1. The Commission for Inland Fisheries of Latin America (COPESCAL) held its third session from 30 November to 6 December 1983 in the Sala Amates of the Instituto Mexicano de Comercio Exterior (IMCE - Mexican Foreign Trade Institute) in Mexico City, at the kind invitation of the Government of Mexico.
2. The session was attended by 16 members of the Commission, a representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), observers from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), and the SELA's Action Committee on Marine and Freshwater Fishery Products. The list of delegates and observers is given in Appendix A of this report.
3. Mr. Fernando Zuna Zeballos, Chairman of COPESCAL, in his opening statement, spoke of the main objectives and functions of the Commission, based on harmonious cooperation between the countries in the region and directed to knowledge of appropriate techniques for better exploitation, management and conservation of their inland water resources. He said that the utilization of these resources is of fundamental importance to obtain more and better possibilities of nutrition for present and future human generations. He also pointed out that obviously any development action undertaken concerning this delicate and important resource should be based on close cooperation and shared information among the countries which own the resource.
4. Mr. A. Lindquist, Director of the Fisheries Resources and Environment Division of the FAO Fisheries Department addressed the participants on behalf of the Director-General of FAO, Mr. Edouard Saouma, and the Assistant Director-General of the Fisheries Department, Mr. Jean Carroz, thanking the Government of Mexico for having made it possible to hold this session in Mexico City and for its excellent preparation. He stressed the importance of inland fisheries which, because normally practised at an artisan level and in areas far from the main urban centres, create jobs for the poorer sector of the population and is almost exclusively intended for human consumption.
5. He recognized the substantial achievements in aquaculture development during the past decade and noted the activities and initiatives of regional organizations such as the Action Committee on Marine and Freshwater Fishery Products (CAPMAD/SELA), the Asociación Latinoamericana de Acuicultura (ALA - Latin American Aquaculture Association), the Centro Regional Latinoamericano de Acuicultura (CERLA - Latin American Regional Aquaculture Centre), and the Commission's own Working Party on Aquaculture, which are all contributing to the development of aquaculture, even though aquaculture has not been traditionally practised in the region. He mentioned the tendency observed in Latin America during the past two years toward more utilization of living resources of inland waters through expansion of fisheries in all the continent's river basins and in an increasing by larger number of reservoirs.
6. He also mentioned that this increase of fishing and production of fish through aquaculture involves some special problems such as an insufficient knowledge of the biology, ecology, abundance and distribution of most of the exploited species, environmental degradation and its impact on resources, the lack of adequately trained personnel for the formulation and execution of fisheries policies, absence of suitable infrastructures for the landing, distribution and marketing of catches. Environmental degradation requires that fisheries administrators take an active part in planning the utilization of marine and land resources. He recognized that many of these problems had been solved in some countries in the region, expressly mentioning the successes achieved by the host country as an example. He therefore stressed that there was a need for real cooperation between the countries in the region where technical ability and enthusiasm exist for exchange of experiences and transfer of technologies between the region's countries themselves.
7. Mr. Pedro Ojeda Paullada, Minister of Fisheries of Mexico, opened the session welcoming the participants and declaring that this event confirmed the will of the Latin American countries to advance, expand and consolidate their integration process. He said that this session was a favourable opportunity to recall, as recently occurred in Panama during the Meeting of Ministers of Fisheries, the leading role played by Latin America in formulating the principles sanctioned in the new Law of the Sea. He also recalled that during the Fifteenth Session of the FAO Fisheries Committee held in Rome, fundamental principles promoted by the Latin American countries were laid down concerning the sovereign right of countries to determine the most appropriate policy for fishery exploitation and development and the conservation and regulation of their living resources under the terms of the new Law of the Sea.
8. The Minister of Fisheries said that COPESCAL is the institutional embodiment of the concept of fishery as an integrated and integral activity, since fishing activities conducted in inland waters by capture or cultivation are essentially complementary to exploitation of marine and estuary resources. He also observed that the policy lines in the aquaculture sector call for development of fish farms and aquaculture centres which can play the role of propagation and exploitation of high yield species; therefore, the political and technical components of those lines should converge at regional and national levels to promote the welfare of our countries and make maximum use of our resources through regional cooperation based on bodies like COPESCAL. This, he said, does not only mean collecting isolated experiences, but providing ideas which can favour the creation of flexible international cooperation mechanisms that can be applied in practice.
9. In concluding his statement, Mr Ojeda Paullada said that Latin America aspires to overcome underdevelopment without losing its sovereignty and independence, and that the search for establishment of a new international economic order in the fisheries sector is a part of our commitment to think and act in the direction of history. Lastly, he invited the delegates to make comprehensive and frank proposals on the problems before this Meeting in surroundings where Mexico hopes they may find generosity, freedom and democracy.
10. The Commission adopted the agenda reproduced in Appendix B. The documents for the session are listed in Appendix C.
11. This item of the agenda was presented by the Secretary of the Commission who explained that the aim of document COPESCAL/83/2 was to review the measures taken by FAO during the intersessional period relating to the recommendations of the second session of the Commission.
12. First of all, she informed the participants that during the interval between sessions three Member Nations of FAO, Honduras, Paraguay, and more recently, Nicaragua, requested and obtained membership in COPESCAL, bringing the number of member countries of this Commission to 20.
