2011, Here I Come!

End of last year. Beginning of this year. End of good year and beginning of a better year. What ever the past, will be remembered, what will be coming will be accepted. We look back just to ensure we are heading for right direction. A direction is the one that everyone of us require. No one put the direction for us but ourselves. No one change our direction but ourselves too. So, I am telling my own self, put the right direction now and consistently remain on that direction until I achieve my target. Welcome 2011. I am ready for you.

Last year was full of hard works for me. It was 5/7 days at site day and night. Since mid of the year, I was working on construction of a marine fish hatchery. According to the plan it will be completed in this month and immediately start the operation. So, now is the time! Can't wait for the real things to come.

My wish, the fisheries and aquaculture industries will be flourishing based on scientific and new modern technology with lots of new inventions and innovations will be introduced.

To everyone, I am wishing you a better new days ahead during this 2011. May God bless all of us.

The Introduction of Recirculating Aquaculture System For Grouper Farming In Malaysia

RAS as it being called in the industry. I personally like the idea of precision farming and has been working on it back in 1990s when most of my friends think the cage culture was the best system for us due to easiness to set up and the abundance of suitable sites in our water bodies sorrounding the country. How relief am I now to see the emergence of RAS into our local aquaculture industry with this technology,either imported or locally invented. The most important point for me is the system already accepted by the industry. As in other cases of technology transfer in Malaysian fisheries and aquaculture industries, the farmers always shown a wait and see attitudes in the beginning but will not hesitate to invest into it once they have confident on the system. In fact, once convinced, they are very fast learners, with their own kind of additions and inventions.





Demonstration unit of RAS for grouper fry nursing

 

I must pay my respect to various Malaysian government agencies and government linked companies that have been working out to bring and introduce  this technology into this country. The efforts made by such agencies and companies make the work of convincing the present fish farmers and potential new investors much easier to the expansion officers.

I like to mention the innovation done by DOF at their marine research center in Tanjung Demong, Terengganu, Malaysia. Their researchers at that center successfully creating a simple and cheap RAS called CENTS (Cheap Efficients Nursery Tank System) for small scale nursery operators but can easily adopted by the commercial scales hatcheries.




RAS as being developed by one of the farmers.

They are very practical with their

 implementation of the system.

 The acceptance by the fish farmers seem to be very positive. I manage to visit few projects developed by the farmers after they undergo training from the center. For me, the sign of acceptance is very clear but the level of knowledge on the scientific parts of the technology must be improved to ensure our farmers properly equiped with the proper know-how of the system, especially the biofilteration process of the system.
Biofilters for recirculating aquaculture systems (Fact sheet)




Another RAS system used by farmers
 for fry nursing. Look at the colour
 of the tanks. That is their own innovation.

 

As previously mentioned, our fish farmers are very innovative to do the "perfection" into the systems that acceptable to them. They love to try their own ideas on the systems. I like this attitude and if given with right basic scientific knowledge of the systems, they might be able to come out with a better systems for their own usage. Without such basic knowledge, they might end up in failure, something that must be avoided for the future growth of aquaculture industry using this system. I am more concern that new investors that interested in this systems, especially those public listed companies and GLCs to properly understand the principle behind the system and not making mistakes in choosing the systems to be implimented at their project. The more well known corporate organisation failures not just tarnish their  own name, but drag down the potential of other investors to get the financing from the banks especially to those small scale fish farmers.




Another RAS under construction with their own perception.

 I wish to post some of my observations on the practice of RAS in Malaysia as well in other countries in future. As a way to improve the production of aquaculture industry especially for grouper fishes sustainably, I sincerely hope this technology will immediately mature in this country, so that we might ba able to precisely manage our production as it has been done in poultry farming. Only with precision, sustainable and environmental friendly technology that our grouper farming d aquaculture industry can go far. We are just one step from nowhere, but since 1000 miles started with the first step, I sincerely applause our first step taken by all of us. Our next step is to ensure those who are involve in the industry are well equiped with at least basic scientific knowledge about the systems. 

