SUSTAINABLE AQUACULTURE FOR SMALL-SCALE FARMERS - NEED FOR A BALANCEDMODEL

Relatively few small-scale farmers culture fish, even in Asia, as the gap between the traditional supply - wild fish - and the demand has be gun to widen only relatively recently. Rapid human population growth, overfishing and environmental degradation are providing a stimulus for the growth of aquaculture but sustainable systems of production remai n to be developed for most areas. A balanced model involving both on-f arm and off-farm resources is required to promote aquaculture so that it can fulfil its potential and contribute significantly to people's w elfare, Rising expectations and the poor resource base of most small-s cale farms dictate the need to intensify nutrient flows and productivi ty through increased levels of off-farm inputs, as outlined here for r esource-poor northeast Thailand.