43. Mr Ben Ponia, Aquaculture Advisor, Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC), Noumea, New Caledonia, made a presentation entitled "Responsible Aquaculture in the Pacific: The 1995 FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries and its Application in the Pacific Islands". It was noted that guidance for responsible aquaculture could be found in the Code of Conduct. It, together with other international conventions, had established global values that States might embrace and incorporate into their national aquaculture development frameworks. The presentation also reviewed the status of aquaculture and inland fisheries in the Pacific Islands, showing that substantial activity was occurring in aquaculture and inland fisheries. Through highlighting practical examples of its application, the presentation demonstrated the relevance of the Code of Conduct to the aquaculture sector in the region. It was pointed out that Pacific Islands countries were encouraged to apply the principles of the Code to promote sustainable aquaculture. A copy of the paper on which the presentation was based is attached as Appendix K.
44. The exchange of views in the Workshop concerning responsible aquaculture in the Pacific Islands highlighted the existence of considerable potential for the expansion of production.
45. The Workshop agreed that the further development of aquaculture should be based on a market-orientated approach with a strong emphasis on quality. It was noted that exchanges of experience among Pacific Island countries could be intensified and the preparation of a specific study on country experiences would be desirable.
46. The Workshop recognized that an important gap that should be closed was the lack of a policy and legal framework for aquaculture operations in many countries. The Aquaculture Bill of Tonga was mentioned as a suitable example of regulations that could be of interest to other countries. The Workshop requested FAO to facilitate such an exchange of experiences and, as appropriate, to assist in the drafting of legal texts.
47. With regard to the transfer of live animals, the Workshop suggested that within the region, the matter should be handled in a spirit of cooperation among countries but that introductions from outside the region (e.g. from Southeast Asia) should be subject to specific import risk analysis. The Workshop was informed that the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) was preparing guidelines on this subject.
