6.1 United Nations organizations in the region
6.2 Other organizations in the region
6.3 Economic communities of the region
6.4 Regional and global aquaculture development projects
The countries of the region are active members of a number of regional organizations in which aquaculture has been recognized as a sector, either individually or as a component of a larger sector such as fisheries or agriculture, and which has received support in some form. The majority of these countries, however, are not recipients of international assistance.
The principal regional organizations are those of the United Nations in which almost all the countries in the region actively participate as member states. Most of these same countries, but not all, participate in the individual organizations of the UN system, such as the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the World Bank (WB), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), and the World Health Organization (WHO), all of which have a substantial record of providing technical and financial assistance to aquaculture in developing countries. Some specialized agencies of the UN which are also active in their support to the aquaculture sector directly or indirectly are the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP).
Of the countries in the region, the only ones eligible for international assistance through the UN system from their indicative planning figures (IPFs) are Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland, and Romania. However, the level of potential assistance is restricted by their high IPFs. Only Hungary has received international assistance from UNDP for aquaculture.
There are many international organizations in the region, each differing in the composition of its members and its purpose. Of those which are important because of their relevance to the development and growth of the aquaculture sector (usually through activities in agriculture and fisheries) are the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, the Nordic Council of Ministers, and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
Several important international organizations are concerned with aquaculture through their activities in agriculture, food, forestry, and fisheries. A number of these are the Councils and Commissions of FAO, for example, the EIFAC and the FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius Commission. EIFAC has several working groups involved in aspects of aquaculture, and Codex Alimentarius is currently attempting to apply standards of quality control for aquaculture products. Other organizations are involved in aquaculture through their interests in marine science. ICES, for example, which encourages biological and hydrographical investigations of marine resources, has a mariculture committee.
Within the ICES mariculture committee there are several working groups dealing with topics such as fish diseases, toxic algal blooms, mass rearing of juvenile marine finfish, environmental impacts of aquaculture, and the introduction and transfer of species. At its next meeting the committee will consider such topics as the withdrawal periods of drugs and veterinary medicines, the quality of salmonid fry and fingerlings, crayfish culture, fish nutrition, gas supersaturation, training in aquaculture, genetic broodstock management and breeding practices, prevention and control of bird predation, and eel culture.
In addition, there are several specific scientific organizations which now have working groups for the culture and production of farmed species, such as the International Association of Astacology (freshwater crustaceans), the European Association of Fish Pathologists, and the European Communities Biologists' Association.
CMEA, or COMECON has among its ten members Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, the GDR, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and the USSR from the region as described by the survey. Its purpose is to assist the economic development of its member states through the sharing of resources and the coordination of efforts. Among its main activities are the promotion of trade and cooperation in agriculture to improve the availability and nutritional quality of food supplies.
The EEC has 12 members of which Belgium, Denmark, the FRG, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and the UK are from the region. Its purpose is for the free movement of capital, goods, persons, and services between member countries, and common policies for agriculture and transport. Among its principal activities are agriculture and fisheries, which include aquaculture, and related activities of science and technology, education, and environment policy.
The third economic community important to the region as described is EFTA. Its six members are Austria, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland. The association promotes the expansion of trade in agricultural goods between members, and particularly in fisheries trade.
There are no regional development projects within the area.
The ADCP was created to support global initiatives and cooperation in aquaculture. Its prime activities have extended into Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Mediterranean regions, but its efforts have also been of benefit to the European region. Advisory and guideline publications produced by ADCP deal with both administration of the sector, such as global statistics, policy and planning, management, economics, marketing, etc., and in biotechnology and engineering. The Programme is financed by UNDP, executed by FAO, and is based in Rome, Italy.
