1. Historical development of aquaculture in Thailand
Dr. Jiraporn Kasornchandra
Department of Fisheries,
Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives

2. Geography of Thailand Thailand has a total area of
approximately 513,120 square
kilometres (198,120 sq mi)
Thailand is bounded by
the Gulf of Thailand on the east coast
the Andaman Sea on the western coast
Total coastline 2,815 km
Eastern coastline km
South-eastern coastline 1,334 km
South-western coastline km

3. Aquaculture in Thailand
Total cultivated area for inland
aquaculture is approximate
1,008,000 rai (155,100 ha), mostly
located in the central part of
Thailand
Total cultivated area for coastal
aquaculture is approximately
326,183 rai (50,182 ha) along the
coastline

4. Aquaculture in Thailand
Developing considerably since the beginning
of the century
Dividing into two categories:
- freshwater aquaculture
- coastal aquaculture

5. Culture methods in aquaculture
1. Extensive culture
: photosynthetic production
: fertilizer apply
2. Semi-intensive system
- increase production
- provide extra nutrients
3. Intensive culture
- supply seed, fresh water and feed
- need sufficient oxygen
- increase stocking density
- high production

6. Culture system for freshwater fish in Thailand
Pond
Paddy-field
Cage culture
Ditch

7. More than 50 freshwater aquatic species have been cultured
hybrid catfish
Java barb
Giant river prawn
Red Tilapia
Skin gourami
More than 50 freshwater aquatic species have been cultured
Tilapia

8. Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)
Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) was first introduced into Thailand in 1964 by Emperor Akihito of Japan who presented the fish to HM King Bhumibhol. The fish began to breed prolifically in a palace pond, then was given to the Department of Fisheries which soon distributed around the country.

9. Tilapia
Contribution of tilapia production is around 29% of total aquaculture production. Its cultivation is now moving away from green-water fertilized system towards pellet-feed intensified system. The main culture types are genetic selection strains such
as Chitralada (for normal tilapia) and Tabtim strains (for red tilapia). They can be cultured both in ponds and cages.

10. Giant river prawn are cultivated mainly in ponds in the central and north eastern areas of Thailand. Extensive and semi-intensive culture systems are applied for raising giant river prawn of which 90% of production for domestic consumption and 10% for export.

11. Coastal aquaculture Major commercial species: Shrimp - white shrimp
- black tiger shrimp
Fish sea bass
- grouper
Other commercial species:
Fish milkfish, cobia
Mollusk - green mussel, blood cockle,
oyster
Crab mud crab
- blue swimming crab

12. Coastal aquaculture production in 2010
Source: Thailand Department of Fisheries

13. Sea bass culture (Lates calcarifer)
First success breeding of sea bass in 1973 at National Coastal Aquaculture Institute, DOF
Easy to breed, hatch and nurse
Easy to culture, can grow in various environment
Earthen pond and cage culture

14. Grouper culture easy to culture and mostly culture in cages
Epinephelus coioides , Epinephelus malabaricus,
Cromileptes altivalis, EEpinephelus lanceolatus
Epinephelus fuscoguttatus, Plectropomus leopardus
easy to culture and mostly culture in cages
good taste, good price for live fish
difficult to breed, low survival rate

15. Potential commercially high value groupers
Leopard grouper
Plectropomus leopardus (Bloch)
Tiger grouper
Epinephelus fuscoguttatus
Giant grouper
Epinephelus lanceolatus

16. Other commercial marine finfish
Milkfish
Chanos chanos
Cobia
Rachycentron canadum (Linnaeus)
Spotted scat
Scatophagus argus
Atlantic tripletail
Lobotes surinamensis
Short-bodied mackerel
Rastrelliger brachysoma

17. Cobia was successfully spawned in hatchery since 1992 at the Fisheries Research Station, Phang-nga. In 2006, mass production of fry and fingerlings cobia were produced at the Coastal Research and Development Center, Krabi and those cobia have been farmed in the net pen cages in Phuket as a pilot industrial-scale fish farm under the Thai-Norwegian Post-tsunami Project.

18. Mollusc culture Blood cockle (Anadara granosa)
Oyster (Crassostrea belcheri)
Green mussel (Perna viridis)
Abalone (Haliotis asinina)
Spotted babylon (Babylonia areolata)

19. Crab culture Decrease of natural mud crabs and blue swimming crabs
High demand and high price
Development of breeding and culture technology
Their aggressive behavior causing low survival rate

20. Mud crab culture Lack of good quality of berried crab or spawner crabs
Four mud crab species:
Scylla olivacea
S. paramamosain
S. tranquebarica
S. serrata

21. Mud crab culture Cultivation in basket 1-2 crabs/basket
Feeding with small fish or pellet-feed 1 time daily
Taking 4-8 months to reach marketable size,
2-4 pieces/kg

22. Blue swimming crab culture
Blue swimming crab (Portunus pelagicus)
Breeding Status – more than 12% survival rate
Limitation: difficult to develop to marketable size
(3-5 piece/kg )

23. Marine shrimp culture
First breeding success of Penaeus monodon by Phuket Coastal Aquaculture Station, Department of Fisheries in 1972
Marine shrimp culture grown steadily since 1985
Success in mass seed production of black tiger shrimp and advance in culture technology

24. Intensive culture system high stocking density and high quality feed
Have reservoir
Production can be as high as 15 tonnes/ha/crop
Must have wastewater oxidation ponds for treatment before discharge, the BOD of the effluents must not exceed 10 ppm

25. 2002: Expansion of white shrimp industry
(Penaeus vannamei)
2006 until present:
99% of shrimp production are white shrimp

26. Farm Standard 2001 : Establishment of shrimp farm certification system
- Good aquaculture practice (GAP) standard
- Code of Conduct for responsible Aquaculture
(CoC) standard
2002 : Establishment of fish farm certification system 26

27. Certification Schemes
2001/2002 : Establishment of farm certification system
- Good aquaculture practice (GAP) standard
- Code of Conduct for responsible Aquaculture
(CoC) standard
2002 : Traceability development
Fry movement document; FMD
Hatchery  Farm
Movement document ; MD
Farm  Processing plant

28. Marine shrimp standard
National standard
GAP TAS for marine shrimp culture farm
Quality and safety
Environmental-friendly
Social responsibility
Animal health and welfare
Traceability

29. Key success for Thailand aquaculture development
Suitable location
Diversity of species cultured
Appropriate cultured practices
Knowledge based on coastal aquaculture
Competence of farmers in breeding, nursing, culturing and technology adaption
Competence of government and private sector in aquaculture management to meet international standard

30. Major constraints affecting aquaculture development in Thailand
Inadequate of good quality of seeds and broodstocks
Inadequate of effective genetic improvement programs
Animal health/disease outbreaks
High production cost
Feed quality

31. Government policy on aquaculture:
1. Increasing aquaculture production by 5 percent
annually
2. Set up the strategies:
- strengthening of aquaculture techniques and
management
- promoting cost-effective and environmentally- friendly aquaculture
- upgrading production quality and hygiene
- expanding markets for aquaculture products

32. Direction of Aquaculture Development
Balance and Sustainability
International agreement
Food security
Food safety
Economic growth
Environmental
sustainability

33. THANK YOU