13. She said that to obtain an overall view of the present situation of inland fisheries and aquaculture in the region and of the activities completed or in execution, the information provided by FAO would need to be completed by information on the respective activities in each country.
14. As the main items discussed at the previous session (fishery resources, fishery technology, development and management of artificial lakes, acquaculture, and training opportunities) are items for discussion in the Agenda, she said that only the additional aspects considered below would be discussed under this Agenda item.
15. The Commission appreciated the effort made by FAO through the Consultant study made in different countries in the region to determine the state of environmental degration and pollution. The delegation of Mexico, noting the usefulness of studies on toxicity levels in commercially important aquatic organisms, described the research on this problem being conducted in Mexico and offered to share the experiences and the results obtained with the member countries of the Commission.
16. The Commission took note of the ad interim measures adopted by FAO concerning repercussions of land use practices on fisheries since funds had not been obtained to hold the proposed workshop on inland fishery for planners. The results and recommendations of a similar Workshop held in Manila (August 1982) had been translated into Spanish and were distributed to the participants (COPESCAL/83/Inf.8) and other professionals interested in the subject. The Commission considered that the other information document on the subject (COPESCAL/83/Inf.4) made a significant contribution to the problem of land and water use, as it provided information which was very useful as a coordination mechanism.
17. The Commission considered and approved FAO's proposal to undertake a feasibility study in collaboration with Unesco, IOC (Inter-governmental Oceanographic Commission) and OAS (Organization of American States) for transformation of the “Centro de Datos para el Sistema de Información en Ciencias Acuáticas y Pesqueras” (Data Centre for the Aquatic Sciences Fishery and Information System) of Mexico into a system that can also provide documentation service to meet the needs of the member countries of COPESCAL.
18. Regarding the preceding session's recommendation that the COPESCAL Secretariat should prepare a document on the economic and social aspects of the ornamental fish trade, the Commission considered that this subject was not an urgent one in the region. It was recognized, however, that this type of activity should not be excluded from the national programmes of those countries in the region for whom this subject is of interest because of the foreign exchange derived by export of ornamental fish and because of the jobs that can be created.
19. The Commission took note of the technical assistance, coordination and funds provided by FAO to some institutions in the region through its Regional Cooperative Research Programme in the fishery technologies sector. The Commission acknowledged the constraints still existing in this sector and recommended accelerating the exchange of technologies between countries in the region through regional bodies like COPESCAL, SELA's CAPMAD (Comité de Acción de Productos del Mar y de Agua Dulce - Action Committee on Marine and Freshwater Products) and others dealing in the sector.
20. The Secretariat informed the participants that Unesco, in collaboration with FAO, is organizing a Workshop on Management and Ecology of Fisheries in Lakes and Reservoirs to be held in Santiago, Chile, possibly in September 1984. The Mexican delegation stressed the importance Mexico attached to the determination of the fisheries resources potential, given the existence in the country, of 12 000 water bodies (lakes, reservoirs, dams) besides the rivers, which come to a total of 3 million hectares. The Commission suggested the creation of training courses and dissemination of printed information for the scientists in the region as a line of action to promote fishery exploitation of the region's reservoirs.
21. The Commission approved the proposal of the Secretatiat that the recently completed Spanish translation (COPESCAL/83/Inf.7) of the Thesaurus compiled by FAO for the Aquatic Sciences and Fishery Information System (ASFIS) should be published in the COPESCAL Technical Series or in another FAO technical series.
22. The Secretariat informed the Commission that FAO, with the aid of a consultant expert in Cichlidae. is preparing identification sheets of Tilapia species which will be distributed to the member countries of COPESCAL as soon as they are published.
23. The Secretariat reported on the Regional Practical Course on Fishery Products Technology and Quality Control, organized by FAO in cooperation with the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA) and held in Lima, Peru, from 3 June to 1 August 1980, whose report (COPESCAL/83/July 9) published in 1983, was recently distributed.
24. Concerning the proposed “Centro de Capacitación Internacional para Pesquerías Continentales” (International Training Centre for Inland Fisheries) the Secretariat reported that FAO had begun a survey in several countries in the region to evaluate present fisheries training installations, and that the results of the survey will be distributed among interested institutions/persons. It also said that the document prepared by FAO for regional training activities in West Africa can serve as a general guide, once the region's needs in this sector have been clearly identified.
25. The Representative of Sucre University in Colombia reported on the steps taken by that organization after the second session of COPESCAL to implement the offer it made at that time to host the “Centro Internacional de Capacitación en Pesquerías Continentales”. He also said that, to strengthen the existing infrastruture, the following activities should be executed:
He also requested that Colombia be included among the countries to be visited in connection with the survey FAO is making on fishery training institutions in the region.
26. The representative of Argentina expressed his agreement with the measures adopted by FAO in the interim between sessions and commended the satisfactory results of the second Working Party on Fishery Resources held in Iquitos, Peru, last September. The delegate of El Salvador regretted the isolation of the sector's scientists in his country whom the documentation produced by FAO does not reach, and said that his Government gives higher priority to extension than to research activities given the budgetary limitations.
