The Government's programme of improving the brackishwater milkfish and shrimp culture industry provided for the establishment of demonstration fish farms in selected parts of the country with financial assistance from the World Bank. These farms are to be constructed at strategically located areas and will act as “focci” and as centres where local fish farmers may see improved techniques of culture. Training of technical men to head these demonstration ponds and/or to dessiminate information and give technical assistance was deemed necessary. The Government also provided for in-service training of farmers-in-industry.
In all, a total of 90 technicians, divided into three groups, underwent the 90-day course prepared by the project, between July 1974 and February 1976. The shorter 30-day course on milkfish nursery pond management was attended by two groups, totalling 46, composed of technical men of the Directorate General of Fisheries and selected private fishpond operators.
The main subjects taken up under the first course were layout and construction of milkfish ponds, nursery pond preparation and management, and improved milkfish culture techniques. Lectures were provided by this Expert, translated into Indonesian by his counterpart. For practical work, trainees were made to participate actively in the preparation, stocking and operation of both nursery and production ponds. Out of the five field production tests described in the preceding sections, three were conducted with the trainees taking charge of the individual ponds. In the fry rearing tests, they participated in and produced three crops out of the four trials undertaken.
