-Fish Culture in

Fang Xiuzhen

Freshwater Fisheries Research Centre, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214081, China

Fish culture in paddy was an ancient farming practice found in several rice-growing areas, such as and Provinces, in South and Southwest China. It can be dated back to nearly twenty centuries ago. In traditional rice-fish culture practice, rice cultivation was the main activity of , while some fish seeds were stocked in paddy fields and looked after extensively, merely for the purpose of having additional animal protein food for household consumption by farmers. From the 1950’s to late 1970’s, this once common practice faded out considerably as a result of introduction of planned economy run under rural communes and later the increase in use of chemical and pesticides. When economic reform was started in Sumps provide a refuge for fish and a reservoir during the dry season 1978 and farmers began again to decide again what they could do the best with past. Eventually, rice-fish culture services to farmers, application of their land for their families, some emerged as an important rural farming policy incentives and better farmers chose to resume fish culture in system by the early 1990’s. Its role in accessibility to loans for renovation of their paddy fields just as their alleviating rural poverty and improving conventional paddy field to suit fish ancestors had done. the rural economy, especially in remote culture and four nation-wide rice-fish provinces and regions, was widely culture field seminars. recognized. By 1999, the area of rice- In the 1990’s, rice-fish farming in China reached 1,464,094 ha, an enjoyed a rapid expansion in the increase by 71.6% from 853,000 ha in number of new entries and total area of 1994. The rice-fish farming area further rice-fish production area in the country. expanded to 1,528,027 ha 2001. Food The farming system has extended from fish production from paddy field pluvial and warm provinces in South, increased from 206,900 tons in 1994 by Southeast, Central and East China to 214% to 649,996 tons in 1999. The food the Northeast and Northwest China, fish production from rice field including several economically less increased to 849,055 tons in 2001. The developed regions, such as Xinjiang increase in food fish production from Development in the past Urgur Autonomous Region, Inner paddy was not at the cost of rice yield two decades Mongolia and Gansu Province. During reduction. Instead, rice yield from the the course, it evolved from traditional rice-fish farming attained an average In 1983, a national field seminar on rice- family-scale extensive operations increase of 225 kg per ha over the fish culture was conducted for the first towards medium-to-large scale or even period 1994-1999. time. As a result, the socio-economic commercial scale operations in selected and ecological benefit of rice-fish provinces. The rapid expansion of rice- Farming systems culture started to draw the increasing fish farming was the immediate result of attention of farmers and various public the growing interest and enthusiasm The technological advances borrowed sectors. A series of follow-up actions among farmers in the rice-growing from pond and the recommended during the seminar lead areas, coupled with the continuous changes in market demand have lead to to the gradual spread of rice-fish collective supporting efforts from the the changes in the rice-fish farming culture from its traditional homes to public sector such as provision of practices including the species used areas where it was not practiced in the relevant extension and advisory and the scale of operation. To maximize

44 aquaculture Asia the use of natural productivity in the at least 7,500 kg of rice and 750 kg of (Rana nigromaculata), Crucian carp paddy field space for the optimal fish per ha without artificial feeding. (Carassisu auratus,), snakehead economic returns, various rice-fish The fish yield can be significantly (Oxyeleotris marmorata), loach, catfish culture models with variations of increased as farmers develop better (Misgurnus anguillicaudatus, Clarias integration with crop and animal skills in handling their fish and increase leatheri, Silurus meridionalis), soft-shell species were developed through field their inputs, such as fish seeds and turtle (Trionyx sinensis) and edible trials by farmers in different parts of the feed, into the system. snail. country according to the local conditions and available resources. Fish species used in rice-fish Development of large-scale Several newly developed rice-fish culture rice-fish culture culture models with desirable economic return became popular among farmers, In the past two decades, the fish Although China is a vast country, it and the examples include the culture of species employed in rice-fish culture as has the world’s largest population and high-value fish species with rice in a whole have changed from simple its land resources for crop farming and Chongqing suburb, giant freshwater species combination, such as Chinese aquaculture development are limited for prawn culture with rice in Jiangsu carps and common carp, into a multi- further expansion by area. Rice-fish Province, native freshwater shrimp species combination. Both culture is an effective way of land culture with rice in Shanghai suburb and are adopted. utilization for food fish production with and Chinese mitten-handed crab in Nowadays, a great diversity of aquatic nominal competition with other Liaoning Province. With intensified animal species is found in the rice-fish activities for land and water management and increased input, culture systems, adapting to the wide resources. Taking 1999 as example, the including artificial feeding, rice farmers range of farming systems and market fish production from paddy field in that could gain an average annual net profit environment in different parts of the year was 650,000 tons. It was of USD 1,813 per ha from the animals country. Apart from the traditional equivalent to the fish production from they raise in their paddy with these finfish species, crustaceans, 86,667 ha of fish ponds with the yield new models. amphibians, mollusk and reptiles of 7,500 kg/ha. It is estimated that became common in rice-fish culture. about 6.7 million ha of paddy field in Paddy field renovation The general trend is shifting from low China has the potential for conversion value carp dominated species towards into rice-fish culture. If half of these At present, most paddy fields used for species that could fetch higher market paddy fields are used for rice-fish rice-fish culture have been renovated price. Currently, the popular species for culture, it is equivalent to the fish to varying degrees in favor of fish rice-fish culture in China are Chinese production from 200,000 ha of fish growth. The renovation usually carps, tilapia, swamp eel (Monopterus ponds based on the present-day fish includes the excavation of ditches and albus), eel (Anguilla japonica), giant yield level. sumps as shelter for fish and building freshwater prawn (Macrobrachium Rice-fish culture is a relatively easy, of higher and wider dikes. About 10- rosenbergii), native freshwater shrimp low-cost and low-risk entry point for 20% of the total area is converted for (M. nipponensis), Chinese mitten- rural farming communities to improve these purposes. Paddy fields with such handed crab (Eriocheir sinensis), their livelihood and household income renovations on average could produce Letiobus cyprinelus, American frog without jeopardizing the sustainability of rice production. Compared with pond-based aquaculture, rice-fish culture is less restricted by initial capital investment and labor requirement. Rice-fish culture is now used widely as an alternative livelihood improvement and poverty alleviation. In the 1990’s, China has undertaken a series of mass campaign of rice-fish culture extension. Several standardized paddy field renovation models were recommended and widely adopted. It turned out that farmers with their paddies renovated became less vulnerable to flood and drought. For instance, in rice-fish-duckweed-lotus- water cane-chufa-vegetables integration, the recommended renovation includes an increase in dike height to 80-100 cm, the excavation of a 120-150cm deep sump and 50-70cm deep ditches. The sump, sometimes