27. The Chairman invited Dr Novoa, delegate of Venezuela, to introduce the report of the Working Party on Fishery Resources which met in Iquitos, Peru, 26–30 September 1983. Noting that the Working Party addressed three major areas of work, Dr Novoa made special note of the very active participation of the members of the Working Party, and of the substantial progress made as evidenced by the report (COPESCAL/83/4) and the recommendations put forward to the Commission.
28. In the area of the pollution control he reported that little progress had been made to-date in compiling information on the procedures utilized in the region for testing the toxicity of the major contaminants of inland waters. However, the report of Mr J. Escobar of Colombia (COPESCAL/83/4) on pollution problems in the COPESCAL region had been very instructive in documenting both the varying significance of different types of sources of pollutants among the countries in the region, and the relative magnitude of each of its causal factors and the scale of the respective problems.
29. After reviewing the other information available, the Working Party agreed that the Sub-group on Toxicity Tests should continue its work, engaging the assistance of other interested professionals from the region. Expanded terms of reference for the Sub-group were also suggested:
that, as its first activity, the Sub-group in collaboration with the Secretariat, should prepare guidelines for evaluating impacts of non-fishery activities on the aquatic environment, and for subsequent monitoring of these impacts;
that member countries be invited to inform the Sub-group of available evidence concerning harmful effects of pollution and other human activities on inland aquatic resources.
30. With regard to the second area “Development and Exploitation of Natural and Artificial Lakes” considered by the Working Party, it was reported that there was wide interest among members of the Working Party in better and quicker knowledge and exploitation of lake and reservoir fish resources with emphasis on the methodological aspects of the evolutions of their fishery potential, such as application of the “morpho-edaphic index”.
31. The attention of the Commission was also directed to the progress being made in producing inventories of the water bodies in the countries of the region, and to the format drawn up by the Working Party Sub-group for communicating these data with a view to the preparation of a document to be published in the COPESCAL Technical Series. The following recommendations concerning lakes and reservoirs were submitted for consideration by the Commission:
that, at the next session of this Working Party, a workshop be held on a specific theme, in which methodological work on evaluation of the fisheries potential of lakes and reservoirs would be discussed;
that the Commission encourage governments to develop a policy of optimal use of water resources which gives due consideration to fishery activities;
the Working Party considered it appropriate to suggest that a Sub-group be formed whose terms of reference would be: to collect and elaborate, in collaboration with the Secretariat, available national data in order to define the present state of ecological and fisheries knowledge of natural and man-made lakes in the region and that the data obtained by the Sub-group be evaluated in FAO with a view to the preparation of a document to be published, if possible, in the COPESCAL Technical Series.
32. With regard to the third area, fishery resources of rivers, the Working Party gave considerable attention to the problems of rapidly evaluating the fisheries productivity of river systems, to bio-ecological studies of the fish species of greatest economic value, to fishery resource management, and to international cooperation. The following suggestions and recommendations were presented to the Commission:
there should be more widespread use of rapid methods of evaluating the fisheries productivity of river systems, with regional application, and that the Secretariat should prepare and distribute a document on the subject, afterwards holding a workshop in which the data provided by the participants would be analysed and discussed;
studies on the biology of economically important fish species should be intensified, giving priority to those most important for fisheries management;
that a consultant should be engaged by FAO to compile information on regulatory measures adopted in the countries of the region for managing inland fisheries;
that, based on the experiences of the various countries, the Commission should suggest to governments that they adopt programmes to organize the productive sectors of inland fisheries to allow not only improvement of the people's living standards, but also adequate control and management of fisheries;
that the Commission request FAO to allocate the necessary funds to organize a workshop on identification of the environmental effects of development projects in river basins, from the point of view of fishery resources;
that encouragement be given to the preparation and publication of specific case histories to illustrate the effects of dams and other development works on fish stocks and fisheries in Latin America;
that a Sub-group of the Working Party on River Fishery Resources be formed with the following terms of reference:
to collect the information available for the other river basins of the region on the bio-ecological characteristics of the fishery resources in the Orinoco River in order to make comparisons and possible generalizations on the validity of this adaptive approach;
to prepare synopsis of fish species of major economic interest, starting with the genus Prochilodus, Sermaprochilodus y Colossoma;
to prepare a document on migration of freshwater fish in Latin America, based on information contributed and discussions held at this meeting (Coordination: A. Espinach Ros and M. Petrere);
to define and collect, with the assistance of the Technical Secretariat, the information required for the application of rapid methods for assessing fish productivity in river basins.
33. In addition to the recommendations given above, the Working Party expressed concern that the updating of the distribution list for relevant FAO documents would be completed by the Secretariat as rapidly as possible. It recommended that the Bibliography of Freshwater Fish of Latin America (COPESCAL Technical Paper No.2, 1979) be updated and, to this end, the members of the Working Party agreed to forward relevant references published in their respective countries after 1979.
34. Given the limited availability of international funds for training personnel in the different aspects of fishery research, the Working Party felt it would be in order to suggest to governments that they do as much as possible to facilitate exchanges of experience among the countries of the region, suggesting, as a general basis for financing, that host countries take responsibilities for daily subsistence cost of visiting personnel, while the country of the person seeking training should be responsible for travel costs.
35. Lastly, the Working Party recommended that the Secretariat prepare a technical paper on both the positive and/or negative effects of the introduction of exotic species into the countries of the region.
