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Conclussion

Seabass (Lates calcarifer) culture enterprise is one of the most dynamic and potentially profitable segments of the brackish and marine water fish farming industry in Southeast Asia. It is a desirable fish with good flesh texture and taste, high market value and market value and demand. It can be reared both in freshwater and seawater conditions. In the past 5 years, over 10,000 farmers engaged in cage culture of seabass and over 20,000 hectares of land have been established in the Region for intensive pond production of the species.

In as much as seabass can now be artificially propagated, the investment for hatchery production is justified which ensures sufficient seed supply to the farming industry. Although the seabass culture industry appears to have a bright prospect, it is still confronted with several constraints. Foremost of these constraints is the shortage of Artemia cyst and also has become very expensive. Artemia naupluii play a significant role in hatchery production for both finfish and crustacean as an important live food organism. It is, therefore, necessary that a cheap and suitable alternative live food organism with similar nutritional value as Artemia must be found and cultured. Otherwise, artificial feed must be used but so far no suitable formulation has been developed yet.

At the present time in some countries, all culture systems for seabass use trash fish as feeds. As the supply of trash fish is limited and expensive, these factors have hampered the growth of the industry. Thus, in addition to finding suitable alternative live food organisms, research work on artificial feeds must be conducted as subsitutes for trash fish.

Another factor that constraints the seabass industry is the lack of organization, communication and marketing channel to date. As a result, prices in the market of food fish as well as fry and fingerlings are not steady.

As long as the above factors remain unsolved, these will slow down the growth of the seabass industry as a whole.

 ItemPond Cages
A.Income   
Marketable fish 14,000 Kg × 3 USD  42,0008,000 Kg × 3 USD24,000
Sub-total A42,000 24,000
B.Fixed Cost   
Land cost (5,000 × 18% interest)      900 (2.7%)lease10
Pond construction (5,000 × 20% depresiation)1,000 (3.0%0cage construction1,667 (8.9%)
Interest (30,000 × 18%)5,400 (16.0%)5,000 × 33.3 depreciation1,667 (8.9%)
Property tax 1.5%      75 (0.2%)Boat & engine 
Sales tax (1%)    240 (1.3%)1000 × 20% depreciation200 (1.1%)
  Interest 2,000 × 18%3,600 (19.2%)
  Sales tax  240 (1.3%)
Sub-total B7,795     5,717
C.Operating cost   
Seed (1,000/15 USD) 60 × 150      9,000 (27.0%)20 × 1503,000 (  6.0%)
Feed    14,000 (42,1%) 8,000 (42.8%)
Labour 80 × 12       960 (2.9%)    960 (  5.1%)
Fuel and Lubrication       500 (1.5%)    500 (  2.7%0
Maintenance and miscellaneous    1,000 (3.0%)    500 (  2.7%)
Sub-total25,460 12,960   
D.Total coast (B + C)33,255 18,677   
E.Net operating income (A - C)16,540 11,040   
F.Net Income (A-B-C)  8,745 5,323  
G.Net income over cost   26.3% 28.5% 

Figure 25 Comparison of cost and return between pond and cages culture in Thailand.

REFERENCES

Anonymous. 1980. Working paper on seabass production and culture workshop. Brackishwater Fisheries Division, Department of Fisheries. Vol. 4. pp. 60–78.

Barlow, C.G. 1981. Breeding and larval rearing of Lates calcarifer (Bloch) (Pisces centropimindae) in Thailand. N.S.W. State Fisheries, Sydney, N.S.W. Australia.

Bhatia, U. and P. Kungvankij. 1971. Distribution and abundance of seabass fry in coastal area of the provinces facing Indian Ocean. Annual report, Phuket Marine Fisheries Station. 14 p.

Chan, W.L. 1968. Marine fishes of Hong Kong, Part I. Hong Kong Government Press, 1968.

Danstan, D.J. 1959. The baramundi, Lates calcarifer (Bloch) in Queensland waters. Technical Paper No. 5, Division of Fisheries and Oceanography. CSIRO, Melbourne, Australia. 22 p.

Dhebtaranon, Y. et. al. 1976. Net cage culture of brackishwater and seawater fish seabass (Lates calcarifer Bloch) and other marine animals in Thailand. International Workshop on Cage and Pen Culture, SEAFDEC Aquaculture Department, Tigbauan, Iloilo, Philippines.

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. 1974. FAO species identification sheet for fishery purposes. Eastern Indian Ocean (Fishing Area 57) and Western Central Pacific (Fishing Area 21). Volume 1.

Kungvankij, P. 1981. Seed production of seabass. Satul Fisheries Station. Contribution No. 1, Satul, Thailand. 15 p.

Kungvankij, P. 1984. Induced spawning of seabass (Lates calcarifer Bloch) by environmental manipulation and mass production of fry and fingerlings. (In press).

Maneewongsa, S. et. al. 1981. Propagation of seabass (Lates calcarifer Bloch). Brackishwater Fisheries Division, Department of Fisheries. NICA Cont. No. 1. 24 p.

Nash, C.E. and Z. Shehadeh. 1980. Review of breeding and propagation techniques for gray mullet, Mugil cephalus L. ICLARM. Manila, Philippines.

Sakares, W. 1982. The experiment on cage culture of seabass (Lates calcarifer Bloch) in different stocking densities. Working paper, Second Symposium on Brackishwater Fish Culture. Brackishwater Fisheries Division, Bangkok, Thailand.

South China Sea Fisheries Development and Coordinating Programme. 1982. Report of training course on seabass spawning and larval rearing. SCSP/82/83TC. 95 p.

Wongsumnok, S. et.al. 1971. Experiment on seabass (Lates calcarifer Bloch) culture in brackishwater ponds. Second Symposium on Marine Fishery. Marine Fisheries Laboratory, Bangkok, Thailand. 13 p.

Wongsumnuk, S. and S. Maneewongsa. 1974. Biology and artificial propagation of seabass Lates calcarifer Bloch. Report on the First Mangrove Ecology Workshop. Vol. 2, No. 3. pp. 645–664.

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