penaeus monodon - Cochin University of Science and Technology

INTRODUCTION
The success tales of the developed and developing countries have
revealed the fact that the natural resources, with diversified flora and fauna,
are of paramount importance to the all round development of a nation. In
this era of globalization, animal based food production systems offer bright
scope for augmenting protein rich nutritious food for the future. Aquaculture
represents one of the fastest growing food producing sectors in the world
and is growing more rapidly than all other animal food producing sectors.
Aquaculture has made an impressive mark in global fish production
in this age of dwindling marine resources and diminishing returns. Its
contribution to the global supply of fish, crustaceans and molluscs increased
from 3.9 percent of total production by weight in 1970 to 29 percent in 2001
according to FAO's State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2004 report
(SOFIA). Aquaculture production including aquatic plants, reached 45.7
million tonnes by weight and $ 56.5 billion by value in 2000 (FAO, 2004).
Worldwide, aquaculture production has increased at an average
compounded rate of 9.2 percent per year since 1970, compared with only
1.4 percent for capture fisheries and 2.8 percent for terrestrial farmed meat
production systems (FAO, 2004). In 2003, global fish production was
estimated as 132.2 million tonnes. More than 1 billion people worldwide
rely on fish as an important source of animal proteins. The human
consumption of fish is about 103 million tonnes and per capita utilization is
about 16.3 kg. About 56% of the world's population derives at least 20% of
its animal protein intake from fish, while small island states depend on fish
almost exclusively (FAO, 2004).