Traditional milkfish aquaculture in Nauru

Abstract

Milkfish (Chanos chanos) aquaculture has a long antiquity on the island of Nauru (Pacific Ocean), predating European contact. Fry were caught in the surf and transferred to brackish water ponds in the island's interior. While most of the fry died, large numbers survived. They were harvested when the milkfish reached a body weight of about 2 pounds. This paper describes the traditional approaches to acquaculture and puts them into a modern context.