REVIEW OF THE PROGRAM `RESEARCH IN ARTIFICIAL PROPAGATION OF MILKFISH' CONDUCTED AT THE OCEANIC INSTITUTE (9/19/78-9/22/78)

OI IS CONTRACTED TO DEVEL MILKFISH (MF) AQUICULTURAL METHODS WHICH WILL PRODUCE SUFFICIENT MF TO SUPPLY COMMERCIAL PRODUCERS. ALTHOUGH PROJ HAS FALLEN SHORT OF EXPECTATNS,TEAM CONCLUDED FAVORABLE RESULTS CAN BE EXPECTED BY EXTENDING PROJ FOR FIFTH YR. REPORTS FROM OI HAVE BEEN OF HIGH QUALITY,TIMELY & INFORMATIVE; OI EXPENDITURES HAVE BEEN REASONABLE; AND OI STAFF IS COMPETENT TO CONDUCT RESEARCH. THERE IS A REASONABLE CHANCE THAT ADEQUATE NUMBERS OF MF WILL BE READY FOR HORMONE INDUCTN IN HAWAII DURING SPAWNING SEASON. METHODS OF CAPTURING,HANDLING & TRANSPORTING MF HAVE BEEN IMPROVED & A PROCESS FOR DETERMINING STAGES OF GONAD MATURITY HAVE BEEN DEVEL. IMPROVED HOLDING FACILITIES (5 PONDS & 40' TANK ADDED) ARE ADEQUATE FOR STOCK REARING,MAINTENANCE FOR EXPERIMENTAL PURPOSES; AND CONDUCTING EXPERIMTS TO DETERMINE MF LIGHT,TEMP,SALINITY & DIET PREFERENCES. MF DIET DEVELOPED IS CONDUCIVE TO MATURATN. INDUCED SPAWNING TECHS SHOW PROMISE. ALSO,WORK IN PATHOLOGY SECTN HAS LED TO BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF CAUSES OF MORTALITY & STRESS IN MF. PROBS WHICH HAVE DELAYED PROJ ARE NUMEROUS. OI'S PRINCIPLE INVESTIGATOR RESIGNED & COMMUNICATN & COOP WITH OTHER RESEARCH GROUPS HAVE NOT BEEN EFFECTIVE. THE CAPTURE OF WILD ADULTS & THEIR TRANSPORT TO OI FACILITIES HAVE BEEN DIFFICULT. PROCEDURES DEVEL FOR MULLET SPAWNING DO NOT APPLY TO MF AS HAD BEEN ASSUMED. FURTHER,THE LARGE SIZE OF SEXUALLY MATURE MF INCREASE THE DIFFICULTY OF HANDLING,AND ACHIEVING NATURAL SPAWNING & FERTILIZATN. TEAM RECOMMENDS NO NEW MAJOR ACTIVITIES BE FUNDED,BUT THAT GOALS FOCUS ON DEVEL TECHS TO PROMOTE MATURATN & ARTIFICIAL SPAWNING,CAPURING WILD MF,AND DEVELOPING LARVAE THROUGH THE CRITICAL EARLY STAGES. RESEARCH SHOULD BE EXPANDED BY OI ENGAGING IN COOP EFFORT WITH SE ASIAN FISHERIES DEVEL CENTER (SEAFDEC) IN THE PHILIPPINES (AID TO FUND SEAFDEC SUB-CONTRACT). LASTLY,RESEARCH OBSERVATNS SHOULD BE SYSTEMATICLY RECORDED AND DIFFERENT ASPECTS SUCH AS ENDOCRINOLOGY,PATHOLOGY & HUSBANDRY SHOULD BE COORDINATED AND INTEGRATED.