OPENING OF THE WORKSHOP
Opening speech by Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development
Pham Trong Yen
- On behalf of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Fishery sector of Viet Nam, Mr Pham Trong Yen welcomed the participants to Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) in Viet Nam to attend the APFIC Regional Workshop on Certification schemes in Fisheries and Aquaculture in the Asia region in HCMC, Viet Nam from 18 to 20 September 2007. The Government of Viet Nam expressed its gratitude to be able to host this important APFIC meeting. He noted that over the last decade fisheries and aquaculture in Viet Nam and the Asia region has developed rapidly, contributing considerably to national economies and an improved livelihood for millions of fishers and fishery communities in rural and coastal areas of countries in the region.
Opening speech by FAO and APFIC Secretariat
Simon Funge-Smith
- Mr Simon Funge-Smith, Acting Secretary of APFIC welcomed all the participants to the Workshop. He noted that the Workshop was a good opportunity for governments in the APFIC region, other stakeholders and a number of resources persons to openly discuss issues surrounding certification in capture fisheries and aquaculture. He noted that the regional workshop was held as a follow-up on recommendations made by the APFIC members at the RCFM and the 29th APFIC Session held in Kuala Lumpur in 2006. Mr Funge-Smith thanked the Vietnamese government for cohosting the Workshop and the excellent arrangement made that contributed to the success of the Workshop. He also expressed his sincere thanks to the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) for supporting this activity and for the Swedish Board of Fisheries to be present at the Workshop. He furthermore thanked the other APFIC partners, resource persons and other stakeholders that have joined the regional workshop on this important matter.