36. In commenting on the report, the Commission noted that several countries were already following up on the recommendations made; and that the policies suggested as regards pollution, and the optimal use of reservoirs and river fishery resources, were already an integral part of the national objectives of many countries.
37. With regard to pollution, the Commission generally agreed that the problem was a very important one, but that corrective actions generally require the collaborative efforts of a number of ministries in each country. It was also noted that in many instances, the Working Party would need to promote not only the compilation of pollution data, but also its primary acquisition. It was further emphasized that the Working Party should compile as well as collect such data. The delegation of Mexico put forward a plan-of-action for practical research on pollution problems at a national level to be considered by the Working Party when elaborating its guidelines.
38. As regards the fish resources of lakes and reservoirs, it was noted that the inventory activities recommended are well underway in a number of countries, as well as ecological studies of some of the important fisheries. It was agreed that as much information as possible would be made available to the proposed FAO/Unesco meeting in Chile in September 1984.
39. Regarding activities in large rivers, after some discussion as to whether the methods used in lakes and in rivers were sufficiently different to warrant separate workshops, the proposal to hold a workshop on evaluating the potential productivity of rivers, as well as one on lakes and reservoirs, was supported.
40. It was recognized that there was widespread interest in the region in the optimal exploitation of its lakes and rivers, and also that the pollution of these ecosystems is receiving the attention of the countries especially because of its effects on fish fauna.
41. With these observations and comments, the Commission agreed to the establishment of all three sub-groups with the terms of reference and composition suggested by the Working Party.
42. The Commission also agreed to the other recommendations put forward, including the suggestions regarding the preparation of documents and dissemination of the information obtained by the Working Party. In this connection it was suggested to the Member Governments that they forward the information requested from them as soon as possible so that the work of the sub-groups could proceed as rapidly as possible. It was further noted that such information should be forwarded both to the coordinators of the relevant sub-group and to the Secretary of the Commission.
43. The Commission also agreed to the proposal that a technical paper on the introduction of exotic species into the countries of the region be prepared.
44. With regard to training, the Government of Mexico repeated its offer to make its facilities available to those who wish to take advantage of the experience available provided that suitable arrangements can be made with the requesting governments or organizations in each case.
45. Item 5 of the agenda was introduced by the Technical Secretary who explained that this item was included in the agenda of COPESCAL as a result of recommendations of the Expert Consultation on Conservation of the Genetic Resources of Fish, held in Rome, Italy, 9–13 June 1980, under the joint auspices of FAO and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Inter alia, these recommendations asked FAO in cooperation with other international agencies “to promote grass roots awareness of genetic conservation concepts in fishery and farm communities at both regional and national levels”.
46. The Technical Secretary noted that the loss of genetic diversity, especially of the great variety of traits present in wild as opposed to domesticated stocks, is an important problem in developing improved strains of crop plants and farm animals. Examples of similar problems in fish culture were mentioned.
47. It was noted that most of the countries in Latin American are rich in fish genetic resources in their fresh waters, and that many of the member countries of COPESCAL are already beginning to respond to the threats posed by the indiscriminate introduction of exotic species, by the use of inbred breeding stocks of various fish species used for stocking and intensive fish farming or stocks which are undocumented from the standpoint of their origin and genetic history, and by lack of attention to the establishment and maintenance of reserves or other mechanisms to protect this rich patrimony of genetic diversity in fish resources.
48. It was suggested that the Commission consider the following actions in regard to these problems:
to request the Working Parties on Fishery Resources and on Aquaculture to keep under review development relating to:
the effects of species introductions and other man-made environmental disturbances on the conservation of genetic resources;
monitoring genetic change in wild and captive fish populations;
genetics of native species utilized for aquaculture;
to establish an ad hoc correspondence group on the documentation of origin and pedigree of culture fish strains used in stocking open waters or in hatcheries;
to consider how the Commission might more effectively encourage the establishment of effective natural reserves for conserving the aquatic resources of the region;
to ask member Governments to inventory their scientists with interest and competence in fish genetics as a starting point for TCDC1 activities in genetic resources preservation and enhancement;
other related activities.
49. The members of the Commission approved the inclusion of this item on the agenda, noting that it was timely for member Government to give attention to these problems.
50. Several specific problems were cited by members of the Commission such as the lack of knowledge of the origin and history of the various stocks of the six different Tilapia species which are commonly being used in aquaculture, and with the problems of inbreeding in genetic selection work.
51. Practically speaking, it was noted that these problems must be addressed at the country level, and it was suggested that the respective authorities should discuss these problems with the relevant staff of national universities. It was also noted that the responsibilities for certain measures such as the establishment of genetic “banks” for priority species, could be shared out regionally, as no one country has the resources to deal with all aspects of this problem. Similarly the establishment of genetic research centres and of natural reserves are also actions that could be better undertaken on a regional basis.
52. The Commission approved the recommendation that, as far as possible, the conservation of genetic resources be the responsibility of the countries where the species originated through adoption of appropriate measures for conservation of their natural populations.
53. Several delegations commented on the great importance their governments attach to the conservation of genetic resources and described the activities being carried forward in this area. Note was taken of the contrasts between countries with rich native faunas upon which to draw for aquaculture development and those, such as island States, which are almost totally dependent on so-called “exotic species”. Both groups, however, are in agreement on the importance of applying sound genetic principles to the further development of their inland fisheries and of aquaculture.
