(a) Funding
52. The Sub-Committee urged that, in the light of the levelling off of production from capture fisheries and increasing demand for fish and fishery products, there was a need to develop aquaculture world wide. The Sub-Committee requested that COFI should make efforts to convince FAO to allocate additional funds to the Fisheries Department for aquaculture activities.
53. Upon request by several delegates regarding the mechanisms for funding FAO work in aquaculture and in particular the activities of the Sub-Committee, the Secretariat explained the relevant regulations governing FAO statutory bodies such as COFI and its Sub-Committees. Decisions taken in this regard at the Twenty-fourth Session of COFI (February 2001) were also explained. Responding to questions regarding the Sub-Committee’s ability to deal with urgent matters, the Secretariat explained that ad hoc working groups were one of the mechanisms by which this could be achieved. Several delegates stressed that for the Sub-Committee to work in a timely and efficient manner, its activities should be prioritized and specific resources should be secured for this.
(b) Pearl culture
54. The observer from the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) noted that whilst the aquaculture of pearls was of significant economic value in the region covered by the SPC and several other countries, this commodity was not specifically mentioned in the documentation prepared for the Session. The Secretariat recalled the work that FAO has carried out on pearl culture in the Pacific.
(c) Acknowledgements
55. The Sub-Committee expressed its appreciation to the Government and people of the People’s Republic of China for their hospitality and the excellent facilities that were provided for the Session.
