Success Stories In Asian Aquaculture - Library - Network of ...

18 M. Weiminproduction, various new culture systems and practices have developed and newspecies have been introduced to improve the ecological and socioeconomicbenefits of production. Presently, fish culture in rice fields has developed intoan important agro-aquaculture system that contributes not only to food securityand rural livelihoods, but also to food safety and environmental integrity inChina.2.3 Evolution of Fish Culture in Rice FieldsFish culture in rice fields is a traditional integrated fish farming practice. This traditionalfood production system has gone through a series of changes in the pastthree decades, which can be divided into a number of evolutionary phases. Thefarming practices have different features to address, and are also limited by theenvironmental conditions prevailing at the time.2.3.1 Initial Development StagesFish culture in rice fields remained as a very primitive practice for a long periodin China, though great importance was attached to developing fish culture in ricefields as early as late 1950s. Except for stocking, often of small size, there wasalmost no other input. Hardly any specific modification was made to the rice fieldsto meet any special requirements of culture of aquatic animals. Rice harvest wasthe main production in the system and the fish yield was very low. Due to theinsignificant difference in price between fish and rice (fish price only doubled thatof the price of rice only in early 1980s in China), the economic importance of fishin the production system was very limited due to its relatively small productionand low price. Although the areas of rice cultivation increased, fish productionfrom the systems did not keep pace. Fish production from rice fields was oftenimpacted by the efforts to raise rice production, such as increased use of pesticides,chemical fertilizer, and introduction of new and high yielding rice varietieswhich were often not favorable to fish growth. Such a situation lasted until themid-1980s.2.3.2 Production Centered Rice-fish CultureIn mid-1980s, in order to meet the increasing demand of the people for aquaticproducts and offset the stagnant production from capture fisheries, both inlandand marine capture fisheries, promotion of aquaculture, particularly inlandaquaculture, became a very important development policy of the Chinese