SEAFDEC AQD: Facilities and activities

Abstract

As an R & D complex in aquaculture that can conduct replicated studies in marine waters, brackish water and freshwater, be it in aquaria, large tanks, earthen ponds or cages, there are not that many institutions in the world like the SEAFDEC Aquaculture Department (AQD). SEAFDEC AQD is one of four departments of the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center, a regional treaty organization with headquarters in Bangkok, Thailand. Starting with six countries when the SEAFDEC treaty was signed in 1969, SEAFDEC now includes Brunei Darusalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. The other three SEAFDEC departments are the Training Department (TD) in Thailand, the Marine Fisheries Research Department (MFRD) in Singapore and the Marine Fishery Resources Development and Management Department (MFRDMD) in Malaysia. Among the four departments, the Aquaculture Department, established in 1973 and hosted by the government of the Philippines, is the largest.