stakeholders leading to more effective extension and adoption. The spatial data and mapping outputs of the project have also been adopted by the Agency for Regional Development and Zoning and the Bureau of Rural Settlement to facilitate broader landuse planning and to minimise encroachment of brackishwater areas by other landuse. The two committees have enhanced interagency collaboration and communication between the projects and farmers. A joint extension workshop, held in November 2007, enabled stakeholders, researchers and the LAC to further develop the dissemination and adoption strategies of the land-based and seacage projects. Stakeholders were also involved in small workshops to identify appropriate extension materials. A print publishing process was also developed to improve in-country production of extension materials for both projects. The land-based team visited farmer groups after the workshop to plan community extension and adoption programs. A farmer workshop was held in Luwu in December 2007 and more district-based workshops are planned for 2008.

The project has also developed stronger links to FIS/2000/061 (disease management project). The land-based project has characterised and mapped soils at the disease project's experimental ponds in Barru and Pinrang, and in 2008 will also undertake a social survey to develop a better understanding of farmer risk perception and how it affects the uptake of technology. The two projects are also integrating information on pond management to minimise the effects of soil and water quality on disease outbreaks.

The primary objective of this project is to improve site selection criteria and develop a land classification scheme and mapping models for land-based aquaculture in Indonesia, and to provide scientifically-generated information for planning processes in Australia with an emphasis on improving existing site selection and zoning. The project operated in parallel with ACIAR Project FIS/2003/027, "Planning tools for environmentally sustainable tropical finfish cage culture in Indonesia and Australia," to create mapping models for sea-cage culture and an overall coastal aquaculture classification scheme for Indonesia. This project and FIS/2003/027 were designed and operated to jointly develop planning and decision support tools for both land- and sea-based farmers and government agencies responsible for strategic planning of both industries. This partnership approach enabled the two projects to streamline planning tools to avoid conflicts between stakeholders, and to minimise social, economic and environmental impacts that could arise from over development and competition for coastal resources. Furthermore, the joint operation of these projects enabled greater capacity building at the partner institutes, sharing of resources and opportunity to co-manage extension programs.
Site selection criteria were created for farm-level decision making and were based on low-cost, simple methods of environmental assessment developed by FIS/97/22. These criteria enable farmers to select areas that are suitable for land-based aquaculture and to avoid problems that have, in the past, caused crop failure and environmental impacts. The criteria also assist farmers to identify the type of aquaculture that can be conducted at the location of interest and to select management practices to maintain a profitable venture. The criteria are based on a review of existing knowledge, field trials on alternative farming systems, detailed assessment of productivity and management practices of existing farms in different environmental settings, and social and environmental factors that limit or favour aquaculture development. More technical criteria and methods of assessment were created for government agencies to improve technical support to farmers. Technical training of Dinas Perikanan and Technical Implementation Units was conducted to build capacity in technical support services. The technical training involved linkages with FIS/2005/009 (Aceh technical capacity building project).
Strategic planning for aquaculture is a high priority in Australia and Indonesia. This approach to planning requires support through land-capability assessment methodologies. The project developed mapping criteria and mapping models based on extensive field work and the analysis of spatial data sets and key factors for sustainable production. The mapping criteria were developed to classify land according to its suitability for different types of pond-based aquaculture in Indonesia and to support decision making processes in Australia. The Indonesian criteria use three suitability classes and one "unsuitable" class that address environmental, social and economic factors. The scheme underpins a map series at 1:10,000, 1:50,000 and 1:100,000. In Australia, various EIA-related decision processes are already in place. The current work will improve the decision process by incorporating new key variables in site selection and mapping criteria, and also revision of existing variables. The current project also co-developed mapping criteria and models for seacage farming in Indonesia and combined land- and sea-based site selection criteria to create an overall coastal aquaculture classification scheme. These criteria and mapping models were used to create maps that show suitable areas where both industries can develop in proximity or separately to minimise impacts. Impacts on other coastal industries were also addressed.
The project was reviewed in March 2009 and a 2-year extension was approved to expand the dissemination program. The project extension will also involve validation and further development of planning tools from FIS/2003/027.