October-December 2003 (Vol. VIII No. 4) 45 brick and cement walled for durability, What’s New in Aquaculture trochus at release, how to improve accounts for 7-10% of the paddy field ...continued from page 42 survival and packing and handling. It area while the ditch occupies 3-5% of includes a reference section for readers the total area. Each hectare of paddy fish; smoked and marinated fishery who wish to explore topics in more filed with such renovation could store products; canning; silage; packing; depth. up to 7,500m3 of water during rainy quality assurance, HACCP and sensory Available from the Australian Centre season. The sump could be used as evaluation. for International Agricultural Research, reservoir for watering vegetables in dry Available from: Directorate of GPO Box 1571, Canberra ACT 2601, season. Information and Publications of Australia, Tel: +61 (02) 6217 0500, Fax: Effective extension service at Agriculture (DIPA), Krishi Anusandhan +61 (02) 6217 0501, email various levels, financial support and Bhavan, Pusa, New Delhi-110012, [email protected] http:// incentive policy by government have Phone: 91-11-25731350, Fax : 91-11- www.aciar.gov.au/web.nsf/ played important roles in the wide 25731282, http://www.icar.org.in/ publicationcategory?openform spread of rice-fish culture in China in icar6.htm Conclusion: A useful introductory the past two decades. At present, the Conclusion: Recommended. This manual and a good starting point for government has formed a national book provides a useful insight into people wishing to become involved in fisheries extension network and manufacturing processes and their trochus culture. extension activities are carried out at impact on product life, quality and four different levels under the National nutritional value. Fisheries Extension Centre, namely Aquaculture Compendium - case study provincial, prefecture, county and Trochus hatchery seeding techniques component township levels. In some places, – a practical manual extensions officers also help to secure ...continued from page 43 fish seed supply and marketing T.P. Crowe, M. Amos, P. Dwiono, G. information for farmers. Rice-fish Dobson and C. Lee.32pp. developed from published materials culture has been incorporated into the This manual is written for the from our Compendium partners (AIT, overall rural development plan and general public, fisheries extension IoA, NACA and WAS), and agriculture development plan by many officers and artisinal fishermen. It aims collaborators (MRC, STREAM), with local governments. In less developed ot provide a basoc overview of the discussions on-going with other and remote regions, financial support biology of trachus and its production potential collaborators (Deacon in the initial stage is a key factor to in aquaculture facilities. It also University, FAO, SEAFDEC, WorldFish help the resource-poor farmers in summarises the findings nd protocols Center). Although it is CABI’s paddy field renovation and first run of the ACIAR Truchus Reseeding intention to cover case studies in other operations. Financial support from the Research Project in practical terms. The selected countries more fully in government is usually delivered in the manual contains sections on i) the subsequent editions of the forms of construction materials and biology and life cycle of trochus, ii) Aquaculture Compendium, it would seeds, etc. Tax exemption is applied to hatchery production of trochus and iii) benefit the first release of the rice-fish culture in places where it is reseeding of trochus. The manual Compendium if it were to have wider promoted poverty reduction purpose. addresses practical issues such as how case study coverage. I intend to Such incentive policy should be to spawn and raise the shellfish, “cherry pick” systems and issues of continued. selection of suitable sites, size of particular relevance and interest from It is apparent that small-scale rice- around the world so do contact me if fish culture can bring improved you wish to contribute. economic benefits to individual Formats and examples of case families. With more than 60% of China’s studies are in preparation. Each case population occupied in agriculture, study is to be brief, about 10 pages, there is a need for further extension on with summarized text and bullet points. rice-fish culture among rural There will be a standardised table of communities on a mass scale, where it contents for growout production is possible, in order that its systems although for other topics it development can benefit the economy will be flexible because of diverse and well being of the whole society. content. Case studies will be richly Only when rice-fish culture is practiced illustrated with photographs, tables on a mass scale will its socio-economic and graphs. and environmental benefit be realized. For more information contact Therefore, the need in the immediate Martin Parr at [email protected]. future for aquaculture development Specifically for case studies, contact should include rice-fish culture as one Peter Edwards [email protected]. of the top agenda items. Contributors will receive a small honorarium to express appreciation for their input to the Compendium.

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