54. Agreeing that further consideration should be given to these problems by competent technical personnel, the Commission agreed to the need for the Working Parties on Inland Fisheries Resources and on Aquaculture to keep these problems under review, as proposed by the Secretariat, and to the establishment of a correspondence group on the conservation of genetic resources.
55. It was also agreed that it would be useful if each country were to identify its available experts on genetics of aquatic organisms, not only as an aid in country programmes in the aquaculture and inland fisheries sector, byt also to provide the Working Parties and the Correspondence Group with a pool of experts on whom to draw for further activities. The Commission also agreed that the report of the Expert Consultation on the Conservation of Genetic Resources of Fish should be made available in Spanish to member countries.
1 TCDC = Technical Cooperation among Developing Countries
56. The seminar was held during the Third Session of the Commission for Inland Fisheries of Latin America (COPESCAL) and was attended by technicians and/or delegates from 16 countries and representatives of FAO.
57. During the Seminar information was presented on fishing, and on handling, processing, marketing and distribution activities in the following countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Cuba, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru and Venezuela. The reports presented in documents COPESCAL/83/5, 9 and 10 prepared by FAO especially for this Seminar were also considered.
58. The observations drawn from the presentations and discussions raised by the papers were as follows:
most of the information presented in the Seminar was new to many participants, revealing the lack of adequate information channels between technicians in the member countries of COPESCAL;
there are different levels of development of inland fishery activities in the COPESCAL member countries. While in some of them, especially Mexico and Cuba, because of their particular conditions, the development of inland water fishery on an industrial scale has been achieved, in others the sector has remained basically at the artisanal level, while, another group of countries is in an intermediate position. In these conditions there are real opportunities to establish fruitful exchange of experiences and technical cooperation in the area addressed by the Seminar;
in most of the COPESCAL member countries, administrations and promoters of inland fishery development do not have enough resources (financial, equipment and personnel) necessary to stimulate the sector's development;
in many countries at present there is a lack of information on costs/income in the inland fisheries sector, especially in the Seminar's area of interest. It was recognized that such information was vital to guide the identification of technological improvements which could really be viable economically and socially;
most of the participating technologists considered that the introduction of technological improvements should be evaluated globally (catch, processing, marketing, etc.). In the discussions it was recognized that this approach is essential for realistic analysis of the sector's problems;
the provision of credit and other services to fishermen should be part of any type of development strategy which may best be applied to the sector. It was recognized that there have been more failures than successes in the provision of loans;
the cases of successes in inland fishery development have been associated with the existence of forms of organization which are frequently created by fishermen themselves, and also with the existence of a technological capacity to which they could have access;
in many countries it was found that in the specific fields of handling and processing:
fish residues are usually not utilized.
The first of these is not only a hygiene problem but a major economic one, since most inland water fish are marketed fresh. The second constitutes an unnecessary loss of animal proteins and nutrients.
59. On the basis of these observations the following recommendations were made:
that inter-institutional communication be improved, and especially that the technicians working in priority areas - from a Latin American point of view take the initiative of informing their colleagues directly of their progress. It was requested that COPESCAL, through the Working Party on Fishery Technology, coordinate and promote this exchange of information. It was considered that at present the priority activities should be: (a) better fresh fish handling and (b) utilization of wastes;
that those countries, which wish to do so, like Cuba, Mexico and Venezuela, prepare a detailed history of the development of fishery in their inland waters emphasizing the methods used, and that these documents be published in the COPESCAL Technical Series;
that studies be conducted on fresh fish handling and transport methods using technologies adapted to local conditions (e.g., containers);
that technologists make more efforts to develop technologies which, through their rapid adoption by inland fishery, can demonstrate that this sector (including its secondary activities) constitutes a viable component of the rural economy, and can thereby obtain more resources for its development;
that technologists in research institutes and universities cooperate and participate with specific services in direct extension work with fishermen groups, processors, etc. These small-scale activities (of the pilot project type) are not intended to replace the extension services which should exist, but to offer an opportunity for direct contact between producers and researchers;
it would be desirable to make an effort to obtain an inventory and dissemination of cases and procedures which have proved effective in the field of provision credit and other services. It was requested that the Secretariat of COPESCAL, through the Working Party, prepare a document on this subject;
an exchange of information on the existence of material (leaflets, books, short films, etc.) for training of extension workers in the processing and marketing sector would be desirable. It was requested that the Secretariat of COPESCAL, through its Working Party on Fishery Technology, promote and coordinate this exchange;
in view of the interest expressed in utilization of fish wastes among the countries of the region, it was agreed that it would be desirable to explore silage methodology as an alternative to obtain full utilization of the fish resource. It would be desirable to promote wider dissemination of the available information through the SELA “Revista Latinoamericana de Acuicultura”. It would also be desirable if, in future meetings, COPESCAL would consider this aspect as a subject for special examination where experiences in this sector can be collected.
60. The report of the COPESCAL Working Party on Aquaculture (COPESCAL/83/3), whose first meeting was held in Santiago de Veraguas, Panama, from 18 to 22 April 1983, was presented by Dr Richard Pretto Malca, National Director of Aquaculture of the Ministerio del Desarrollo Agropecuario of Panama and Chairman of the Working Party.