The project commenced in April 2005, with collaborative activities initiated with partner laboratories in Bali and South Sulawesi. In consultation with staff of the Gondol Research Insitute for Mariculture (GRIM), and the Research Institute for Coastal Aquaculture (RICA). sampling methodologies were agreed upon that could be applied to all study sites in order to ensure consistency of approach. The RICA team commenced regular sampling of study sites in Barru Regency, South Sulawesi, in July 2005, concentrating on water quality parameters and chemical composition of the sediments in the vicinity of an experimental sea cage array owned by RICA. Collaboration was also commenced with the Centre for Coral Reef Studies at Hasanuddin University, Makassar. Two postgraduate studies and a number of undergraduate studies were commenced in the same area as the RICA studies, with an emphasis on the productivity of primary producers that may be active in taking up waste nutrients from aquaculture. In August Dr. Halmar Halide, an ACIAR-funded Post-Doctoral fellow, commenced duties at AIMS to undertake the modelling components of the project. Dr Halide has a PhD in physics and is an Indonesian national, which has greatly aided with communication and in establishing linkages with Indonesian agencies. The first field trip to the Australian study site, the Marine Harvest farm at Port Hurd, Bathurst Island, occurred in September 2005. Two staff from RICA joined the AIMS team for this work prior to visiting partner laboratories and aquaculture facilities in Darwin, Cairns, Townsville and Sydney. Physical oceanographers from AIMS made a separate visit to the farm in November to conduct measurements of water movement within the Port Hurd estuary, and to collect the data necessary to provide accurate tidal predictions for the farm.

Results to hand from the regular monitoring of seacages in South Sulawesi, and from the single field trip to Port Hurd, indicate that the environmental effects of these farms appear to be quite small and very localised. Though the Marine Harvest farm is the only industrial-scale fish farm in SE-Asia, the high tidal energy and high natural assimilative capacity of the waters of Port Hurd appear to effectively dissipate wastes from the farm. Consequently, in November we visited potential study sites in Lampung, Indonesia, where aquaculture activity is far more developed and where there are potentially greater environmental effects.

The National Steering Committee for aquaculture planning, an essential extension mechanism for the outputs of this project, was launched in Jakarta on November 24, and the project formally launched in Makassar on November 25. Following these events, AIMS) and UNSW staff from the parallel land-based aquaculture project collaborated with RICA staff in a field trip to Barru, and met with project staff to share the data to hand and plan future activities.

Project activities during 2006 emphasised the collection of field data to support the development of models of aquaculture impacts with field trips to both Australian and Indonesian study sites - these are described in detail below. In May 2006 we visited the Balai Budidaya Laut laboratory in Lampung to arrange access to commercial scale sea cage sites in Lampung Bay. In addition, during this visit AIMS staff members conducted training activities for the staff of RICA, as well as selected participants from Hasanuddin University (UnHas), BBAP Takalar, Muslim University of Indonesia (UMI) and Poltek Petanian Pangkep Regency. A progress review of this project and its partner project FIS 2002/076 Land Capability Assessment and Classification for Sustainable Pond-Based, Aquaculture Systems occurred concurrently, and was attended by Mr Barney Smith, Dr Ketut Sugama (CRIA) and Dr Fatuchri Sukardi (DGA). Project liaison and co-ordination meetings were held in August and December 2006. In December 2006 Dr Sudirman, the Dean of Fisheries from Hasanuddin University, Makassar, visited AIMS for 2 weeks to complete a manuscript detailing the activities of wild fishes around sea cages - the first such account from the tropics. Wild fish are attracted to both the structure of sea cages and to wastes from the cages and constitute a significant sink for aquaculture effluents that is very poorly parameterised in the existing literature.

Field activities: Our goal is to be able to compare the environmental footprint of sea cage farms in the tropics, where there is a distinct dry and wet season. The Australian study site was the Marine Harvest barramundi farm in Port Hurd, NT. The Port Hurd site is a high energy environment - with an 8m tidal range and 2 knot tidal currents. In August 2005, during our dry season field trip, the farm was the only industrialised sea cage farm in SE Asia, and was holding 1300 tonnes of barramundi. Unfortunately the farm was severely damaged by bad weather in January 2006, and our wet season field trip in February 2006 found the farm holding ~100 tonnes of barramundi. The Port Hurd farm was subsequently decommissioned, and Marine Harvest applied to the NT government for licences to operate in other areas, but subsequently withdrew from their Australian operations at the end of 2006. Our studies indicate that the strong tidal currents are the primary mechanism of waste dissipation from the farm, with no detectable accumulation of wastes on the scoured sediments under the farm, and only an extremely localised farm effect in the water column itself.

