PROJECTS AND OTHER ACTIVITIES

Fishery Resources Division

Consultation on the Application of Article 9 of the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries (CCRF) in the Mediterranean Region, Rome, Italy, 19-23 July 1999

The objective of this Consultation, was to review the level of understanding and the status of application of the principles of Article 9 (Aquaculture Development) and other articles related to aquaculture of the CCRF, to discuss identified gaps and difficulties encountered in the application of the CCRF principles for aquaculture development, and to propose elements for action plans at national and regional levels to support the application of Article 9 of the Code. The Consultation was the final event of a project funded by the Italian Government in support of the recommendations of the last sessions of COFI on application of the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries at regional level. The meeting was put under the aegis of the GFCM Committee on Aquaculture.

The Consultation was attended by 54 participants from 20 members of the GFCM (out of a total of 21 members) and by three observers from IGOs [the International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies (CIHEAM) and the Information Systems for Promotion of Aquaculture in the Mediterranean (SIPAM)] and one NGO - the Federation of European Aquaculture Producers (FEAP).

The meeting discussed a synthesis of national reports and proposed elements for national and regional action plans. It validated the choice of five major elements dealing with (i) diffusion of the Code at national and regional level, (ii) improvement of the planning process for better integration of aquaculture ín national plans, (iii) enhancement of harmonization between aquaculture development and environmental conservation, (iv) use of the Code to upgrade the economic value of aquaculture production,

and (v) use of the Code to improve and stabilize trade of aquaculture products in the Mediterranean region. In connection with the activities proposed under the five elements, three working groups reviewed the list proposed by the Secretariat, amended it and established priorities at national and regional levels and suggested a mechanism for implementation of the approved activities. The Consultation indicated that the GFCM would be the appropriate institution to coordinate the implementation of the regional activities.

The report of the meeting will be presented at the next sessions of the GFCM Committee on Aquaculture and the GFCM for endorsement. It will be used also by the Secretariat to prepare proposals for the donor community for implementation of the activities which have been prioritized by the participants.

Joint FAO/NACA Consultation on Sustainable Aquaculture for Rural Development, Chiang Rai, Thailand, 29-31 March 1999

The Consultation was jointly organized by FAO and NACA to develop a detailed framework for a programme on aquaculture in rural development and to consider strategies for its implementation. The basic concept of the programme was drafted in 1997 by a NACA consultative group in which FAO was represented, that was subsequently reviewed and further clarified by the Technical Advisory Group of NACA in 1998.

The Consultation took an overview of relevant information emerging from country reports, lessons learned and experiences of specific projects, regional and international organizations and donor agencies. It also reviewed specific issues in small-scale aquaculture on the basis of expert reviews. The draft programme concept was then reviewed through four working groups which examined and provided comments on various elements; e.g. programme vision, development and specific objectives, programme outputs and activities, etc. The outputs from the working

groups were discussed in plenary and a framework for a programme on "Aquaculture for Sustainable Rural Livelihood Development (ASRLD)" was developed by consensus to guide the subsequent formulation of the programme.

The Consultation was well attended. There were 50 participants, including national experts (from Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam), representatives of other oganizations/institutions (AIT, CARE, CRSP/ USAID, DANIDA-Bangladesh, DFID, DFIDBangladesh, FCRI-Hungary, ICLARM, IFAD, IIRR, MRCS, SEAFDEC), FAO's LAO/97/007 project, a number of observers from Thailand and several staff from FAO, FAO-RAP and NACA.

The Consultation was of the view, inter alia, that:

under proper conditions, small-scale aquaculture was an effective tool that could be used for achieving improved household food security and enhancing overall rural livelihood development;

a regional programme on "Aquaculture for Sustainable Rural Livelihood Development" was very timely and of considerable regional relevance;

methods and approaches for drawing participation of local communities in assessment, planning and development actions should be key areas of intervention for the programme;

strengthening the capabilities of local, national, and regional institutions involved in rural livelihood development through aquaculture is another important objective;

the programme would help speed up regional cooperation through exchange of knowledge and experience, and establish close linkage among national and regional institutions, researchers, development and extension personnel and communities;

the programme should offer adequate scope and conditions for donors, NGOs, regional and international organizations to participate and contribute in the programme; and

initial assistance in the form of an FAO regional Technical Cooperation Project should be explored to quick-start the project.

