he following courses may or may not be offered in a given year. However, special sessions may be arranged for requesting parties. The courses are about 20% lectures and 80% practical sessions, and the medium of instruction is English. Trainees in most courses are limited to 10-15.

• Responsible aquaculture

• Freshwater aquaculture

• Marine fish hatchery

• Crab seed production

• Hatchery and grow-out of abalone

• Propagation of natural food

• Health management in aquaculture

• Principles of health management in aquaculture ~ Online

• Principles of aquaculture nutrition

Responsible Aquaculture

This 8-week course aims to develop awareness and appreciation of responsible and sustainable aquaculture development technology so that the participants would be able to intensify their dissemination of responsible aquaculture development practices. This course is intended for government extension workers, researchers, aquaculturists, fishery teachers and students.

The course covers topics on coastal resource management; seed production of marine fishes and crustaceans; brackishwater pond culture; cage and pen culture; freshwater culture; shellfish and seaweeds culture; fish health management; fish nutrition and feed development; and harvest and post-harvest technology. Practical activities include resource and ecological assessment (REA); culture of natural food; induced spawning, pond preparation, stocking, feeding, monitoring, water/soil analysis, etc.; netcage design and installation; seaweed seedlings preparation and planting; disease diagnosis; and feed formulation and preparation; Field trips to selected aquaculture sites in Iloilo, Capiz, Negros, Cebu, Bohol, and Luzon areas will be undertaken to expose participants to actual industry practices.

At the end of the course, the participants will be able to: (1) evaluate current coastal aquaculture practices applicable to the specific features and conditions of the participant's home country; (2) analyze important socioeconomic, institutional and environmental issues towards sustainable aquaculture development and resource management; (3) explain the scientific knowledge of aquaculture in the fields of breeding, nursery, fish health, feed development, farming systems and water quality management; (4) apply practical techniques in aquaculture such as seed production, culture of natural food organisms, feed formulation and evaluation, feed digestibility and water quality analysis; (5) identify and propose areas of improvement in the management of fish farming systems; and (6) manifest interest and appreciation of responsible aquaculture development.

Freshwater Aquaculture

This 4-week course aims to provide participants with technical knowledge and skills on the propagation and culture of selected freshwater species like Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus), bighead carp (Aristichthys nobilis), and the Asian catfish (Clarias macrocephalus) to enable them to start a freshwater hatchery of the species mentioned and other aquaculture ventures.

The course is designed for fish farmers, hatchery/farm managers and technicians, extension workers, teachers and students.

The course covers topics on site and species selection, broodstock development and management, breeding, hatchery, nursery and grow-out operation of the freshwater species mentioned. Participants will conduct actual induced spawning, hormone preparation and administration, egg stripping, fertilization and incubation for bighead carp and Asian catfish; and broodstock selection, sex identification, sorting, harvesting and transport of fry/fingerlings for tilapia. Field trips to carp hatcheries, tilapia farms, and other aquaculture sites are included to provide participants with the opportunity to observe and interact with aquaculturists, entrepreneurs, and private operators on the industry practices.

At the end of the course, the participants should be able to: (1) produce fry through proper operation of a freshwater fish hatchery; and (2) Analyze the conditions to ensure production of marketable size freshwater fish within a reasonable grow-out period.

Marine Fish Hatchery

This course aims to provide participants with technical knowledge and skills on the spawning and larval rearing of marine fishes, such as: milkfish (Chanos chanos), seabass (Lates calcarifer), grouper (Epinephelus coioides) or snapper (Lutjanus argetimaculatus) or rabbitfish (Siganus guttatus), and enable them to operate a fish hatchery or a multi-species hatchery. The course is intended for hatchery owners and managers, technicians, extension workers, and aquaculturists. It covers broodstock management and spawning techniques; production of natural

food organisms for fish larvae; and larval and nursery rearing techniques.

At the end of the course, the participants would be able to produce healthy fry of selected marine fishes

Crab Seed Production

This 1-month course aims to provide participants with technical knowledge and skills in crab seed production, with emphasis on Scylla serrata, so that they can establish or operate a crab hatchery. It is intended for fishfarmers, aquaculture hatchery operators and technicians, and aquaculturists. The course covers broodstock management; production of natural food organisms for crab larvae; and, larval and nursery rearing techniques. At the end of the training course, the participants must be able to produce crab larvae and juveniles.

Hatchery and Grow-out Culture of Abalone

The training course aims to provide participants with technical knowledge and skills on the hatchery and grow-out culture of abalone to enable him to operate and manage an abalone hatchery and grow-out. The course covers (1) broodstock management, egg collection/incubation, veliger collection and stocking in settlement tank; (2) identification of different abalone stages; (3) identification and culture of benthic diatoms; and (4) larval rearing and cage grow-out techniques.

Propagation of Natural Food

The course aims to provide the participants with knowledge on how to culture natural food organisms. Specifically, the participants at the end of the training will be able to: (1) collect, identify, and isolate important natural food organisms for feed of finfishes and shrimps; (2) culture of such species from laboratory-scale to mass scale production; (3) apply proper techniques for the production of Artemia and algal species; (4) hatch, decapsulate, enrich and store Artemia; and (5) process Artemia cysts.

Health Management in Aquaculture

This 5-week course aims to provide participants with technical knowledge and skills on the principles of health management in aquaculture to enable them to apply these principles into practice in their respective jobs. The course is designed for fish farmers, hatchery/farm managers and technicians, extension workers, aquaculturists, researchers, teachers and students.

The course covers topics on the occurrence and spread of disease in aquaculture; infectious and non-infectious diseases; disease diagnosis, prevention and control; and techniques of submission of samples for disease diagnosis. Practical work includes disease identification and recognition of diseased species; identification of disease agent; application of methods of disease diagnosis, prevention and control; and use of appropriate technique for the preparation and sending of samples for disease diagnosis.

At the end of the course, the participants must be able to: (1) distinguish diseased aquaculture species from healthy ones; (2) identify disease agents and evaluate their effect to the host; (3) apply methods of disease diagnosis, prevention and control, and; (4) use appropriate techniques for the preparation and sending of samples for disease diagnosis.

Principles of Health Management in Aquaculture - Online

AquaHealth online covers up-to-date knowledge on fish and crustacean diseases, the causal organisms, and the tried and tested methods of disease prevention and control. It is presented in 4 units consisting of 12 modules.

After the course, the learners shall be able to: (1) recognize diseased shrimps and fish, (2) identify the cause of the disease, (3) explain how a disease develops, and (4) apply preventive and control measures to lessen the risks posed by the disease

Principles of Aquaculture Nutrition

The course modules include nutrition in aquaculture; the essential nutrients; nutritional requirements; anatomy and physiology of the digestive tract; digestion and absorption; feed formulation for aquaculture species; processing of feedstuffs and aquafeeds; evaluation of feedstuffs and aquafeeds; management of feeding; and economics of feeding.

It is intended for fish farmers, farm managers and technicians, feed manufacturers, researchers, and college students. It is essential that learners must have a background in college chemistry, fish biology, and fisheries.

After the course, the learners shall be able to: (1) apply the basic principles of nutrition and feeding in fish culture; (2) formulate, prepare, and evaluate formulated diets for aquaculture; (3) apply proper techniques in feed quality control; (4) apply proper feeding management and practices; and (5) develop cost-efficient diets for culture species.

© 2008 SEAFDEC Aquaculture Department

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