Mouse Grouper, Cromileptes altivelis, Kerapu Tikus

This fish is so beautiful as larvae, juvenile and even adult. They tend to be a very potential species to be reared for marine aquarium fish. I remember bringing in some fry of this fish from Indonesia back in late 1990s and keept them in the salt water aquarium in my office. They look so marvelous under the aquarium lights, or even without lights. I do really love to see them swimming, they look so tender, so charming, so cute.

The mouse grouper is the star fish for fishing industry in South East Asian countries. Previously, due to high demand, the fish was highly sought out by the fishermen. By mid of 1990s, with some collaborations among international organisations, some research works on propagation of this fish has taken place. By 1996, there already reports of successes in natural spawning in tanks and larviculture of this fish. From there on, the improvement  of the techniques of induce spawning was introduced using hormones as well as environmental factors. This fish now were commonly produced by even small scale and backyard hatcheries in various countries.See alsoThe Aquaculture of Groupers for more details on the culture of this species.




Tun Sakaran Marine Park, Malaysia. The nearby coral areas was known for Mouse Grouper Production.
Photo: Sim See Hong

In Malaysia, at least 2 institutions did reported thier successes in propagating this species, i.e. DOF and UMS. Infact, there is a book published by UMS on the hatching techniques of this species. However, due to lack of broodstocks, not many hatcheries have the chance to produce this species in this countries.  Those operating their hatcheries in Sabah are lucky because of more easily  broodstocks availability of this species.





Distribution od C. altivelis.
Source: Fishbase.org

In the wild, this species normally found in the coral area of Tropical waters from 32°N to 23°S, 88°E to 168°E. Western Pacific, running from southern of Japan to Palau, Guam, New Caledonia and southern Queensland, Australia, in the  Eastern Indian Ocean from Nicobar Islands to Broome, Western Australia. There are even reports from western Indian Ocean as far as from Kenya and from Hawai though this case was suspected originated from the aquarium release. In Malaysia, this species were found in the sea around Sabah. Based on my own experiences, the seas in the eastern part of Sabah is the place where catches of this species mainly reported, from Tawau to Kudat.



The price of this fish was reported as high as US$85.28/kilogram (RM270) in HongKong back in the year 2005. Based on that price, we may predict the current market price, taking into considerations of how many times of fuel price increase during last 5 years. No wonder the craze for technology of hatching, larviculture and growout of this fish remain strong among the researchers, hatchery operators and fish farmers in the region. I will try to review the hatching techniques used for this species in the future postings.

Tiger Grouper ~ Kerapu Harimau ~ Epinephelus fuscoguttatus

Since late 1990s when TG start getting the attention from our fish farmers, I was became addicted to this fish. Sometimes later, I got some fry of TG produced by Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) hatchery's and kept them in an aquarium outside my room at the office. Everyday, I spent time to feed and watch them taking the food given to them. The juvenile fish look aggresive in behaviour and initially refused the food fed to them. But, slowly they become more relax and willing to take the pelleted food given though will immediately go into hiding after taking the food.

This fish also being called as Brown Marbled Grouper in the market. As I previously mentioned in my earlier post, the price of this fish go slightly down for the last few months but recently seem bouncing back. So, as predicted, this species will remain in our aquaculture industry for a long long time.

This species was successfully propagated in the hatcheries all over this region, thanks to the hard works of researchers in various institutions. In Malaysia at least 2 institutions reporting thier successes in breeding this species, i.e. our Department of Fisheries and Universiti Malaysia Sabah back many years ago. They were also successfully cultured in the cages, ponds, tanks, flow through or recirculated. So, the pressure on the wild stocks almost being eliminated especially when the consumers prefer the live TG, something which very hard to get from wild caught fishes unless using traps or special devices.



Distribution of Tiger Grouper.
Source: fishbase.org



The distribution of this species running from Red Sea, Arabian Sea, Indian Ocean, Andaman Sea, Malacca Straits, South China Sea, China Sea up to Westen Pacific Ocean. However, the culturing activities of this species are only common in South East Asian countries, Taiwan and China. They normally found i1n tropical coral waters in the range of 35°N - 27°S and 39°E - 171°W, with the depth between 1 to 60 meters. 



Coral area in Tun Sakaran Marine Park, Semporna, Sabah
where this species commonly found. Photo: Sim See Hong.



