Photo credit: Randall Bevis (In-Seine.org)
Review: Randall Bevis and Abdel Rahman El Gamal (Founder of the website)
This photo was taken in Luang Nam Tha Province where some tilapia ponds exist and provide their harvest to local markets such as this one.
The people in the rural communities in Laos account for more than 75 per cent of the population. They depend upon on fish as their most reliable sources of animal protein. The estimated fish consumption in Laos from all fishery sources is about 29 kg/capita/year.
Aquaculture being one of the fishery resources is practiced in ponds, community fish culture in oxbow lakes and in irrigation weirs, rice-fish culture as well as in cages. Of particular importance, aquaculture in Lao PDR is able to provide fish during the dry season after the rains cease.
Common carp, tilapia, and African catfish are the main food fish which have been introduced and established their own breeding populations. The ability of tilapia to breed in the ponds enhances their popularity to fish farmers who rely on produced fingerlings for subsequent culture.
