Recurring questions for fishery and fish culture administrations are: What should we really be doing to adequately support fish farming? Is our present strategy for such assistance optimal?
The answer depends on the extent to which fish culture contributes to social and economic goals, particularly the latter. One must then evaluate how much on-going fish culture contributes to economic growth: and specifically to what extent government policies in fish culture contribute to economic growth.
ALCOM report No. 9: “How Fish Culture can Stimulate Economic Growth: Conclusions from Fish Farmer Surveys in Zambia” addresses this type of question and provides some suggestions on how to formulate a strategy, and what elements the strategy should include.
The suggestions are inspired by a combination of two factors: (i) the findings of the fish farmer surveys in four Zambian provinces; and (ii) some concepts of economic theory. The concepts are used to interrelate and explain the facts observed in the surveys.
The survey findings are presented in various ALCOM Field Documents. The economic theory is not. It can be found in text books on micro and macro economics.
To facilitate discussion of the analysis, the conclusions and the recommendations of Report No. 9, the seminar will explain and illustrate the two basic economic concepts used in the report: (i) the theory of the farmer as a producer, (ii) the concept of economic growth. This discussion is expected to take the first two hours.
The third hour will be used to discuss the magnitude of public assistance to fish farming, and the priorities within such assistance.
In the last part of the seminar, participants will discuss the detailed recommendations to public fish culture departments set out in ALCOM Report No. 9.
