December 4, 2006

Skretting sponsors training in Indonesia as part of Asian expansion

In an effort to tackle the bottleneck in aquaculture caused by low productivity in hatcheries in the Asia-Pacific region, Skretting has decided to extend its sponsorship for a training course in grouper hatchery production for the second year running.

As Skretting is expanding its activities in the Asia Pacific region and is introducing hatchery feeds, sponsorship on the NACA hatchery management course is appropriate, Rik van Westendorp, Managing Director of Skretting

Japan said.

For many small private aquaculture enterprises in Asia, such a course can be extremely useful but much too expensive when travel and accommodation are taken into account, he added.

Three people working in fish hatcheries in the Asia-Pacific region have been selected as Skretting Scholars to attend a training course in Grouper Hatchery Production organised by the Network of Aquaculture Centres in Asia-Pacific (NACA). The scholarships provide for the scholars to attend the intensive course which runs from 20 November to 9 December 2006 in East Java, Indonesia.

The three Skretting Scholars are Pramote Sangsuksirikul, a lecturer in sea bass breeding and farm management and hatchery owner from Thailand; Hla Pe, a senior technician and hatchery operations manager from Myanmar; and James David, the general manager of a shrimp hatchery in India that plans to breed marine finfish.

Hosted by the Brackishwater Aquaculture Development Centre-Situbondo in East Java, the course provides practical experience in breeding and fingerling production of several grouper species. There are field trips, for example to hatcheries, nurseries and grow-out facilities and to fish exporters.

Professor Sena De Silva, Director General of NACA, welcomes Skretting's support, adding that the scholarships would enable marine fish hatchery operators to develop skills needed for successful marine fish hatchery operations.