By Daniel Merrifield
I am writing this month’s column from Thailand, part way through a three-week trip through Southeast Asia. Thailand is a country I always enjoy visiting and I have been fortunate enough to return many times over the years. Each trip seems to offer something new, and this visit has been no exception.
My time in Thailand on this occasion has been part of a project led by my friend and colleague Dr Rungtawan Yomla at King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang (KMITL). Through Rung and her colleagues, I have had the opportunity to visit an extraordinary range of aquaculture facilities, from commercial hatcheries and grow-out farms to universities and research centres. It has been a busy programme, but also a wonderful opportunity to catch up with friends while gaining a broader perspective on Thai aquaculture.
Alongside these visits, I also had the pleasure of contributing to the academic programme, giving guest lectures on gut health and the microbiome in aquaculture, as well as a presentation on publishing research in aquaculture journals from an Editor’s perspective. I always enjoy these opportunities to engage with students and researchers, particularly the discussions that follow and the chance to exchange perspectives on both emerging areas of research and the sometimes challenging process of communicating science through publication.
Our visits have encompassed shrimp, barramundi/Asian seabass, carps, catfishes, tilapia, crabs, seahorses, clownfish and numerous other species. In addition to commercial sites, I was also able to visit various KMITL facilities, Burapha University’s Chanthaburi Campus and the Khung Kraben Bay Royal Development Study Center, providing opportunities to meet many interesting academics and see the research infrastructure underpinning their research.
Of course, one of the pleasures of visiting Thailand is also the food. Barramundi is one of my favourite fish to eat, and I have certainly done my best to support domestic demand during my time here. As such, I particularly enjoyed visiting the Khaopong Farm in Chachoengsao Province, east of Bangkok. Khaopong specialises in barramundi and my visit provided an interesting insight into both the scale of the company’s production and its distinctive approach to producing giant barramundi. The farm is located in Chachoengsao, an area referred to as the ‘City of Three Waters’, reflecting the meeting of freshwater, brackish water and saltwater environments. This range of salinities is particularly important for barramundi production. According to figures shared during my visit, Khaopong produces approximately 20,000 tonnes of regular-sized barramundi annually, typically harvested at 0.7 to 1.2 kg, together with a further 5000 tonnes of giant barramundi weighing more than 3-7 kg.
It is the giant barramundi that particularly distinguishes Khaopong. Producing fish of this size requires a substantially longer production cycle and presents some interesting challenges from an aquafeed perspective. Maintaining good growth, feed efficiency, fish health and flesh quality as the fish progress through these larger size classes requires careful attention to both nutrition and farm management. It was, therefore, particularly encouraging to hear the Khaopong team speak positively about their use of functional feed additives and their belief in the value these can bring to fish health, performance and overall production.
Despite the challenges, growing larger fish also creates opportunities further along the value chain. Rather than being marketed primarily as whole fish, giant barramundi can provide substantial fillets and a range of different cuts, allowing the producer to target higher-value markets. Khaopong has complemented its farming activities with processing, cold-chain management and distribution, and also uses the Japanese ikejime technique for its giant barramundi to help maintain product quality.
Another aspect of the operation that was particularly nice to see was the emphasis on production standards and certification. The farm is certified under Thailand’s Good Aquaculture Practices (GAP) standard and has also achieved Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) certification for its barramundi production. Indeed, it is the first barramundi farm in Thailand to achieve ASC certification and, to my knowledge, is currently the only one. As readers will know, meeting the ASC standards represents a considerable commitment, encompassing environmental management, fish health and welfare, responsible feed use, traceability, social responsibility and much more. This is an important achievement not only for Khaopong, but also for the continued development and international positioning of Thailand’s barramundi sector.
Modern aquaculture is increasingly about much more than simply producing kilograms of fish. Genetics, nutrition, health management, environmental performance, certification, processing, cold-chain management and, ultimately, an understanding of the market all contribute to the value of the final product.
Khaopong’s giant barramundi provide a particularly good illustration of this. Growing a barramundi beyond 3 kg rather than harvesting regular-sized barramundi is only worthwhile if additional value can be captured from that extra production time and risk associated with a longer production cycle. That requires not only the ability to grow the fish efficiently, but also processing and marketing strategies capable of turning a larger fish into differentiated, higher-value products, including in this case, sashimi-quality products.
My time in Thailand was about more than seeing the impressive diversity of the country’s aquaculture sector. On every visit, I am struck by the innovation, enthusiasm and positive attitude of those working within the sector, and this trip was certainly no exception. There is a real willingness to embrace new ideas, tackle challenges and look for opportunities to move the sector forward.
The visit also provided an opportunity to look towards future collaboration, including the development and submission of multiple collaborative grant applications with colleagues at KMITL. We explored possibilities for student exchanges, and I very much hope that some of our University of Plymouth students will have the opportunity to experience Thai aquaculture, education and research first-hand in the coming years. Building international connections and supporting students are both important to me – today’s students are tomorrow’s aquaculture professionals, researchers and policymakers who will help shape the future of our sector. It is therefore particularly fitting that this month’s student profile introduces one of KMITL’s students.