In South Sulawesi, RICA has been undertaking fortnightly water and sediment sampling in the vicinity of seacages in Arawange and Labuange Bays, Barru Regency. This regular monitoring study is forming the backbone of the data we will use to estimate background levels of nutrients in a coastal zone with multiple uses, and to put the environmental effects of sea cage aquaculture in the context of other inputs. The Hasanuddin University component of the project, which involved field measurements of seagrasses, macroalgae and wild fishes has been completed successfully, and the data passed to AIMS. These data will be used to estimate environmental assimilative capacity.

In August - September 2006 AIMS undertook the first of two field trips to Indonesia to measure key ecosystem processes. These include studies of circulation and currents, respiration and production, nutrients, plankton, nitrogen turnover and fixation, denitrification, ammonification and sulphate reduction. Field studies commenced at BBL Lampung, and concentrated on a commercial grouper farm (Ayong) and also on the experimental cage site adjacent to the laboratory itself, in Hurun Bay. After 10 days the equipment was shipped to our study site at Arawange Bay in South Sulawesi, and the same measurements made there. This field work has involved a considerable logistic exercise in the importation and trans-shipment of a large amount of field gear and has been made possible by the excellent working relationship we enjoy with our Indonesian project partners. The gear has been left in South Sulawesi for our wet season field trip scheduled for March 2007.

Project activities during 2007 were aimed toward the completion of field studies in Indonesia and in the finalisation of aquaculture planning tools.

In March AIMS scientists undertook the second of 2 field trips to Indonesia to complete the wet season - dry season comparison, as well as complete work at our study sites in South Sulawesi. A project variation funded in March 2007 allowed us to expand studies to Lampung, where the fish farms are larger and we expected a more significant environmental impact. In May AIMS' physical oceanographers conducted studies of currents and circulation in Teluk Lampung, with particular attention to the area around Tanjung Putus, where there is a concentration of sea cages. The emerging picture from our studies in Indonesia is that in these microtidal environments there is little physical dispersal of aquaculture wastes, since the currents are very weak. Consequently, the main mechanisms by which aquaculture wastes are dissipated are by biological assimilation rather than physical dispersal. However, the footprint of the farms we have visited appears to be very small, with noticeable changes in benthic processes limited to sites within 100m of the cages, and little effect on water column processes at all.

In July 2007 the RICA team completed 2 years of water quality sampling in the vicinity of sea cages in Awarange and Labuange Bays, South Sulawesi. Water quality and the occurrence of toxic algal blooms has occasionally been problematic in these areas. These issues are important because of the location of RICA's new hatchery in Awarange Bay and because of the presence of commercial farms in Labuange Bay. RICA has also completed 4 field trips to the Tanjung Putus area of Lampung, towards the project goal of comparing the environmental effects of land-based and seacage aquaculture. In addition, RICA has produced an estimate of waste loading into Hurun Bay, Lampung, and completed a study of uptake of waste grouper feeds by wild fish communities at Awarange Bay.

In order to progress completion of the mapping products in May 2007 Gajah Madah University was engaged as a project partner for this project- they are already partners in the parallel land-based project FIS/2002/076 and will now take primary responsibility for mapping 4 focus areas in South Sulawesi to identify sites suitable for sea cage aquaculture, taking into account adjacent land-based aquaculture. This collaboration was facilitated by a workshop held at Sydney in Sept 2007, in which the site selection criteria were drafted and a strategy developed for delivering the map series needed for the coastal classification scheme.

In conjunction with FIS/2002/076, we have established a National Steering Committee for Aquaculture development in Indonesia, as well as a Local Advisory Committee in South Sulawesi. In November 2007 both projects participated in an LAC meeting in Makassar chaired by Dr Fachturi Sukadi. The meeting was part of an extension workshop to identify and address stakeholder needs to underpin the development of extension materials for 2008. The meeting was attended by 85 participants from South Sulawesi, including land- and sea-based farmers, Regency and Provincial managers, Dinas Perikanan and other stakeholders and interested parties.

A major project deliverable, the model to calculate carrying capacity (entitled CADS_TOOL) was finalised in the second half of 2007. CADS_TOOL was developed by Dr Halmar Halide, and is a Decision Support System which includes modules for site classification, site selection, 4 carrying capacity models, as well as an economic calculator. In November 2007 a workshop held in Lampung was jointly convened by ACIAR and NACA to compare carrying capacity models from the region and to identify information gaps and problems. The workshop involved participants from 7 Asian countries. The CADS-TOOL model was previewed at the workshop and subsequently adopted as the working model for aquaculture development in the region. CADS_TOOL has now been recoded in Java and is available on the AIMS web site.

