ADDRESS BY MISS C. DAVIES
UNDP Representative on Special Assignment
UNDP, Bangkok
I am very pleased and honoured to participate on behalf of UNDP in the opening of the Second Advisory Committee Meeting of the Network of Aquaculture Centres in Asia. As the distinguished participants will be aware, the UNDP has had a long association with the development of aquaculture in the region. We have given support and technical assistance both through our resources at the inter-regional and global levels, as well as from our regional funds, and our involvement in this current activity, NACA, can be traced to the 1975 regional workshop on aquaculture planning held in Bangkok which recommended the establishment of regional centres to respond to aquaculture development needs.
The project for the establishment of a Network of Aquaculture Centres in Asia has been in operation for a little over two years now and is scheduled to continue further into the current UNDP funding cycle. The UNDP allocation is in the order of $ 3 million for expert services, research and training. With the support of these funds, and FAO's technical contribution, the project was able to establish four regional lead centres in China, India, the Philippines and Thailand. This UNDP/FAO catalytic role is meant to be a vehicle to generate, promote and facilitate efforts in the participating countries, on a networking basis and utilizing the mechanisms of TCDC, which will eventually respond to the real needs of the people of the Asia and Pacific Region.
I have indicated that UNDP's contribution is in the main a catalytic one, since our involvement can only be for limited and immediate objectives. The longer term aspects of the sustained application of results will depend on the development efforts of the people of the region themselves. This is a role that cannot be appropriately performed by external advisers. We look forward to the guidance which the present meeting can provide on the prospects for sustained cooperation in the development and exchange of aquacultural technologies which the countries in the region can utilize to meet the requirements for increased fish production.
We would like to urge in this connection, that delegates at this meeting continue to explore ways of increasing government participation in the provision of inputs to maintain the network, bearing in mind that UNDP as a source of technical assistance is continuing to be affected by resource constraints. This aspect will be a major issue for discussion during the second meeting of aid coordinators of the governments of the region which is scheduled for Jakarta towards the end of next year. Fortunately, however the countries of the region are making great strides in the development of aquaculture. While there may be a need for basic inputs, there is ample evidence that the technology exists, such as is demonstrated by the integrated fish farming system in China, the management of undrainable carp ponds in India, the shrimps culture of the Philippines and the development of catfish culture in Thailand. We shall be discussing in greater detail the matters relating to the UNDP/FAO project this coming Thursday 16 December during the tripartite review.
Finally, I should like to express our very sincere appreciation to the Royal Thai Government for the excellent arrangements which have been made for holding this meeting in Bangkok, and on behalf of the UNDP we wish the Advisory Committee every success in its deliberations.