61. The speaker gave a detailed account of the discussions and recommendations of the above mentioned Working Party and stressed that the report reflects the general conclusions of the meeting, although not necessarily the situation existing in some countries of the region.
62. Before the Chairman opened the discussions on the recommendations, the delegation of Mexico asked the Secretariat to consider the document entitled “La Acuicultura en México. Antecedentes y estado actual, 1982” prepared by J. Ricardo Juárez Palacios, Gloria G. Palomo Martínez and Jaime Flores Crespo which had been submitted previous to the Panama meeting, but which had not been included there, and which reflects the situation of this activity in the country, since that described in the document COPESCAL/83/3 is inaccurate and incomplete. A copy of the document was circulated to the participants and observers at the present session.
63. The report gives a number of recommendations, grouped into four sectors:
64. When discussing the first sector, the following recommendations on planning and organization were discussed and adopted:
it was recommended that before formulating policies and plans for aquaculture development, governments should evaluate 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 suggested to governments that if they think it would be useful they form mixed committees headed by the agency responsible for aquaculture development in the country, these committees should be multidisciplinary 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 based on available funding for use by the planning sector;
given the apparent hiatus between the fishery institutions responsible for aquaculture development and planners 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 on and more aware of the importance of aquaculture to their country;
so far, foreign assistance in aquaculture has been channelled to transfer of technology, construction of infrastructures and training of local personnel. It was suggested that foreign assistance might also be used to hire consultants to advise on planning development policies and preparing plans;
in order to shed some light on the present situation of external assistance and other types of cooperation agreements for aquaculture development in general in Latin America, it was decided that a document should be drafted by the members of the Working Party and published by FAO listing, country by country, cooperation agreements in force or in preparation.
65. There was a discussion of a further recommendation, on the need to organize a Workshop on Planning in Aquaculture and Extension Work for those who are involved in national aquaculture planning. Such a Workshop could perhaps be held at CERLA, Brazil. The emphasis would be on briefing on planners in order to ease the implementation of aquaculture development. These should be in-depth discussions on the reasons why aquaculture development is highly successful in some countries and less in others.
66. While several delegations agreed that there is a need to hold such a seminar or workshop, other delegations felt that planning in aquaculture could not be isolated from national development, and that a seminar should therefore not be confined to only one aspect of rural development. In this connection attention was drawn to the recent discussions related to these questions in the fifteenth session of the Commitee on Fisheries and especially to the Action Programmes for the FAO World Conference on Fisheries Management and Development where an integrated approach is considered essential for development.
67. After further discussion the meeting agreed to add a sixth recommendation on this sector as follows:
“A workshop on planning in aquaculture related to development should be held after the FAO World Conference on Fisheries Management and Development, with participants from COPESCAL member countries and other invited participants. The terms of reference of the workshop would be worked out by the Technical Secretary of the Working Party on Aquaculture in consultation with the Secretariat”.
68. The following recommendations under the second sector, on research and information were adopted by the Commission without amendments:
in the past, aquaculture research in Latin America has been 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 only one of the components of programmes for integrated rural development or development of aquaculture in micro-dams, it was recommended that research be intensified in these areas prior to defining strategies and devising technological packages. The pre-dominance of biologists or veterinarians in the aquaculture development institutes will require that additional national or else foreign experts in the socio-economic fields, may need to be found to assist in these studies;
it was suggested that in countries where they do not already exist associations be created to bring together representatives of the different aquaculture sectors - research, promotion and production - to collaborate in collection and exchange of ideas and information on aquaculture research and development in the country and the region;
exotic species have made a significant contribution to development of aquaculture in Latin America, but in some countries this has detracted from the interest attached to research on local fauna. It was therefore recommended that encouragement be revived in the study of local species of interest to aquaculture in the countries where these exists, as possible alternatives to already known species both of human consumption and/or for marketing of ornamental species;
it was recommended that agreements be established between the private sector and all the sectors concerned with research, production and marketing aspects. 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 the agencies responsible for aquaculture development.
Regarding recommendation 2 of the second sector (item B) on establishment of libraries and data banks see paragraphs 17 and 84 of this report.
69. The discussions concerning the third sector, training, were very detailed and it was agreed to make the following recommendations:
it was suggested that governments evaluate their personnel requirements for aquaculture development in the medium and short term at four levels of activity which were identified in general terms, i.e., senior level, professionals/specialist, technical support personnel and field assistants;
it was also recommended that aquaculture courses be included in the universities and technical institutes in Latin America according to the real needs of the countries in which there are none;
there is a need for preparation of educational and information material on aquaculture at all levels. Concerning this aspect it was recommended that FAO's technical documents on aquaculture be translated into Spanish.
70. The Commission considered that the recommendations of the Working Party, specifically 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 of the item on training in connection with CERLA should be discussed under item 8 of the agenda referring to that agency (see paragraph 83).
71. Regarding the last sector comprising “other recommendations”, the Commission confirmed that the Latin American Review of Aquaculture, published by SELA, is a highly useful publication and asked the experts in the region and in FAO to submit text contributions on items of interest to the region.
72. Special mention was made of the need for information on silage of fish processing residues. It was agreed that FAO, which has information on this subject, will provide it for dissemination through the Latin American Review of Aquaculture.