Dr Halmar Halide, employed as a Post Doc with the project, completed his employment at AIMS in January 2008. During the period of this report, the project has won a John Allwright Fellowship for one team member (Muh Chaidir Undu), supported 5 collaborators in study tours in Australia, completed all field studies, and convened one international workshop.

Year 1 26/06/2003-25/06/2004
Survey of regional grain drying and manufacturing and selection of industry partner(s)
This work has been carried out by the Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute (CMERI) project team in India and especially in West Bengal. The statistical data on grain and seed production (paddy, wheat, maize and oilseeds) have been obtained from West Bengal and other north eastern states.
The CMERI team has conducted a survey on seed farms on the storage conditions of seeds, with an emphasis on the relative humidity and temperature during storage and their effects on germination.
Grain processors, seed and feed industry were the main focus of the survey. Linkages have been established with the Department of Agriculture, Government of West Bengal. This organisation will provide the facilities for experimental studies at Bardhaman Seed Farm, near Durgapur. This work will be expanded to seed farms in other districts:
Arambang Hatcheries Ltd (Feed plant)
Indus Food Products and Equipment Ltd (drying equipment manufacturer).

An introductory seminar was conducted at CMERI in Durgapur. The seminar was attended by representatives of private industry (manufacturers of equipment as well as grain processors), research institutes and universities. Participants came not only from north eastern India but also from countries in the region with similar production patterns (Bangladesh and Thailand). The seminar was a platform for the introduction of the concept of two-stage drying and for the exchange of information on existing drying technologies for grain.
Development of computer-based drying models
The CMERI team has collected thermo-physical data including density, specific heat and thermal conductivity on main varieties of grain crops grown in north eastern India. Two members of the CMERI team visited the drying facilities of the UNSW in 2004 in order to get acquainted with the methodology used for the acquisition of thermo-physical data and development of the existing mathematical models.
The CMERI team collected weather data on temperature and relative humidity from following regions:
Gangetic West Bengal
Sub-Himalayan West Bengal
North-eastern States.

The UNSW team conducted an initial study on the effects of low temperature drying on seed quality, including viability, germination and vigour. A more comprehensive work including the effects of two-stage drying and model development is in progress.

1. Survey of regional grain drying and manufacturing and selection of industry partner(s)
This objective was mostly achieved in the first year of the project. Further statistical data on grain and seed production (paddy, wheat, maize and oilseeds) for the second year of the project were obtained from West Bengal and other northeastern states. Like in the previous year, the emphasis was placed on seed production as being the industry with the most obvious needs of modernisation of the drying system.
The contacts with the dryer manufacturers and seed producers established in the first year of the project were intensified and resulted in collaboration in design and testing of drying equipment.

2. Development of computer-based drying models.
The Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute (CMERI) team has completed the determination of the thermophysical properties for local varieties of wheat, rice and maize. These include density, specific heat and thermal conductivity. Experiments to determine the sorption isotherms are in progress. The acquisition of weather data on the key experimental sites continues. The techniques of data acquisition have been established during the stay at University of New South Wales (UNSW) by two CMERI scientists in July-August 2004. The validation of existing in-store drying (ISD) software with local crops done. Finite element method (FEM) formulation of mathematical model for steady state process has been done and validated with standard textbook problems. Model development for non-steady state process simulation is in progress.

3. Collaborative construction and testing of prototypes in demonstration trials.
The lab-scale unit of 1st stage fluidized bed dryer including body and control system have been developed and commissioned by the CMERI team. Experiments are being conducted for parameter optimisation. The experimental results are also instrumental in design optimisation of the full-scale prototype to be set up at Burdwan seed farm.

The lab-scale unit of 2nd stage in-store dryer has been designed, built and installed by the CMERI team. The commissioning of the mechanical part of the system has been completed. The control system was designed, built and supplied by University of New South Wales (UNSW) team. The system has been installed, commissioned and tested. The experiments began after the completion of the testing work, i.e. in early August 2005.

Full-scale prototype design for both, the 1st stage fluidised bed dryer and the 2nd stage in-store dryer, have been completed. Installation of both the dryers at Burdwan Seed Farm of Govt. of West Bengal has been done. The drying experiments will start in the coming harvesting season.

The UNSW team continued studies on the effects of two-stage drying on seed quality, including viability, germination and vigour. The studies include the effects of spouted bed, used as an alternative to a fluidised bed dryer as 1st stage dryer, on seed properties. The experimental work provides elements of information required for the development of seed drying model.

