The Trans-Himalayan region encompasses a number of countries situated in the midland and highland areas of the Himalayas, Karakoram, and in a broad sense, also in Hindu Kush and Pamir. The mountains are characterized by a very low level of human development, with full exploitation or overexploitation of the natural resources. Fisheries play an important role in providing food and income to the mountain people. The Symposium on Cold Water Fishes of the Trans-Himalayan Region, held 10-13 July 2001 in Kathmandu, Nepal, was attended by 70 participants from ten countries. In 32 presentations, it reviewed information, experiences, ideas and findings related to fish and fisheries in the region, paying special attention to fish species distribution, fishing intensity, socio-economic conditions and livelihoods of fisher communities, as well as to the impact of environmental degradation, conservation measures and aquaculture technologies for indigenous and exotic cold water fish.

Fish passes are of increasing importance for the restoration of free passage for fish and other aquatic species in rivers, as such devices are often the only way to make it possible for aquatic fauna to pass obstacles that block their up-river journey. Fish passes thus become key elements for the ecological improvement of running waters, and their efficient functioning is a prerequisite for the restoration of free passage in rivers. These guidelines first refer to the underlying ecological basics and discuss the general requirements that must be understood for sensible application of the complex interdisciplinary matters. These general considerations are followed by technical recommendations and advice for the design and evaluation of fish passes, as well as by proposals for choosing their hydraulic dimensions correctly and testing their functioning.

The various sea farming and sea ranching practices used in the People’s Republic of China are reviewed, based on published and unpublished information, statistical data and field experiences. The development of marine fisheries during the past 50 years is described. Following their decline caused by overfishing and the ecological degradation of the coastal environment, emphasis was shifted from marine capture fisheries to aquaculture-based operations, including farming and ranching of marine organisms in both inshore and offshore areas. The biology and culture of major representatives of five species groups (seaweed, molluscs, crustaceans, echinoderms and fish), involving a total of 67 different species, are presented, together with detailed production statistics. The eight sea farming and ranching systems currently used in China are presented. Several aspects related to marine resources management for sea farming and ranching are discussed, such as legislation, research on genetics and biodiversity, health management and marine habitat rehabilitation. Monitoring and evaluation according to biological, environmental and socio-economic standards are briefly considered.

The original manual on freshwater prawn farming was published in English, French and Spanish by FAO and translated by others into Farsi, Hindi and Vietnamese. In the two decades since that manual was written, many technical and practical advances have been made in the rearing of freshwater prawns. A new manual has therefore been prepared, which will be issued in each of the FAO official languages. This manual provides information on the farming of Macrobrachium rosenbergii. Many of the techniques described are also applicable to other species of freshwater prawn that are being cultured. The manual is not a scientific text, but is intended to be a practical guide to in-hatchery and on-farm management. The target audience is therefore principally farmers and extension workers. However, it is also hoped that, like the previous manual on this topic, it will be useful to lecturers and students alike in universities and other institutes that provide training in aquaculture.

This checklist summarizes information on the parasites of Bangladeshi fishes contained in the world literature dating from the earliest known records in the early 1900s to the end of 2000. Information is presented in the form of parasite-host and host-parasite lists. Included are 147 named species of parasites. Also included are many records of parasites not identified to species level. The Parasite-Host List is organized on a taxonomic basis and provides information for each parasite species and the Host-Parasite List is organized according to the taxonomy of the hosts. Both lists are accompanied by remarks and footnotes, as warranted, giving specific information on points of systematics, nomenclature, possible misidentifications, introductions, pathogenicity etc. Citations are included for all references and a supplementary list of references contains other literature on Bangladeshi fish parasites. Parasite and host indices are included. Parasites have been reported from only 85 of the 528 species of marine and freshwater fish occurring in the waters of Bangladesh.

This document is the second revision of Fisheries Circular 886 – Review of the state of world aquaculture. Taking into consideration various reviews and analyses of aquaculture production, development and management published by FAO over the past few years, the format of the present version of the Circular deviates slightly from that of the previous revision. It includes a global review of aquaculture production and production trends, brief regional production profiles based on national aquaculture statistics received from FAO member countries up to 2000, an outlook for aquaculture development (major issues, opportunities and challenges) and a section discussing issues of current importance to global aquaculture development and management. The latter includes inland fisheries and aquaculture: a synergy for sustainable foodfish production, the role of aquaculture in rural development, recent technological innovations in aquaculture, and producer associations’ and farmer societies’ contribution to aquaculture development. Future revisions will address more issues of interest for sustainable development and management of aquaculture, where appropriate.