Dr. A.K.M. Nuruzzaman
Member-Director (Fisheries),
BARC
The pace of development of marine fisheries in different parts of the world differs very considerably. Japan, Norway, Canada and Latin America, India, Thailand and the Indonesia are major countries to contribute in marine fisheries. The technologies they adopt are by no means most efficient, yet some of them are relevant to our situation. The failure and success story of one country could be an effective way of learning the lesson. This can be acquired through linkages and coordination.
Main Areas of International Cooperation
National, regional and international consultations have outlined national development priorities and the types of international cooperation that would facilitate the development process in the marine fisheries. The main areas identified for such cooperation were training of manpower, applied research for developing and improving existing technologies and the collection, processing and dissemination of information. To facilitate transfer of technologies and adequate financing of commercial fishing, interdisciplinary assistance in identifying investment opportunities and implementation of cooperative ventures are considered appropriate. The private sector in the country has already taken a leading role in marine fisheries. They bring pressure on research institutions to work on practical problems they encounter in fishing in the sea. It is important that scientists should establish strong linkage with business forms, industry houses and fishing communities and thereby gather information on the status of fishing, its resources and other problems.
Funding agencies are still shy of providing support for research and development to marine fisheries sector because they are still unaware about the potentials of marine resources or the authorities have not shown convincing evidence of viability. National and International financing agencies face the problem of supporting projects based on untested technologies.
Research Networking
Increased production of seafood through mariculture can be possible through transfer of technology. The feedback from the producers is essential to upgrade the technology and also for obviating operational difficulty. Scientific linkage with producers is essential.
Information
Information exchange is obviously a part of all cooperative endeavours. The farm performance data may be very vital information for conducting further research in depth to address the issue.
International cooperation in commercial fishing is generally understood as synonymous with a joint-venture. But foreign collaboration may be utilized for borrowing technologies, technical expertise and financial support.
Countries that lack expertise can certainly benefit by international cooperation in identifying opportunities for investment in commercial production, and for implementation of commercial enterprises, especially in marine fisheries management. Foreign collaboration should assist in development of national expertise.