4. Training of scientists and manufacturers in the principles and practice of grain dryer design and manufacturing.
An interactive seminar and demonstration session was held on 17th January 2005. Different types of dryers developed in CMERI were demonstrated in actual running condition to the participants. The participants included the policy makers i.e. the government agencies, managerial and technical staff from food processing industries and also grassroots users. The advantages of two-stage system for grain drying, particularly for seed processing and preservation were explained to the participants. Their opinion was sought regarding the suitability of the dryers and suggestions for modification were taken note of.

Work done to date follows the timetable outlined in the project proposal. The third year of project implementation deals with model development and testing of prototypes of dryers. Increased emphasis will be put on the training of manufacturers and users.

During the third year of the project following activities have been carried out:
a) Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute CMERI team:
The statistics of the annual grain production in West Bengal and the other northeastern states of India (Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Tripura, Manipur and Nagaland) have been updated. They included grain and seed production data for paddy, wheat, maize and oilseeds. In West Bengal the total production of paddy rice increased from 14.7 to 15.5 million tonnes whereas the wheat production increased from less than 1 million to more than 1.1 million tonnes between 2003-2004 and 2003-2005. The seed requirement in West Bengal in 2003-04 was 35 thousand tonnes of paddy and 12 thousand tonnes of wheat. In the other northeastern states the demand was 26 thousand tonnes of rice, 41 thousand tonnes of wheat and 5 thousand tonnes of maize seed. Increased demand of seed means increasing demand of mechanical dryers as the safe moisture level for seed storage, 13% wet basis, cannot be maintained under the prevailing climatic conditions without mechanical drying.
The seed production infrastructure has also been surveyed and it was found that there were seven major seed producers (including over 40 state seed farms). Furthermore, the survey has shown that there were 24 major animal feed producers including state owned enterprises in four of the northern states. There are also more than 400 rice mills in West Bengal alone. Finally, there are four major dryer manufacturers in the region.
As a result of the surveys, contacts have been established with nine major seed producing companies as well as with feed mills interested in improving their drying facilities. An important partner is the West Bengal Dept. of Agriculture and especially the seed farm in Burdwan near Durgapur.
The modelling and design work included as follows:
Determination of thermophysical properties of economically important paddy varieties. They included grain size, density, specific heat, thermal conductivity and sorption isotherms at different temperatures. Mathematical models were fitted to these properties when appropriate.
Historical data on temperature, humidity and rainfall have been collected for the representative locations of the following regions
Gangetic West Bengal (Kolkata & Burdwan)
Sub-Himalayan West Bengal (Jalpaiguri)
North-Eastern States (Guwahati)
Weather data loggers have been placed in the WB Govt. farms at Burdwan, Bankura and Jalpaiguri for current data recording and analysis later on.
The thermophysical properties of grain and the weather data are added to the existing drying simulation package in order to provide a predictive tool for design and optimisation of in-store drying systems.
In addition to this work, the CMERI team has designed and tested a laboratory-scale two-stage drying system consisting of a fluidised bed dryer and an in-store dryer as 1st and 2nd stage dryers respectively. The fluidised-bed dryer can be operated in batch or continuous mode, has a capacity of 20 kg paddy/h and can remove moisture from 30% down to 20% wet basis. It has been tested within 60-90C temperature range. The in-store dryer has a capacity of 0.9 m3 and is using near-ambient air. Drying models have been developed for both dryers.
Full-scale prototypes for both the 1st stage fluidized bed dryer (150 kg/h capacity) and the 2nd stage in-store dryer (4.6 m3 capacity) have been installed and commissioned at Burdwan seed farm of Govt. of West Bengal. Experiments of the two stage drying system with freshly harvested grains are in progress in order to validate the results of the laboratory tests and to demonstrate the system to the users. In addition to research activities, CMERI hosted the 4th Asia Pacific Drying Conference in December 2005 (ADC05) in Kolkata where the principle and applications of the two-stage drying system were demonstrated.
b) Food Science and Technology, University of New South Wales team
Extensive work on the modelling of two-stage drying of seed of three major grain crops: rice, wheat and maize. The research work includes the use of fluidised and spouted-bed dryers and of an in-store dryer using near-ambient air. Seed quality attributes such as viability and vigour are included in the model.
A further major research activity is the development of finite elements method (FEM) to describe the drying behaviour of a single kernel. FEM allows to study the following areas:
Effect of changes in drying conditions
Fissuring
Surface 'melting' effect at high temperature
Directional drying
Finally, both teams are developing training tutorials based on the computer assisted learning principle for dissemination of project outputs among the potential users.