AQUACULTURE AND SUSTAINABILITY THROUGH INTEGRATED RESOURCES MANAGEMENT

Aquaculture in developing countries can improve the sustainability of small-scale farms provided that it is fully integrated with other enterprises and household activities so as to allow farm families and communities to manage their natural resources effectively. This requires the consideration of pond management and fish husbandry as means to a variety of ends (water storage, soil conservation and fertility, integrated pest management, etc.), not just production of fish. This paper discusses the evolution of this broad Integrated Resources Management (IRM) approach, principally with reference to the Inland Aquatic Resources Systems Program of ICLARM, and gives some examples of relevant activities in tropical developing countries, research methods and future challenges.