Aquaculture in the Marshall Islands

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Aquaculture in the Marshall Islands is governed by the Marshall Islands Marine Resources Authority. [1] A hatchery for giant clams has been established by the national government in Likiep Atoll, and at least one other clam farm is in operation in Mili Atoll. [2] At the CSD-16 Partnerships Fair in 2008, Erik Hagberg suggested that Holothuroidea cultivation is a viable option for developing aquaculture in the country. [3]

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aquaculture</span> Farming of aquatic organisms

Aquaculture, also known as aquafarming, is the controlled cultivation ("farming") of aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans, mollusks, algae and other organisms of value such as aquatic plants. Aquaculture involves cultivating freshwater, brackish water and saltwater populations under controlled or semi-natural conditions, and can be contrasted with commercial fishing, which is the harvesting of wild fish. Aquaculture is also a practice used for restoring and rehabilitating marine and freshwater ecosystems. Mariculture, commonly known as marine farming, is aquaculture in seawater habitats and lagoons, as opposed to freshwater aquaculture. Pisciculture is a type of aquaculture that consists of fish farming to obtain fish products as food.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marshall Islands</span> Country near the equator in the Pacific Ocean

The Marshall Islands, officially the Republic of the Marshall Islands, is an island country west of the International Date Line and north of the equator in the Micronesia region in the Northwestern Pacific Ocean. The territory consists of 29 coral atolls and five islands, divided across two island chains: Ratak in the east and Ralik in the west. 97.87% of its territory is water, the largest proportion of water to land of any sovereign state. The country shares maritime boundaries with Wake Island to the north, Kiribati to the southeast, Nauru to the south, and the Federated States of Micronesia to the west. The capital and largest city is Majuro, home to approximately half of the country's population.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Micronesia</span> Subregion of Oceania

Micronesia is a subregion of Oceania, consisting of about 2,000 small islands in the Northwestern Pacific Ocean. It has a close shared cultural history with three other island regions: Maritime Southeast Asia to the west, Polynesia to the east, and Melanesia to the south—as well as with the wider community of Austronesian peoples.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Economy of the Marshall Islands</span>

The government of the Marshall Islands is the largest employer, employing 30.6% of the work force, down by 3.4% since 1988. GDP is derived mainly from payments made by the United States under the terms of the amended Compact of Free Association. Direct U.S. aid accounted for 60% of the Marshall Islands' $90 million budget.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geoduck</span> Species of bivalve

The Pacific geoduck is a species of very large saltwater clam in the family Hiatellidae. The common name is derived from the Lushootseed name, gʷidəq.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fishery</span> Raising or harvesting fish

Fishery can mean either the enterprise of raising or harvesting fish and other aquatic life or, more commonly, the site where such enterprise takes place. Commercial fisheries include wild fisheries and fish farms, both in freshwater waterbodies and the oceans. About 500 million people worldwide are economically dependent on fisheries. 171 million tonnes of fish were produced in 2016, but overfishing is an increasing problem, causing declines in some populations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bokak Atoll</span> Atoll in the Marshall Islands

Bokak Atoll or Taongi Atoll is an uninhabited coral atoll in the Ratak Chain of the Marshall Islands, in the North Pacific Ocean. Due to its relative isolation from the main islands in the group, Bokak's flora and fauna has been able to exist in a pristine condition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bikar Atoll</span>

Bikar Atoll is an uninhabited atoll in the Ratak Chain of the Marshall Islands. It is one of the smallest atolls in the Marshalls. Due to its relative isolation from the main islands in the group, Bikar's flora and fauna has been able to exist in a relatively pristine condition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toke Atoll</span>

Toke Atoll or Taka Atoll is a small, uninhabited coral atoll in the Ratak Chain of the Marshall Islands. It is one of the smaller atolls in the Marshalls and located at 11°17′N169°37′E. It is visited regularly by the residents of nearby Utirik Atoll.

<i>Tridacna derasa</i> Species of bivalve

Tridacna derasa, the southern giant clam or smooth giant clam, is a species of extremely large marine clam in the family Cardiidae.

