The Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation jointly conduct cage-based aquaculture in dams. The two ministries will also work together to breed barramundi (Lates calacrifer) based on the results of the initial breeding of Tilapia.
Currently, they conduct test breeding of tilapia which are two or three inches in size and they can be exported to the market after four and a half to six months of breeding. The fish farmers can breed them twice a year and make profits during the short term.
The balanced production of marine products can achieve sufficient local consumption and produce value-added products with the caged fish firming in dams, rivers and creeks.
“We conduct test caged fish farming of tilapia in Chaungmange Dam. We construct four 12×12 feet farms, which are respectively 8 feet deep in the dam to educate the farmers. There are 1,000 fish in each reservoir. We can make money between four and six months. We also arrange to breed marketable barramundi (Lates calacrifer) twice a year,” said U Kyaw Myo Aung, assistant director of Nay Pyi Taw Fisheries Department.
As the country is rich in inland water resources, dams and reservoirs, it has many advantages to do reservoir fisheries. Therefore, the government carries out such a fish farming system to develop the socio-economy status of fish farmers and business people. The country earns foreign income by exporting marine products more than that of Indonesia, Thailand, Cambodia and Laos. Exports of fishery products account for 80 per cent of marine and 20 per cent of fresh water. The government also provides the needed assistance for the fish farming sector.
Moreover, the Fisheries Department will introduce caged fish farming in Upper Paunglaung Dam in addition to the Chaungmange Dam. The department will invite the business people from Myeik to conduct value-added barramundi (Lates calacrifer) farming. — Nyein Thu/GNLM
