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

20 M. Weimincontrol, and water management. To ensure environmental integrity and foodsafety, many new technologies were introduced to the farming systems, such asthe use of formulated bio-fertilizer and microagent for water manipulation. Inmany areas, traditional rice-fish culture has gradually transformed into green/organic food production systems. Certificated and labeled green and organic riceand aquatic products not only bring the farmers more income, but also contributeto holistic rural development.2.4 Recent Developments2.4.1 Trends of Change in Culture Area and ProductionSince the mid-1980, fish culture in rice fields has achieved significant growth inChina due to various reasons. The area of rice field with fish culture increased from648,666 ha in 1985 to some 1.55 million ha in 2007 (MOA 2008 ; Fig. 2.1 ). Theproduction of finfish and other aquatic animals from culture in rice fields increasedfrom 81,699 tons in 1985 to 1.16 million tons in 2007.The rapid growth of rice field fish culture (both area and production; Fig. 2.1 )mainly took place during 1993–2002. This is largely due to the supporting policiesof central and local governments to develop rice-fish culture as an important strategyto increase the income of rural farmers. However, expansion of area of rice–fishculture was less compared to other aquaculture systems. For example, fish pondArea / Production18001600140012001000800600400Area (x 1000 ha)Production (x 1000 t)200019851986198719881989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007YearFig. 2.1 Area of and fish production from fish culture in paddy fields in China (1985–2007)