28. The Meeting considered the establishment of national management systems for seafarming development a very important and immediate activity. It was recognized that along with the transfer of production technology, policies also have to be formulated for the orderly and rational development of the seafarming industry. The various types of information required for the formulation of such policies were discussed in detail.
29. Seafarming resources atlas. The importance of and difficulties in developing a seafarming resource atlas and various activities needed for its preparation were discussed. It was recognized that it will take time and much resources to produce an atlas for each country. The Project will concentrate on providing assistance to governments by developing national capabilities for this activity. Thus, a workshop on the Applications of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in Aquaculture is being organized. The objective of the Workshop is to train aquaculturists in the use of geographical information systems for the compilation and analysis of comprehensive information for aquaculture development. The emphasis will be on land, water, human and financial resources for aquaculture, including environmental and economic aspects. The Workshop, to be held in December 1988, will cover topics which include remote sensing applications in aquaculture, aquaculture site selection, image processing, base and thematic maps and map error analysis, data analysis and manipulation techniques.
30. Another form of assistance is the provision of a consultant's services to help the countries prepare a programme of activity aimed at developing the resource atlas. The initial consultation would be to assess the nationally available information and other resources. These include aquaculture/fisheries information, mapping and cartographic facilities, aerial photo/remote sensing data analysis facilities, and GIS technology.
31. The Project with the assistance of consultants will then help the governments develop project proposals, if necessary, for possible external assistance. In connection with this activity, the offer of collaboration made by the FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (RAPA) was acknowledged.
32. The Meeting was also informed of the experiences of Indonesia in developing their resource atlas. It was noted that some information on ongoing activities along the same line, under the ASEAN/USAID/Coastal Resources Management Project, may be utilized for the preparation of such atlases for ASEAN countries. The Meeting was informed that a GIS consultant will visit each member country as part of the preparatory activities leading to the development of a resource atlas. In this connection, the Meeting agreed that the Coordinators will make available the information indicated in paragraph 30 to facilitate the work of the consultant.
33. Seafarming Site Selection Criteria. Another important aspect for establishing a management system is the identification of site selection criteria for various seafarming production systems and species. A discussion was devoted to the specific type of information required for formulating site selection guidelines. In this connection a conceptual framework was presented which clarified the types of information needed to develop site selection criteria, including topographical, physical, chemical and biological criteria as well as the analysis of benchmark data on pollutants, market accessibility and socio-demography. Realizing the importance of providing this kind of information to various countries, particularly those starting to develop their seafarming industry, the Meeting agreed that the National Coordinators would continue to collect the needed information for the various seafarming systems and send them to the Project Coordinating Unit for the preparation of site selection guidelines.
34. Technical requirements in developing seafarming rules and regulations. The critical importance of having appropriate and effective rules and regulations in seafarming was discussed. It was recognized that in most of the member countries, the fishery acts often inadequate and not very specific rules pertaining to seafarming. To develop the needed rules and regulations, it is necessary to have adequate technical information. In this regard, the Meeting agreed to intensify the collection, compilation and exchange of rules and regulations for the purpose of providing a wider base for developing their own appropriate rules and regulatory measures specific to seafarming development. Discussion was also made on the distinctions and relationships between engineering guidelines, standards and regulations. The technical requirements are needed for developing and establishing standards. Both the engineering guidelines and standards are essential in formulating effective regulations.
35. Developing strategies for coordinating with common users of the coastal zone. This component draws from the other three components of the activity (i.e. resource atlas, site selection criteria, and technical requirements for formulating rules and regulations) for its effectiveness. Three important issues that relate to developing strategies for coordination among users of the sea were brought up, namely, multipurpose use, zoning according to use, and government priorities. This collective information would enable the authorities concerned to harmonize seafarming activities with those of the other common users of the coastal zone.