This page is a list of fishing topics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fishing industry in the United States</span>

As with other countries, the 200 nautical miles (370 km) exclusive economic zone (EEZ) off the coast of the United States gives its fishing industry special fishing rights. It covers 11.4 million square kilometres, which is the second largest zone in the world, exceeding the land area of the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fishing industry in the Maldives</span>

The fishing industry in the Maldives is the island's second main industry. According to national tradition in the words of former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, "Fishing is the lifeblood of our nation, it is inborn. From the soil on which we live, to the sea around us, it remains an integral part of our existence. Fishing, and our country and its people, [are] one and shall remain inseparable forever." The Maldives has an abundance of aquatic life and species of fish. Common are tuna, groupers, dolphin fish, barracuda, rainbow runner, trevally and squirrelfish and many more. Aside from being of essential importance to the economy, fishing is also a popular recreational activity in the Maldives, not only among locals but by tourists. The islands have numerous fishing resorts which cater for these activities.

Aquaculture in Vanuatu exists on a small scale, both commercially and privately. Several aquacultural efforts have been made in the country, including attempts to raise Pacific oyster, rabbitfish, Malaysian prawn, and tilapia. Experiments with Kappaphycus alvarezii and three species of giant clam were carried out by the Fisheries Department in 1999. The official Fisheries Department records state that $1165 US of cultured coral was exported from the country in 2000, with 275 pieces in total. The cultivation of Macrobrachium lar in taro terraces is practiced for subsistence purposes, and Macrobrachium rosenbergii has been identified by the Vanuatu government as a high-priority species.

Aquaculture in Samoa is hampered because of the limited number of sizable freshwater bodies in the country, although numerous aquaculture projects are underway. There have been several attempts to introduce tilapia cultivation, however these have generally been unsuccessful due to flooding as well as the difficulty of catching adult tilapia. The Samoa National Aquaculture Workshop, a workshop intended to develop a national industry plan by seeking out partnerships with stakeholders, convened in December 2004.

Aquaculture in Tuvalu generally centers on milkfish and clams. The first pond in Tuvalu purposely built to sustain aquaculture was completed in 1996 on Vaitupu. The construction of this 1560-square-metre pond was funded under the FAO Regional South Pacific Aquaculture Development Project.

Aquaculture in Tonga has been the responsibility of the Ministry of Fisheries since the early 1970s. The main centre for this is the Sopu Mariculture Centre on the main island of Tongatapu, which is operated by the Ministry of Fisheries and was established with the assistance of the Government of Japan. A serious setback was experienced in 1982 as a result of damage caused by Cyclone Isaac.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Climate change and fisheries</span>

Fisheries are affected by climate change in many ways: marine aquatic ecosystems are being affected by rising ocean temperatures, ocean acidification and ocean deoxygenation, while freshwater ecosystems are being impacted by changes in water temperature, water flow, and fish habitat loss. These effects vary in the context of each fishery. Climate change is modifying fish distributions and the productivity of marine and freshwater species. Climate change is expected to lead to significant changes in the availability and trade of fish products. The geopolitical and economic consequences will be significant, especially for the countries most dependent on the sector. The biggest decreases in maximum catch potential can be expected in the tropics, mostly in the South Pacific regions.

<i>Sinonovacula constricta</i> Species of bivalve

Sinonovacula constricta, the constricted tagelus, Chinese razor clam or Agemaki clam, is a commercially important species of bivalve native to the estuaries and mudflats of China and Japan. It is extensively aquafarmed in China and other countries, with 742,084 tons worth US$667,876,000 harvested in 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geoduck aquaculture</span> Farming and cultivation of geoduck

Geoduck aquaculture or geoduck farming is the practice of cultivating geoducks for human consumption. The geoduck is a large edible saltwater clam, a marine bivalve mollusk, that is native to the Pacific Northwest.

References

  1. Ben Ponia (July–September 2002). "Aquaculture Activities in Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia and Palau" (PDF). SPC Fisheries Newsletter (102).
  2. "Fishery and Aquaculture Country Profile: Marshall Islands". Food and Agriculture Organization. Archived from the original on 26 March 2009. Retrieved 2009-05-01.
  3. Salazar, Yolanda; Hjort, Antonia (May 13, 2008), Partnerships WIRE (PDF), United Nations Headquarters, New York City, archived from the original (PDF) on August 28, 2008{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)