DFID/FAO/NACA Asia Regional Scoping Workshop "Primary Aquatic Animal Health Care in Rural, Small-Scale Aquaculture Development in Asia"

The first training workshop of the FAO/NACA regional technical co-operation programme (TCP) project "Assistance for Responsible Movement of Aquatic Animals in Asia" was held in Bangkok from 16th - 20th January 1999. The workshop identified a number of activities which will lead to the development of national strategies and Asia-wide regional technical guidelines for aquatic animal quarantine and health certification. The detailed project workplan was approved by the participants, and the first drafts of the regional technical guidelines and national strategies for quarantine and health management were presented at a project workshop in February 1999.

An important issue raised during the meetings was the need for special attention to ensure that disease control/preventative measures reach rural farmers. Economic losses are estimated to be at least US$ 3 billion/year in Asia, impacting on both small-scale and large- scale aquaculture producers alike.

Information emerging from recently collected data by the DFID-supported South East Asia Aquatic Animal Disease Control Project (SEAADCP), AAHRI and NACA would indicate that there is a serious under-reporting of disease in this region and a consequent lack of prevention, diagnosis or treatment. The effects of this on small-scale rural aquaculture development are potentially more serious than on more intensive or "industrial systems". There is little indication at present that primary aquatic animal health care is a priority in countries in the region.

Given the importance of ensuring disease control and preventative measures and to provide genuine assistance to small-scale farmers, FAO, NACA and AAHRI/SEAADCP proposed a scoping workshop entitled "Primary Aquatic Animal Health Care in Rural Aquaculture Development". This scoping workshop will review information on socioeconomic impacts, risks of disease incursions and health management strategies in small-scale aquaculture and enhanced fisheries programmes and develop a regional strategy and a framework for better health management in rural aquaculture.

The agenda of the meeting which took place from 27 to 30 September 1999 includes five main sessions: (i) an introductory session, (b) regional reviews and national case studies on the impact of animal diseases in the context of rural aquaculture development, (c) methodological issues and intervention strategies, (d) group discussions and (5) conclusions.

Aquaculture Information System for Asia

Due to space limitation, we had omitted the report of the FAO/NACA Workshop on Aquaculture Information Systems in Asia which took place in Bangkok from 17 to 20 July 1998. A total of 42 participants from seven countries attended the Workshop, together with participants from regional and sub-regional institutions involved in aquaculture information and development, such as AIR, AARHI, INFOFISH, Mekong River Commission, SEAFDEC, and UNDP. The objectives of the workshop were:

to present and discuss the results of the survey of information systems and data bases in selected countries (major aquaculture producers in the region) and the emerging analysis of the situation, with representatives of the various sectors associated with aquaculture development;
to exchange views about the situation of aquaculture data bases and information systems and the perceived needs for future development of the sector;
to present the SIPAM system to the participants as a possible model for the region; and
to elaborate a tentative action plan for further work in this area, in case countries and regional organizations would consider the system developed by the FAO useful.

The documentation prepared by the FAO, based on a survey of regional capabilities, was presented by the consultant Ms. Yong-ja Cho, who carried out the survey. The questionnaire had been sent to 56 organizations in seven main aquaculture producing countries in Southeast and South Asia (i.e. Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines and Thailand) and eight regional organizations involved in promotion of aquaculture development.

The survey was intended to identify:

types of computerized aquaculture databases and information systems;
types of information and data covered by the systems or databases;
main users of the computerized data bases and information systems; availability of the systems or databases;
hardware and software used to develop information systems or databases;
constraints in maintaining the systems and providing access to them; and
extent of information exchange and networking.

The survey responses showed that users of the existing databases were mainly researchers, followed by teachers and students, extension personnel, managers and planners, and fishfarmers. The survey also showed that:

isolated databases on specific topics exist;
data and information are collected mainly from library collections, published literature, government and research survey data, internal management data, and personal communication;
databases are not regularly updated or regular maintained;
availability and accessibility of databases are limited; hardware used are IBM compatible PCs;
a wide variety of software is utilized to create databases;
no common or compatible information handling methods and tools exist;
there is little or no information exchange or networking; and e-mail is used mainly as a central mail box.