73. The representative of SELA's CAPMAD (Action Committee on Marine and Freshwater Fishery Products) thanked FAO for the support received both in connection with the Latin American Review of Aquaculture and other activities. He also stressed the need to strengthen the ties between COPESCAL and that Committee and said that CAPMAD was willing to collaborate with the FAO COPESCAL at the request the latter does in interregional horizontal cooperation. The Secretariat of COPESCAL on its part said that FAO intended to continue to support that regional body within its available resources.
74. While the issue of ornamental fish was not considered to be of the highest priority (see paragraph 18), the Commission was of the opinion that both the Working Party on Aquaculture and that on Fishery Resources should continue to work on this topic within their present terms of reference.
75. Finally, it was recommended to governments and agencies responsible for aquaculture development that they should try to influence public opinion explaining the benefits of aquaculture and the dangers of pollution using the mass media, the press, radio and TV and emphasizing the achievements of local development.
76. Item 8 of the agenda was introduced by Dr F.A. Pagan-Font, Senior Advisor for Research, CERLA, and Director of the RLA/74/010 UNDP/FAO Project. Referring to the working document COPESCAL/83/6 “Overview of activities of the Regional Latin American Aquaculture Centre”, Dr Pagan-Font reviewed the history of the Centre and described its current status and activities. He stressed the special character of the type of applied research carried out by CERLA whereby the work is performed by a multidisciplinary group of research workers with the main purpose of achieving technical results more effectively and oriented to the production of economically viable culture systems.
77. Commenting on the recommendations of the COPESCAL Working Party on Aquaculture regarding CERLA (Recommendations 3–7 on the training sector), Dr Pagan-Font noted that discussions were under way with the Inter-American Development Bank which he felt could result in making the subsidies it grants to trainees accessible to all the countries in the region. He also said that it now seems possible that the proposed Master's Degree programme through a cooperating Brazilian university may shortly be recognized. With regard to the recommendation of the Working Party relating to additional funding of the Centre, Dr Pagan-Font reported that two member countries of COPESCAL (Nicaragua and Panama) have already agreed in principle to help support the operating costs of the Centre. He also added that arrangements are underway to formally link the Panama's national centre with CERLA.
78. Taking note of the experience of Mexico and of the recommendation of the Working Party on Fishery Resources, it was again suggested that, as a mechanism for financing exchanges of experts in the region, the host government could bear the cost of training while the home country should normally bear the travel costs.
79. The Commission noted with concern that so far no progress had been made in financing CERLA fellowships, and recommended that the IDB define its economic cooperation policy in this regard as soon as possible. It urged CERLA to continue to seek additional funds to enable it to offer opportunities for fellowships to all the countries in the region without exception.
80. In discussing the respective roles of CERLA and subregional and national centres, the Commission urged the Secretariat of COPESCAL to prepare a review of all the training facilities in aquaculture now existing in the region, with information on their areas of special competence, and on the availability of facilities for the use of other countries. It was felt that this information would help to organize exchanges as well as assist CERLA in establishing a comprehensive network of training facilities through agreements to link national and subregional activities to CERLA and avoid duplication of existing training programmes and facilities.
81. Unfortunately, it was not possible for COPESCAL's representative to CERLA to attend the last session of the Advisory Committee. The Commission reiterated its desire that it be represented on the Committee and that the COPESCAL delegate attending the next meeting of the Advisory Committee should report back to the Commission and to FAO at its next session.
82. It was also evident that there was a great need for training such as that offered by CERLA. Some delegates said that there is a demand for other centres, especially as the socio-economic and ecological conditions are not similar in the different parts of the COPESCAL region and different approaches would therefore be needed.
83. After the discussion on item 8 of the agenda concerning the activities of CERLA (COPESCAL/83/6), the Commission adopted the following recommendations:
it was urgently recommended that the countries which have not yet been able to collaborate do so, either through funds to cover operating costs or by other forms of cooperation in the regional activities of the Centro Regional Latinoamericano 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 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 and the need to make this programme available to all governments of the region;
it was flet 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 continue to seek a means of making the Master's Degree in aquaculture available to its trainees on a more flexible basis;
it was recommended that CERLA should disseminate information on its activities as effectively as possible and that governments should assist in this endeavour. As a possible mechanism it was proposed that use be made of the channels of communication of the Asociación Latinoamericana de Acuicultura (ALA).
84. With regard to the possibility of overlap between the CERLA Aquiculture Information System (AQUIS) and the Aquatic Sciences and Fisheries Information System (ASFIS), in which the “Centro Nacional Mexicano de Datos” (Mexican National Data Centre) is one of the participating centres, the Secretariat explained that the AQUIS system of CERLA has been developed in such a way as to be fully compatible with the ASFIS system in regard to bibliographical services. In addition, the AQUIS system is designed to enable the Regional Centre to collect, synthesize and disseminate data on aquaculture production systems not reported in conventional publications and reports.
85. In introducing this item of the agenda, the Secretariat provided updated information compared to the document distributed earlier (COPESCAL/83/8) as at the time of the present session, the Fifteenth Session of the FAO Committee on Fisheries (10–19 October 1983), which in turn constituted the technical phase of the above-mentioned World Conference, had already been held.