 So far the longest reported body length of TG was 1.2 meter and published weight was 10 kilogram. It was also reported in Thailand that this fish can start spawning when they are about 1.5 kg weight for female. Since most of the grouper fishes are protogynous hermaphrodites (they were born as functional females and turn into functional males when reaching some size later on), we can expect that males will be bigger in size than females. The same reports says they can turn into males at the body weight as low as 2.25 kilograms. In the wild they feed on fishes, cephalopods and crustaceans. In captivity, they mainly being fed with trash fishes and squids.

This species were among the popular live fishes traded in HongKong and China. The latest average price during this article being prepared was HK$237.17 per catty.  As can be seen from the authority's website, the average price  for the last 3 years never fall below HK$160 per catty.

Average Wholesale Price of Tiger Grouper.

Source: Fish Marketing Organisation HK

Based on the recorded price, it can be understood why this species remain to be a popular among the industrial players in the region. The precise technology on fry production of this species followed by mature technology of  farming  will make the species to remain important to aquaculture industry.

I will post some review on the propagation technology used in the industry for  spawning inducement and larvae culture of this species sometimes later.

Common Grouper Fishes Of Malaysia

When I said "common", it is not necessarily real common to all of us. For some grouper species,  we maybe just heard about its name but have no chance to see it in our local market stall or at our nearest supermarket what more to see it alive and taste how delicous its meat can be. However, they are still common in our seas sorrounding Malaysia, be it the Andaman Sea, Melaka Straits, South China Sea. Teberau Straits or Sulu Sea. FAO Species Catalogue (Vol 16 - Groupers of the World) . A field guide to grouper and snapper fishes of Andaman and Nicobar Islands: Family Serranidae, subfamily Epinephelinae, and family Lutjanidae



Malaysia: Production of Grouper Fishes (MT)

 The most common (I believe you have seen it) is the Seven (Six?) Banded Grouper. Normally we saw it in the supermarket. For those who have seen Department of Fisheries's poster on commercial demersal marine fishes, this species are among 45 others. Unfortunately only 2 grouper species were on that poster.  Locally, we call it by various names, but Kerapu Belang  (Strips Grouper) is among the most popular. Though normally small in size when we purchase it in the market, the meat of this fish is nice, very tender and white in colour. It taste great if being steamed with ginger, onion and garlic but also superb to add flavors like sour plum, belimbing buluh or tauchu.

Another common grouper species is Green Grouper, Epinephelus tauvina (a.ka. Kerapu Botol ~Bottle Grouper, Kerapu Hijau~Green Grouper, or even Kerapu Bodoh~Stupid Grouper) especially for those in East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia (Kuala Besut to be more specific). In Kuala Besut, the fry of this species will be in abundance after the rainy season over (sometime in February) and the fry will be caught using special gadget made from jumbles of pine trees leaves (Cucur Atap) called Tumerang. The jumbles of the leaves will be left in the sea nearby the coast line overnight. The fishermen will inspect each jumble and slowly catch the juveniles that use the jumbles as their hiding/aggregating places using scoop. The catches immediately will be given aeration to ensure survivality and will be sold at RM0.15 each to buyers  who distribute it to nursery operators. The juvenile then will be nursed for almost 2.5 months and the fry will be ready to be sell to fish farmers at RM1/inch of the juvenile fish's length.

Kerapu Pinang or Spotted Grouper Epinephelus coioides, was very popular among our local fish farmers back in early 1990s. Though the fish is local to our waters, but most of the fry was imported mainly from neighbouring  countries. This species was considered better option for the farmers than the Green Grouper.

Top:Coral Trout (Kerapu Bara). 

Below: Spotted Grouper (Kerapu Pinang)

Red Grouper or sometimes called Coral Trout, Plectropomus leopardus (Kerapu Bara) is not everyday can be seen in our market especially for the plate size fish. This could be due to high demand of the fish by the seafood restaurants which contracted out the fishes from our local buyers at the landing jetty. Red Grouper is not commonly cultured by our farmers due to the non availability of its fry in our market. However, some farmers did culture this fish with the imported fry.