Main constraints faced by the survey respondents were lack of personnel with computer skills, inadequate budgets, lack of computers and communication facilities and obsolete systems and databases. The results of the survey revealed that the aquaculture sector in Asia did not yet have reliable information systems and services to support the sector's management, that the information systems developed through external support had become nearly obsolete or had not been updated, and that the existing computer and

communication technologies probably were not being used to their potential. The sector has so far lacked basic ingredients to develop and establish an effective information system; e.g. understanding of information requirements for sector management, political will and management commitment to improve accessibility, availability and utilization of data and information; and leadership.
The interest of the participants from the countries to adopt the SIPAM conceptual model was high and clearly expressed in the report of the meeting. It was also recognized that the adoption of the SIPAM strategy and model in Asia would require a number of steps to redesign the data bases which should be more in line with the species and technologies common in the region. The paticipants agreed that the adopted report should be presented to the APFIC session in Beijing, while the workshop coorganizer, NACA, would present the report to its next Governing Council for endorsement and advice on follow-up.

IFAD Grant for Southern Africa

The "Sub-regional Project for the Integration of Aquaculture into Irrigated Small-Farming Systems in Southern Africa" is ready for signature. The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) has approved a grant for a project to be implemented by the FAO in Zambia, Malawi and Zimbabwe over three years. The project aims at maximizing the returns from investments made in irrigation systems in Southern Africa by including various forms of aquaculture in ongoing schemes funded by IFAD. There are a large number of reservoirs built in these three countries. Zambia has more than 2 000 reservoirs, Malawi has approximately 1 000 and Zimbabwe about 12 000, which represent a strong potential for integration of fisheries and aquaculture practices. The project will continue the line of work of ALCOM and the FAO Special Programme for Food Security, which had initiated activities for integration of aquaculture in Zambia (see FAN 19, p.14).

The goal of the project is to introduce and develop farmer friendly techniques for integrating aquaculture into irrigated agriculture in order to increase the return per unit of land and the quality of the water used. This will be accomplished through four main activities: the development of farmer friendly technology for

integration of aquaculture and irrigated agriculture, the validation of the technology, its diffusion and the organization of national and regional awareness on IAA (Integrated Agriculture Aquaculture). The project plans to work on 20 different sites per country and will use a participatory planning approach to select the technology packages with the farmers. One international expert is expected to support the activities at national and regional level for the first 15 months of the project. This project will coordinate its activities closely with the new phase of ALCOM, the design of which should be finalized by the end of 1999, and with the SIWUP project in Zambia.

Government and is now operational. The project aims to improve overall productivity from integrated farming practices and improve living standards, through optimum use of available water resources. It represents the continuation of the ALCOM programme into its final stage, which should be formulated in the course of this preparatory phase. The ALCOM programme has demonstrated the importance of aquatic resources for smallholder food security, with ponds and dams serving as food "banks" and for storage of crucial water reserves for domestic and agricultural use. Field activities will assist in identifying enhanced management strategies for these resources. In the aggregate, these strategies form templates, which can be applied to smallholder communities region-wide.

To promote these strategies, the project activities have strongly emphasized the socioeconomic aspects of resources management, underscoring the necessity of understanding stakeholder priorities for resources utilization. The project will strengthen the capacities of collaborating institutions and services, as well as resource persons and leaders in stakeholder groups in participating countries. At the end of the preparatory phase, additional technical assistance will be provided to complete the institutionalization of ALCOM within SADC. This

last phase will last five years. The project will continue to operate from Harare and will include one international and three national experts.

National Training Course in Disease Diagnosis and Surveillance in Cultured Aquatic Animals - Research Institute No. 1, Ha Bac, Viet Nam, 07-i1 June 1999

The five-day training programme was aimed at providing assistance to Vietnamese diagnosticians on Level I diagnostic as agreed and recommended through the Asia Regional Project on Quarantine and Health Certification (TCP/RAS/6714). Thirty participants including six from Laos and Cambodia attended the training programme. The course was organized by NACA and hosted by the Vietnam Research Institute for Aquaculture No. 1 (RIA1). The workshop was jointly sponsored by FAO, NACA, Australian Agency for International Development (Aus-AID), Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (AFFA) and the Thailand Aquatic Animal Health Research Institute (AAHRI). This is one of the five National Training Workshops to be conducted under the recommendations of the TCP/RAS/6714, financially assisted by Aus-AID, AAHRI, NACA, and FAO.

