1.1 Definition of Problem
1.2 Site for the Regional Centre
1.3 The Task Force Role
Aquaculture, the fanning of aquatic animals and plants, is fast becoming a widely accepted option for fisheries development. Over-exploitation of wild marine fish stocks has received much attention, and similar patterns of decline have occurred in many freshwater fisheries dependent upon natural recruitment and growth of aquatic organisms in the wild. Traditional fishing is presently hampered by rising fuel and operational costs, and many countries are entrapped with highly-capitalized fleets that must travel long distances before finding resources that they can harvest. Alternative sources of fish must therefore urgently be sought. Such a search has led to fish production systems involving not only restoration and augmentation of natural stocks that fall under national control, but also the culture of aquatic organisms suitable for direct human consumption.
Countries in Latin America have not lagged in their search for comprehensive fisheries development, and most have developed at least preliminary plans for aquaculture. Two regional meetings devoted solely to aquaculture have been held; one in Montevideo, Uruguay, in 1974 (FAO/UN, 1976), and the other in Caracas, Venezuela, in 1975 (FAO/UNDP, 1976). Both recognized that few developing countries in the world are now in a position to organize multidisciplinary research and experimentation required for the transfer, modification and improvement of aquaculture systems to their conditions. Cooperative effort, particularly on a regional basis, was seen as a way of mobilizing available expertise, of encouraging the much needed multidisciplinary research, and of reducing overall research costs.
Participants in the "Symposium on Aquaculture in Latin America" held in Montevideo and sponsored by the Regional Fisheries Advisory Commission for the Southwest Atlantic (CARPAS), recommended the early establishment of a Latin American Regional Centre for Aquaculture together with national planning to realize the full potential of aquaculture in that region. Recognized was the need for a centre to urgently undertake research on problems of a regional nature and organize advanced training of aquaculturists, compile and disseminate information on aquaculture, and provide diagnostic facilities and assistance for the control of fish diseases.
The second major meeting was the "Regional Workshop on Aquaculture Planning", organized by the FAO/UNDP Aquaculture Development and Coordination Programme in Caracas (Venezuela), late in 1975. This symposium discussed basic data required for the formulation of development plans, levels of aquaculture suited to different socio-economic and ecological situations, production and distribution of required inputs, legal and environmental constraints, assistance required, and development plans for each of the participating countries. The workshop identified the following requirements:
(i) early action to incorporate national outline plans for aquaculture in the economic fishery development plans of the respective countries;(ii) initiation of surveys and investigations to collect basic information necessary for refinement and revision of the plans;
(iii) allocation of the required inland and coastal areas for aquaculture purposes protecting them from pollution and other environmental hazards through suitable legislation;
(iv) assistance of the FAO/UNDP Aquaculture Development and Coordination Programme in undertaking feasibility studies and preparing bankable projects, and;
(v) action as soon as possible for the establishment of a regional aquaculture centre for Latin America linked to selected national centres.
The FAO/UNDP Aquaculture Development and Coordination Programme was asked to take early action to obtain the support of funding agencies for the project. The site for the regional centre was to be selected after detailed study of the facilities and requirements by an expert team and negotiations with the prospective host governments.
These recommendations, particularly those relating to the establishment of the regional centre, were reviewed and endorsed at the first session of the Western Central Atlantic Fishery Commission (WECAFC), held in Port of Spain, Trinidad, in 1975.
Several countries from Latin America were also represented at the FAO Technical Conference on Aquaculture that met in Kyoto, Japan, in 1976 (FAO/UN, 1976a), which reviewed the status, problems, and opportunities for culturing fish, crustaceans, molluscs and seaweeds on a world-wide scale pointing to substantive progress already achieved. The Conference also adopted recommendations that called for, among other things, assistance for multidisciplinary research on aquaculture through coordinated programmes within regional networks needed for Asia, Africa and Latin America.
Subsequently, the Government of Brazil confirmed its interest in hosting the proposed "Regional Centre for Aquaculture in Latin America" by offering the Experimental Biology and Pisciculture Station at Pirassununga in the State of São Paulo as an appropriate site. The newly established Cananeia Station on the coast of Sao Paulo State was also offered for use as a marine sub-centre of the Centre, and further coldwater facilities are available at Campos de Jordão. Furthermore, the Government of Brazil agreed to expand the facilities at these stations at their expense, and to upgrade them to standards acceptable for a regional centre. Under this arrangement, the Superintendencia de Desenvolvimento de Pesca (SUDEPE) would retain ownership of the sites and continue to contribute to their operation.
By mid-1976, a mission organized by the FAO/UNDP Aquaculture Development and Coordination Programme and the FAO Regional Office for Latin America studied in some detail the facilities in Pirassununga and Cananeia Stations to determine the feasibility of using the sites for the Regional Centre for Aquaculture in Latin America (FAO/UNDP, 1976a). The mission found the sites suitable subject to the addition of experimental ponds, hatchery and buildings at the Pirassununga Station. Advantages foreseen in the use of these stations follow:
(i) the climatic conditions at Pirassununga will accommodate a diversity of environmental situations (tropical situations in the summer and sub-tropical situations in the winter), allowing for results to be extrapolated to many other circumstances;(ii) the location is in the proximity of other research and industrial institutions that could lend support to programmes undertaken, providing a good support infrastructure;
(iii) experience has already been acquired in rearing numerous organisms over more than a 30-year period;
(iv) the linkage of programmes at the Cananeia site and eventually Campos de Jordão with the Pirassununga Station offers greater opportunities for research and training than would be available at a single site, in spite of their geographical separation, and;
(v) culture of all the species selected for large-scale aquaculture in Latin American countries can be undertaken in the area covered by the three stations.
Concurrent with its negotiations with the Brazilian Government, the FAO/UNDP Aquaculture Development and Coordination Programme undertook its commitment to seek funding for the Centre. A regional project sponsored by the Governments of Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela for the "Establishment of a Latin American Regional Centre for Aquaculture (Phase I)" has now been approved by UNDP, with FAO as the Executing Agency.
The Centre is expected to become operational in 1979 and early action was needed to structure the research and experimental programmes for the Centre so as to enable appropriate arrangements for the assignment of suitably qualified personnel and procurement of essential equipment.
A small Task Force was, therefore, established in June 1977, to undertake a critical review of the research requirements to support an aquaculture development programme in the countries of Latin America and to formulate and outline a programme of research for the Centre. Participants from outside FAO joining this Task Force were A. Ramos1/, B. Hepher2/, and G.I. Pritchard3/. Members of the FAO staff participating included T.V.R. Pillay, F.A. Pagán-Font, and M.N. Mistakidis.
1/ Sección Piscicultura, Universidad de Caldas, Manizales, Colombia
2/ Fish and Aquaculture Research Station, Dor, D.N. Hof-Hacarmel, Israel
3/ Department of Fisheries and the Environment, Ottawa, Canada
This report contains a summary of the main considerations and recommendations of this Task Force. It reflects the policy review and problem identification carried out on the basis of available information. It is recognized that many associated problems will arise in the course of studies on the problems identified and it is essential to entrust research on culture systems to a multidisciplinary team, rather than to one or two individual scientists. The Task Force's review of the culture systems that are proposed to be adopted for large-scale application in the region and the recommendations on the scientific programme structure for the Centre are included.
