The Round Table discussed the current state of aquaculture based on a review of the production statistics, technological advances, research approaches, training, extension and future outlook (Annexure III).
For a number of reasons, which include resource limitations, fishing costs and the new laws of the sea, increasing attention is now being given by almost all developing countries to aquaculture development. In fact, in some countries aquaculture is now considered to be the only means of increasing fish production as even the maintenance of present levels of production from capture fisheries may not be possible, if adequate management measures are not taken. There is hardly any country that does not have some type of aquaculture activity at present. Many of them are allocating increasing proportions of their budgets to aquaculture development. The world-wide increase of around 42 percent in aquaculture production in the last five-year period seems to indicate that the projected five-fold increase in aquaculture production by the end of this century is not unattainable. However, experience so far has shown that aquaculture programmes have generally a relatively long gestation period. In most cases appropriate technologies and required skills have to be developed. The initial capital investments can be heavy and the time lag between initiation of a project and the attainment of production stage can be technologies is only beginning to be implemented. There is a rapidly increasing demand for aquaculturists with hands-on experience, but they continue to be in short supply. Despite these problems aquaculture has attained the status of a growth industry in all regions of the Third World. It has also achieved recognition as of special significance in integrated rural development, which is of high priority in many developing countries.
A close examination of current aquaculture production shows that more than 84 percent of it comes from Asia where aquaculture has a long tradition. While there is a potential for further expansion of area under culture in this region too, adoption of more intensive farming methods holds out greater possibilities and potentials in Asia. Africa and Latin America have very high potentials for the establishment of aquaculture as large or small-scale industries, when the basic requirements are met. Experience in some of the Central American countries and in parts of Africa clearly shows the social and economic benefits that can be derived through appropriate development programmes.
National policies relating to aquaculture have recently been influenced by the state of the fishery industries as a whole. On a global basis, there has been gradual reduction in the rate of increase in capture fishery production, affecting particularly the food fish production. Many countries have to resort to increased imports and due to shortages and other factors, prices have risen to such an extent that fish, and particularly well known species, are beyond the reach of low income groups. Governments are therefore forced to look for alternate means of fish production such as aquaculture.
The state of small-scale fisheries and particularly the income and standard of living of the fishermen have been matters of major concern on a national level in many countries. It is well known that the adoption of aquaculture as a part-time occupation has contributed very substantially to the income of farmers. Integration of aquaculture with agriculture and/or animal husbandry is becoming a major rural development activity in certain countries. Based on this example, it is believed that aquaculture can be an appropriate part-time occupation for small-scale fishermen families, with appreciable potential for involvement of women and the overall increase of family incomes and standards of living.
Interest in investment in aquaculture is now increasing. It is estimated that at least a 10 to 15 times increase in investment is needed in the next decade to achieve the production targets. Public sector investments in developing countries have largely been directed to food production for domestic consumption and rural development. Private investments of any great magnitude, on the other hand, have largely concentrated on high-valued products for export. Economic viability is the main consideration in private investment and demonstration of this is therefore of vital importance in attracting adequate investment into this sector. There are many factors that affect internal rates of return in aquaculture and their comparability with those of other agro-industries. The need for pilot operations to determine economic viability, where it has not been tested, is therefore self-evident. In some countries pilot projects have been initiated in the public sector with external assistance. Greater involvement of the private sector in such activities can greatly facilitate future investments.
The strategy that has been generally accepted for aquaculture development in Third World countries is the one that was recommended by the FAO Technical Conference on Aquaculture in Kyoto, Japan, in 1976. The major elements of this strategy consist of:
(i) the adoption of a small number of selected farming systems that have the greatest potential for increased production in the near future;(ii) wider application of known technologies for achieving a sizeable increase in production and the promotion of greater investment for this purpose;
(iii) organization of appropriate assistance for the formulation of sound investment projects based on feasibility studies or pilot operations; and
(iv) provision of support services in the form of applied research to facilitate technology transfer and improvement of techniques, training of core personnel and exchange of computerized information.
The UNDP/FAO Aquaculture Development and Coordination Programme has taken a major role in implementing this strategy. Besides providing the assistance of multidisciplinary teams for feasibility studies and project formulation, the Programme has established a network of regional lead centres in Asia, and one regional centre each in Africa and Latin America, for research, training and information exchange. These centres will eventually be linked to strengthened national centres for the testing of technologies developed at the regional centres and for the training of technicians and extension workers, forming a global net-work. A computerized Aquaculture Information System (AQUIS) has been developed and is now being implemented in Asia. Proposals for the establishment of a regional centre for the Caribbean region are now under consideration. Arrangements have also been completed for the Fish Culture Research Institute in Szarvas, Hungary, to function as an inter-regional centre for research on common problems of interest to all the regions.
The regional centres have been established with initial funding from the host governments and the United Nations Development Programme, with supplementary assistance from other multilateral and bilateral agencies. Funding assistance is now being sought to strengthen these centres and to strengthen the national centres to be linked to them, in order to ensure the continued operation of the networks on a permanent basis for the benefit of aquaculture development in the Third World countries.
