LECTURE TOPICS
Principles of Aquaculture
Covered general and basic principles of aquaculture systems and practices. It gives an appreciation of how cultured fisheries can contribute significantly to world fish production over captured fisheries.
Species Selection
Common characteristics, ecology and habitat of cultured and potential species for aquaculture, consumer preference and its culture techniques involving different culture practices as applied to different areas.
Seed Production
Dealt with the natural and artificial propagation of live food for cultured species; in the production of commercially important species like Penaeus monodon (jumbo tiger prawn), and other related crustaceans;sea bass, rabbitfish, mullets, grouper, milkfish, carps, catfish, tilapia and other finfish.
Site Selection
Included the qualitative and quantitative criteria for soil and water to determine suitability of sites for specific cultured species.
Pond Design and Construction
It includes a general and detailed concept on planning, lay-outing, scheduling and developing pond areas suitable for aquaculture including proper handling and the usage of precise instruments like the transit and compass.
Pen and Cage Culture
Lectures involved designs, concepts, materials, management and economics of constructing and operating pens and cages for aquaculture purposes.
Aquaculture Economics
Involved costing and budgeting of expenditures in hatcheries and pond culture systems to make projects not only technically feasible but also economically viable.
Pond Culture
Included topics on culture techniques, pond preparation, stocking practices and densities, management, pest-predator control, maintenance, harvest and post-harvest of products.
Open Water Stocking
Topics centered on a general information of reservoirs, its biology, ecology, productivity, management, usage and its potentials for aquaculture projects. Lectures also included legal issues and how to determine fish population, species diversity and the ratio between herbivores and carnivores.
Fish Nutrition and Artificial Feeding
A basic understanding of fish physiology, higher growth, survival and reproductive rates, behaviour and stress in relation to the quali-quantitative application of fresh and formulated diets to important cultivable species for aquaculture.
Seaweed Culture
Discussed biology, ecology, management, culture techniques and artificial recruitment of important seaweed species together with a deep appreciation of potential and commercially cultured varieties which gave a significant contribution for food, medicine and a thousand other derivatives one can extract from seaweeds.
Mollusc Culture
Emphasis was placed on a general understanding of the different types of molluscs, their morphology, biology, ecology, characteristics culture practices, harvest and post-harvest techniques and its commercial importance for food and other uses.
Post-Harvest Technology
an array of techniques used to preserve the shelf life of harvested aquaculture products prepared in various forms: fresh, frozen, smoked, dried or canned so as to remain edible and safe for human consumption from harvesting to the table.
Aquaculture Extension
Emphasized techniques and methods in extending information to recipients in conducting training programs, seminars and in-situ plus methods of planning and programming related activities in the conduct of extension work.
Aquaculture Planning
Introduced basic methods of bookkeeping, accounting principles, financial statements, balance sheets, income statements and computations of rates of returns and net income.
Fish Health and Sanitation
Integrated different stress factors like chemical, physical, biological and procedural, its effects on cultured organisms/ animals including a general information of the animal's physiology and how it reacts or adopts with its environment. Prevention and control of its occurrence, familiarization with different diseases of fish, crustaceans and molluscs, its isolation techniques and identification plus prophylactic treatments when available.
Recirculating Systems
Comparison between culture systems in terms of water management and an understanding of how recirculating systems function, usage of each component and the underlying principles behind its role in maintaining and improving water quality. Different designs and computations of volume and capacity in relation to effectivity were also discussed.