Coral Trout (Kerapu Bara)

It will be not complete of the list of Malaysian common grouper species without mentioning the Kerapu Kertang (Giant Grouper, Epinephelus lanceolatus, GG). This species is really special, it is always commonly found as a big size fish, at least 5 kilogram or even more. Everytime our fishermen caught the GG, it usually caught the attention by the press. Last August we saw 148 kg GG were caught in Pantai Remis, Perak and were sold at RM8,000 to the restaurant in Ipoh. It can be serve for 400 customers at the restaurant.

I read another news from neighboring country, Singapore where a bowl of GG sperm soup may cost you $3,000 or $50 per spoonful. The restaurant owner purchased a 125 kg Sabah GG which contain a spermduct of 1 kg weight. The GG sperm soup said to give special prowes to men sexuality as well to improve the men sperm count. However, the restaurant owner didn't sell the soup, instead he offered it free to his customers (1 spoonful each) the following night. I hope there will be a lot of grinning happy ladies in Singapore that night, tired looking men the day after and many new born babies 9 months later!

 The used to be very glamorous species, Tiger Grouper (TG)  is common species cultured by Malaysian aquaculturists. This species used to be the preferance by the farmers due to high price it gives but due to "easiness" of propagating it, the price go down a little, so the farmers change into another species especially the newly introduced hybrid species between GG and TG. However, this species remain in Malaysian aquaculture industry due to easy availability of their fry in local market. This species a little bit agressive in behaviour especially during juvenile period but due to domestication process, can easily cultured and proven of a good choice for farmers.

Transporting live Coral Trout (Kerapu Bara) in Semporna Sabah

Surely many of us have heard of the star species, Mouse Grouper, Cromiloptes altivelis . Those living in Sabah, Malaysia might have seen it but perhaps have never had the chance to taste how nice the meat of this fish. It always end up in high end seafood restaurants somewhere far away from Sabah itself. This fish being called by various names in Malaysia but Kerapu Tikus and Mameng are the most popular names given to it. Why mouse? Perhaps it is due to their uniques mouth shape that remind the inventor of the name to the small land based rodent.

 Mouse Grouper

Technology of propagation already in the market but the feeding behaviour of  Mouse Grouper always making it very slow in growing up. It do really show how regal they are, they only eat anything above them and will never try to catch anything below their mouth! So, culturist must really carefull in choosing kind of foods to feed them, perhaps using slow singking kind of feeds. Due to its high price and demand, many studies and researchs has been carried out on this species locally as well as in neighboring countries. The results was good and steady production of this species and help to reduce the pressure on wild stocks.

There are many other Grouper fishes in our waters. I will try to mention about such species especially those with high potential for cultivation and having high demand though they are not commonly landed at our fishing jetties.

Grouper Fishes: The Sign Of Wealthiness.

When I was travelling in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand, Singapore and Philippines, I saw this fishes commonly offered at various seafood outlets. The way it arrived at the outlets (and to you)  makes the different. In some cities in China, exclusive seafood restaurants will have tanks and aquariums for the customers to choose the live fishes and other seafood items in either supermarket cart style or with helps from waiter / waitress who are ever willing to serve you and guide you on their best way of cooking styles from the chosen seafood items. After the selected items chosen, it will be weighted and later on will be serve to our table in a very mouth watering cooking styles. In some high class restaurants, the arrival of the dishes of certain grouper fish will be make public through announcement by special announcer in traditional dress using cymbals. .Ping! Ping! Ping!...Losipan! (....that is how they sound to me, Mouse Grouper!) Huh, think about the feeling of your guesses to know they were treated like an emperor! Off course you do not get the same treatment if just eating at stalls, eating frozen or chilled grouper. However, for those real seafood lovers, the taste of live seafood (when the were chosen, off course) are incomparable.

Due to high demand, these kind of fishes now being cultured intensively in many parts of the world especially in South East Asian countries, Taiwan, Hong Kong and China. It also being caught from the wild with various catching equipments. Some quarters even worried that some of the grouper species may extinct due to overfishing activities. However, thank to the hormone treatment techniques, some species already successfully being bred in captivity giving less pressure to the wild stock, at least a little if not so much.

Maybe we can reduce some more pressure of wild caught groupers if we able to increase the the growth rate of the cultured fishes as compared to the current rate of 6 to 8 months for the fishes to reach the market size of 500g to 600g. That long required to grow the fish to the serving plate size which will be consumed in less than 20 minutes.