The workshop discussed and learned about the following issues and subject areas:

NACA/FAO regional programme and the objectives and expected outcomes from the training course;
surveillance and diagnostics - levels I/II/III as agreed by the Asia regional countries; major aquatic animal diseases in Vietnam;
Institutional set-ups in Vietnam (who helps the farmers with their disease problems);
disease situation and institutional set-up in Cambodia;
disease situation and institutional set-up in Laos;
disease in aquaculture - concepts of causes, transmission and control; principles of sampling and surveillance;
recognising common fish and shrimp diseases (farm level, pond level, animal level);
health management and record keeping (general issues) and developing a disease reporting system.

Fourth Technical Co-ordination Meeting of the South Pacific Aquaculture Development Project (SPADP) Phase II

The fourth Technical Co-ordination Meeting (TCM) was held in Tokatoka Hotel, Nadi, Fiji, from 18-19 March 1999. The meeting was attended by the representatives from Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Vanuatu, Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC), University of the South Pacific (USP) and representatives from FAO RAP Office. The meeting was also attended by donor representative and members of the SPADP Evaluation Mission Team. The meeting was chaired by Mr. Esaroma Ledua of the Fisheries Division of the Government of Fiji. This was the last TCM of the SPADP, which was due to terminate its operation in August 1999. Mr. H. Tanaka, Project Manager, presented a brief outline of the project activities carried out during the period from January 1998 to February 1999. The major activities carried were as follows:

In Fiji:
Feasibility study on community-based milkfish farming
Site survey for tilapia cage farming and cage design
Liaison service for giant clam shipment from Fiji to Samoa
Advisory services on the relocation of the Naduruloulou Freshwater Aquaculture Research Center and fish feed manufacturing
Advisory services on site selection for the proposed national pearl hatchery and on the design of small-scale pearl hatchery

In Kiribati:
Assistance to the Government of Kiribati on the renewal of seaweed sale contract with Copenhagen Pectin
Advisory services on seacucumber culture, trochus seed production, bait milkfish farming (Temaiku Farm), cockle stock enhancement and black-lip pearl oyster projects

In Nauru:
Advisory services to the government on utilizing Buada Lagoon for food fish production
Milkfish fry collection and farming
Assistance in the formulation of a project for UNDP funding

In Palau:
Advisory services on the rehabilitation of milkfish ponds and stocking programme
Restoration of giant clam hatchery
Feasibility of seaweed farming
Marine & freshwater prawn farming for domestic consumption
JICA/US Coral Research Project

In Samoa:
Advised on tilapia, shrimp and mullet culture development and on the possibilities of seaweed farming

In Solomon Islands:
Provided advice on the development of commercial shrimp Islands farming and seaweed farming

In Tonga:
Assistance in the development of small-scale pearl-oyster hatchery
Micro-algae culture for pearl oyster seed production
Seaweed spore preservation and seaweed farming (Cladosiphon)

In Vanuatu:
Assisted the government in oyster spat collection methods

In Papua New Guinea:
Assisted in the Java carp seed production

In Federated States of Micronesia:
Advised on Mabe peal production techniques and green snail culture in Kosrae

Under the Manpower Development Programme, the project has carried out a sponge farming workshop in the Federated States of Micronesia and a regional group training on marine snail seed production and stock enhancement in Tonga. The project also supported training of technical officials through participation in training courses abroad in seaweed culture, shrimp hatchery etc. In addition, the project supplied technical information to all the member countries as and when requested.

The South Pacific Comission (SPC) has accepted the responsibility for future aquaculture development in the South Pacific. However, it has not yet succeeded in identifying donor support for this activity. TCM expressed the hope that SPC would be able to identify donor support very soon and that USP and ICLARM would expand their activities bearing in mind the impending termination of SPADP.

VIET NAM

Aquaculture in the Northern Uplands Project

In the context of a UNDP funded project Aquaculture in the Northern Uplands, the FAO has been requested by UNDP and the Government to participate, through the programme on Support for Technical Services at the Project Level (STS), to provide technical assistance in certain components of the project. This UNDP project aims at building local capacity based on community participation to enable poor and remote ethnic minority groups to undertake a development programme in Aquaculture. This will include resource assessment, planning and implementation of an action plan. The project also gives stress to the strengthening of an extension network and improvement of seed production and delivery systems to provide direct support to the upland ethnic minorities. Geographic coverage includes districts of Lai Chau, Son La and Hoa Binh provinces. The project has a duration of three years and the FAO intervention will center on provision of expertise on micro-credit, integrated rice-fish farming, fish health management plus additional ad hoc consultancies.