85. During the discussions of the Plenary Session and the two special Working Groups, the members of this First COPESCAL Working Party on Aquaculture identified various areas -defined as major areas - typifying the overall problem of aquaculture development in Latin America. These were: planning and organization, research and information, and training, all of which were interrelated. The following recommendations are separated into areas for reasons of clarity but are highly interdependant and must be considered as a whole.
it was recommended that the formulation of policies and plans for aquaculture development be preceded by national analyses evaluating present levels of research, the validity of production - economic and social contribution - how many duly trained people are available and at what levels, and the extent of funding for aquaculture.
Referring again to the formulation of development plans, it was recommended that mixed committees be formed, headed by the agency responsible for aquaculture development in the country. These committees should be multisdisciplinary and include experts from the major national planning agencies and from the university and vocational training centres. The task of these mixed committees would be to formulate coordinated action plans besed on available funding for use by the planning sector.
Given the apparent hiatus between the fishery institutions responsible for aquaculture development and planner in the central planning officers, it was recommended that institutions responsible for aquaculture development organize seminars or short courses on aquaculture for planners so they can become better informed and more aware of the importance of aquaculture to their country.
Up to now the major thrust of external assistance to aquaculture has been to transfer technologies, build infrastructures and train local personnel. It was recommended that agreements also be drawn up for the use of external assistance to advise on development policies and planning.
In order to shed some light on the present situation of external assistance and other type of cooperation agreements for aquaculture development in general in Latin America, it was recommended that a document be drafted by the members of this Working Party and published by FAO to list, country by country, cooperation agreements in force or in preparation.
In the past, aquaculture research in Latin America focussed mainly on the technology and biology of fish culture. There is a patent lack of research on socio-economics, economic models, and alternative strategies. In consideration of the current interest in aquaculture as a component of integrated rural development programmes or for the development of aquaculture in micro-dams, it was recommended that further research be conducted in these areas prior to defining strategies and devising technological packages. The predominance of biologist or veterinarians in the aquaculture development institutes will require that additional national or foreign experts, in the socio-economic fields, will need to be found to assist in these studies.
There is a lack of good aquaculture libraries in Latin America. It would be most advantageous to improve access to the existing data on research programme orientations and the discussion on research findings. It was therefore recommended that a greater financial effort be made to set up good libraries and data banks. Once the AQUIS computerized data system is in place, there can be a very fruitful inter-change between the national centres and CERLA.
It was recommended that in countries where these do not already exist, associations be formed to bring together representatives of the various aquaculture sectors -research, promotion and production - in order to establish flexible channels of information. These associations, or a federation of these associations, could be responsible for centralizing national and international data, classifying it, holding it available and distributing it to interested parties.
Exotic species have made a significant contribution to aquaculture development in Latin America, but in some countries there were negative repercussions on research on local fauna. It was therefore recommended that interest be reawakened in the study of local species of interest to aquaculture, as possible alternatives to known species, for the ornamental fish trade and for consumption.
It was recommended that agreements be established between private industry and government for research on production. This would make more people and infrastructures available for research, and enhance awareness of problems associated with the production phase, now rarely addressed by university laboratories or aquaculture development agencies.
It is earnestly recommended that governments estimate, where possible, their manpower training needs for aquaculture development in the medium and short-term at the four levels identified: executives, professionals/specialists, technical support people and field aids.
It was also recommended that the field of study of aquaculture offered in Latin American universities and technical institutes be better tailored to the real needs of each country.
It was urgently recommended that countries collaborate (as of January 1984) in covering the operational costs of regional activities of the Centro Regional Latino-americano de Acuicultura (CERLA) set up by the Government of Brazil with UNDP/FAO assistance, so as to ensure the continuity and development of the Centre as an autonomous, permanent regional facility.
It was also urgently recommended that IDB be requested to eliminate the restrictions on Latin American countries entitled to fellowships for CERLA, which begins its third course of study in January 1984. It was also recommended that FAO and governments seek additional funds to strengthen the fellowship programme considering the added expense involved in incorporating the national centres into the CERLA system.
It was felt that the move to incorporate the national centres with CERLA should be made as soon as possible. Coordinated work of this nature will be the most effective way of complementing the training of technical and professional people.
It was recommended that CERLA award the Master's in Degree in aquaculture on a more flexible basis.
It was recommended that FAO/UNDP and governments disseminate data on CERLA as effectively as possible. An additional mechanism proposed was to make use of the channels of communication of the Asociación Latinoamericana de Acuicultura (ALA).
It was recommended that teaching and informational material be prepared on aquaculture at all levels from elementary to advanced. On this item it was recommended that FAO have more of its technical documents on aquaculture translated into Spanish.
As the great bulk of ornamental fish sold by Latin American countries are captured not cultured, it was recommended that the ornamental fish question also be referred to the Working Party on Fishery Resources. Associated aspects should also be considered: the conservation of endangered species, the scientific identification of commercial species or potentially commercial species, and the generation of employment and money in isolated areas.
It was recommended that governments and agencies responsible for aquaculture development try to influence public opinion through the mass media (press, radio and TV) to publicize the benefits of aquaculture emphasizing the achievements of local development.
It was recommended that SELA Project Five through its Latin American Review of Aquaculture, publish experiences on silaging fish-processing residues in Latin America. It also recommended that FAO and other agencies having data on fish silage disseminate it, preferably in Spanish, to aquaculture organizations in Latin America.
This Working Party, acknowledging the crucial importance of the Latin American Review of Aquaculture in promoting aquaculture in Latin America, and recognizing the difficulties which have arisen in ensuring regular publication of issues of the magazine, recommended that in ratifying the establishment of OLDEPESCA, signatory governments consider the need to identify specific financing for the Review to ensure the necessary stability to continue its important mission. It appealed to the drafting committee to ensure that the Review be more effectively publicized and to Latin American aquaculturalists to contribute more work to the Review.