86. A record of the events which led to its convening was reviewed, pointing out its usefulness and timeliness and its objectives, which centre on the formulation of strategies and programmes to achieve optimum economic, social and nutritional utilization of fish resources.
87. Before the technical phase a series of seminars and consultations were held, stressing those on strategy of fishery development especially in reference to small-scale fisheries, aquaculture, management of resources in tropical water near the coast, and the role of fish and fisheries in nutrition.
88. The Secretariat communicated that the FAO Council in its Eighty-fourth Session (1–4 November 1983) had adopted the report of the Committee on Fisheries stressing, among other things, that the outstanding contribution of aquaculture and inland fisheries should be fully taken into account in planning fishery development, especially as regards improvement of the socio-economic conditions and food supplies of the rural populations. The speaker also stressed that aquaculture development should receive more attention from state planning agencies, donor organizations and financial institutions.
89. It was announced that new strategies are already being worked out for fisheries management and development and that they would be presented in the policy phase of the Conference. Proposals have also been prepared for the following five action programmes:
fishery development and management (including both marine and inland fishery);
development of small-scale fishery;
aquaculture;
marketing of fish and fishery products;
role of fishery in the task of relieving malnutrition.
90. Both the proposed strategy and the action programmes will be distributed shortly to all the member countries for study and comments. FAO plans to convene a consultation of government experts to study the proposals described and the comments received. After that the Director-General will prepare projects for discussion by the World Conference which will take place at FAO Headquarters in Rome from 27 June to 6 July 1984.
91. The Commission took note of the information presented and expressed thanks for its updating. It reaffirmed its confidence that the Conference will be not only a forum for exchange of information and experience, but will also lead to practical results.
92. It also expressed that it would be desirable that the countries in the region be suitably represented in the Expert Consultation.
93. The representative of the University of Sucre in Colombia requested the support of the Commission for implementation of the recommendation for establishment of an Inland Water Fishery Training Centre (see also paragraph 21).
94. During the discussion several delegations expressed their points of view regarding clarification of the objectives of the above-mentioned Centre, particularly emphasizing that its activities of a regional type should be confined to inland fishery and its development aspects such as management and technology, leaving aquaculture aspects to already established centres.
95. Mention was also made of the difficulties of obtaining funds for a regional centre in present circumstances. It was felt that it would be desirable to concentrate the initial activities at the national level as a preliminary stage of any regional action.
96. The Commission considered that the terms of reference adopted at the second session, as they appear in paragraph 53 of its report (FAO, Fisheries Report No. 261), should be maintained; in other words, the countries should communicate to the University of Sucre the prospectuses of fishery courses held in their universities and FAO should support through a consultant to collaborate in preparation of the courses to be given.
97. The delegation of Cuba proposed that aspects for discussion and agreement on the programme of work to be done by the Commission Secretariat between sessions be considered at the conclusion of each session of the Commission. He also suggested that the Commission recommend that governments provide for the participation of delegates in the biannual meetings, and also that they arrange as far as possible to have experts participate in the Working Parties during the interim between meetings. He added that preference should be given as far as possible to the participation of experts/technicians from the region in the activities of the Commission. He also pointed out that it would be desirable for the representative of COPESCAL in the Advisory Council of CERLA be one of COPESCAL's current officers.
98. The Commission approved the proposals, mentioning the need for the officers to closely follow the execution of work between sessions.
99. The Commission agreed on the recommendation to governments to provide for participation in the Commission's sessions and for continuity in participation of the experts in its working parties, explaining that this could be done providing that it would not endanger the execution of national programmes.
100. The Commission agreed that priority should be given to experts from the region in its programmes, not excluding the advisability of using specialists from outside the region when the respective expertise was not available within it.
101. The Commission likewise approved the proposal that its representative on the CERLA Advisory Committee be one of the Commission's officers with the agreement of the respective country, so that this work should not harm the execution of national programmes.
102. The Commission thanked the Secretaría de Pesca (Secretariat of Fisheries) and the Government of Hidalgo State and CONALEP (Colegio Nacional de Educación Profesional -National Professional Education College) who made possible an interesting visit to the aquaculture and multispecies fish farm technical installations described in Appendix E.
103. At the suggestion of the Chairman, the Nominations Committee was established, composed of the Dominican Republic, Honduras and Nicaragua, to propose the officers for the next session.
104. The Nominations Committee prepared the proposal in consultation with the countries and the Commission approved the proposal of Mexico as Chairman and Cuba and Peru as first and second Vice-Chairmen respectively.
105. The Commission delegated to the recently appointed officers the responsibility for electing from their representatives the country which should represent the Commission at the Advisory Council of the Regional Latin American Aquaculture Centre (CERLA).
106. The delegation of El Salvador kindly offered to host the fourth session of the Commission. The delegation of Cuba also offered to act as host subject to its Government's approval. The date and place would be determined later in consultation with the Director-General of FAO, the Chairman of the Commission and the respective authorities of the Host Government.
107. The Commission unanimously expressed its appreciation to the officers of this session and the FAO Secretariat for the activities carried out during the interim between sessions and for the conduct of the present session.
108. The Commission also unanimously expressed its appreciation to the fishery authorities of the Mexican Government for having hosted the third session and for their valuable cooperation in the organizational phase and for the excellent facilities and hospitality received.
109. This report was adopted by COPESCAL on 6 December 1983.
