1. The Second National Coordinators' Meeting of the Regional Seafarming Demonstration and Development Project (RAS/86/024) was held at the Chateau-at-Scotts Hotel, Singapore, from 20 to 23 September, 1988. A study tour of Singapore's netcage fish farms and marine aquaculture research facilities was made on 22 September. The participants of the Meeting also attended a seminar on the country status of cage culture which was conducted on 21 September from 2000 to 2230 Hours by the trainees of the regional netcage finfish culture training course.
2. The meeting was attended by the national coordinators and representatives from China, Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), Republic of Korea (ROK), India, Indonesia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. FAO personnel and the Chief Technical Advisers of the ASEAN Small-Scale Coastal Fisheries Development Project (RAS/84/016) and the Seafarming Development Project in Indonesia (INS/81/008) also participated in the meeting along with the project staff of the Seafarming and NACA projects (RAS/86/024 and RAS/86/047). The list of participants is in Appendix I.
3. The Project's Chief Technical Adviser (CTA) Mr. Chen Foo Yan welcomed the participants to the Meeting. He noted with satisfaction the progress of the Project and thanked the National Coordinators for their efforts and cooperation. He said that the regional collective action involved in implementing the Project's activities was successfully carried out by following the TCDC concept. He expressed his gratitude to the Primary Production Department for making the arrangements for the Meeting. He said the collaboration of other regional and national projects has contributed to a wider participation in the Project, and thanked the project managers of the ASEAN Small-Scale Coastal Fisheries Development Project, the Indonesian Seafarming Project and the Bay of Bengal Programme for their part in the organization of and sponsorship of participants to the training activities as well as their interest in all the other Project activities. He then reminded the participants of the other important tasks that have to be done. His address appears in Appendix II.
4. Mr. William Chan, representing the FAO's Fisheries Department, congratulated the Project particularly the National Coordinators for a successful year. In assuring the continuing interest and support of FAO, he said that the Fisheries Department is pleased with the progress and that he is proud to be involved in the Project. He reminded the National Coordinators of the need to establish a national management development system for coastal aquaculture to assure an orderly development of the industry. Appendix III contains Mr. Chan's message.
5. The Meeting wsa formally opened by Dr. Ngiam Tong Tau, Director of the Primary Production Department, Ministry of National Development, Singapore. In welcoming the participants of the Second National Coordinators' Meeting, he expressed his appreciation that Singapore was selected as the site for the Meeting. Singapore considers TCDC projects as a means of promoting technical cooperation in the region and therefore supports and participates in the Seafarming Project. He said that Singapore has been actively involved in marine aquaculture particularly the development of techniques on floating fish netcage and mussel raft cultures. “We share our experience so as to encourage development of seafarming in the region”, he said. He informed the participants that the Marine Aquaculture Section of PPD was conducting the training course on marine finfish netcage culture in collaboration with the Seafarming Project and the ASEAN Regional Small-Scale Coastal Fisheries Development Project. His welcome address appears in Appendix IV.
6. Ms. Renee Chou, the Project's National Coordinator for Singapore, was elected Chairman. Vice Chairmen were Mr. Kisto Mintardjo of Indonesia and Mr. Siri Tookwinas of Thailand.
7. The Provisional Agenda was adopted by the participants without alteration. It appears as Appendix V.
