APPENDIX A
List of Delegates and Observers

MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION

Argentina

CORDINI, Juan Manuel
Director Nacional de Pesca Continental
Subsecretaría de Pesca
Secretaría de Estado de Intereses Marítimos
Av. Santa Fe 1548, 70. piso
Buenos Aires

ANGELESCU, Víctor
Investigador Científico
Area Recursos Pesqueros
Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo Pesquero (INIDEP)
Casilla de Correo 175, Playa Grande
7600 Mar del Plata

BAIZ, Miguel de Lourdes
Jefe
Centro Salmonicultura
Casilla de Correo 27
8400 San Carlos de Bariloche
Rio Negro

BASTIDA, Ricardo O.
Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo Pesquero (INIDEP)
Casilla de Correo 175, Playa Grande
7600 Mar del Plata

BOSCHI, Enrique E.
Investigador
Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo Pesquero (INIDEP)
Casilla de Correo 175, Playa Grande
7600 Mar del Plata

CANDIA, Carmen R.
Investigadora
Centro de Investigaciones Pesqueras Río de la Plata
Av. Santa Fe 1548, 70. piso
Buenos Aires

ESPINACH ROS, Alberto
Jefe
Centro de Investigaciones Pesqueras
Dirección Nacional de Pesca Continental
Av. Santa Fe 1548, 70. piso
Buenos Aires

FABREGAS, Oscar Enrique
Investigador Científico
Dirección Nacional de Pesca Continental
Av. Santa Fe 1548, 70. piso
Buenos Aires

FERNANDEZ DA SILVA, Bernardo
Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores y Culto
Maipú 972, ler. piso
Buenos Aires

IRIART, Néstor Rubén
Jefe
Centro de Investigaciones Pesqueras “Bella Vista”
3432 Bella Vista
Corrientes

MASTRARRIGO, Vicente
Jefe
Departamento Piscicultura
Dirección Nacional de Pesca Continental
Av. Santa Fe 1548, 70. piso
Buenos Aires

MENU MARQUE DE GUIDICI, Silvina
Investigadora Científica
Centro de Investigaciones “Rio de la Plata”
Alf. Parejas 125
1107 Buenos Aires

MESTRE ARCEREDILLO, José Pedro
Técnico
Dirección Nacional de Pesca Continental
Av. Santa Fe 1548, 70. piso
Buenos Aires

MILONE, Santiago
Técnico
Dirección Nacional de Pesca Continental
Av. Santa Fe 1548, 70. piso
Buenos Aires

NANI, Alberto
Investigador
Dirección Nacional de Pesca Continental
Av. Santa Fe 1548, 70. piso
Buenos Aires

ONIS VIGIL, Carlos
Jefe
Departamento de Cooperación Internacional
Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores y Culto
Arenales 761
Buenos Aires

QUAINI, Teobaldo Fausto
Asesor Letrado
Dirección Nacional de Pesca Continental
Av. Santa Fe 1548, 70. piso
Buenos Aires

QUIROS, Rolando
Investigador
Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo Pesquero (INIDEP)
Casilla de Correo 175, Playa Grande
7600 Mar del Plata

SEIGNEUR, Graciela Noemí
Investigadora Centro de Investigaciones Pesqueras “Rio de la Plata”
Av. Santa Fe 1548, 70. piso
Buenos Aires

SVERLIJ DE GUERISOLI, Sara Beatriz
Investigadora
Dirección Nacional de Pesca Continental
Av. Santa Fe 1548, 70. piso
Buenos Aires

TELICHEVSKY DE FOLGUERA, Susana
Investigadora Científica
Dirección Nacional de Pesca Continental
Av. Santa Fe 1548, 70. piso
Buenos Aires

VAZQUEZ, Luis R.
Jefe
Departamento de Investigaciones Pesqueras
Subsecretaría de Pesca
Av. Santa Fe 1548, 70. piso
Buenos Aires

Bolivia

Chile

Colombia

DEL REAL MARTINEZ, Eduardo
Jefe
División Nacional de Pesca y Acuicultura Continental
INDERENA
Apartado Aéreo No. 13458
Bogotá

Cuba

CABRERA, Rafael
Ministerio de la Industria Pesquera
Ensenada de Pote y Atares
Puerto Pesquero
Habana

CABRERA, Roberto
Ministerio de la Industria Pesquera
Ensenada de Pote y Atares
Puerto Pesquero
Habana

TALLET, Carlos
Biólogo
Dirección de Relaciones Internacionales
Ministerio de la Industria Pesquera
Ensenada de Pote y Atares
Puerto Pesquero
Habana

Dominican Republic

ALMONTE, Narciso
Departamento de Recursos Pesqueros
Secretaría de Agricultura
Calle 12 No. 3
Urbanización Hyranya 1
Santo Domingo

GALVEZ CAPELLAN, Marcelino
Vice-Presidente Administrador
Instituto de Desarrollo y Crédito Cooperativo (IDECOOP)
Avenida México
Edificio de las Oficinas Públicas
Piso 11
Apartado 1371
Santo Domingo

Ecuador

CONTRERAS DE CAJAS, Leonor
Instituto Nacional de Pesca
Letamendi y La Ría
P.O. Box 5918
Guayaquil

VAZQUEZ, María C.
Cónsul Honorario
Garay 2608
Mar del Plata
Argentina

Guatemala

MORALES, Alvaro A.
Segundo Viceministro de Agricultura
Ministerio de Agricultura
Palacio Nacional
Guatemala

GORDILLO SOSA, Salvador
Jefe
Departamento de Piscicultura
7a. Avenida No. 12-90 Z. 13
Guatemala

Jamaica

ROSS, Franklin E.
Project Manager
Inland Fisheries Project
Production Unit
Ministry of Agriculture
Hope, Kingston 6

RANDOLPH, Kenneth N.
Assistant Professor, Auburn University
Fisheries Advisor
Kingston 6

Mexico

MARTINEZ-D'MEZA, Héctor
Subdirector de Asuntos Pesqueros Internacionales
Dirección General de Asuntos Pesqueros Internacionales
Departamento de Pesca
Alvaro Obregón 269, 3er. piso
Mexico 7, D.F.

Panama

VERGARA, Pablo
Subdirector Nacional de Acuacultura
Ministerio de Desarrollo Agropecuario
Santiago, Veragüas

Suriname

Venezuela

RIOS O., Antonio A.
Dirección General de Desarrollo Pesquero
División Pesca Continental
Ministerio de Agricultura y Cría
Caracas

OBSERVERS FROM MEMBER NATIONS NOT MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION

Brazil

LAGE, Marcio A.
Embajada de Brasil
Arroyo 1142
Buenos Aires
Argentina

Peru

VERA RIVAS PLATA, José
Instituto del Mar
Apartado 3734
Lima

Uruguay

VARELA, Zoel
Jefe
Departamento de Agricultura y Aguas Continentales (INAPE)
Constituyente 1497
Montevideo

REPRESENTATIVE OF THE UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME

SCHUTZENBERGER, Josef
PNUD/UNDP
Maipú 1252, 10o. piso
Casilla de Correo 2257
Buenos Aires, Argentina

OBSERVER FROM AN INTERGOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATION

Latin American Economic System

CARDENAS R., Juan José
Secretario
Comité de Acción de Productos del Mar y de Agua Dulce
SELA
Av. Aviación No. 2555-A
Urbanización San Luis
Lima, Peru

FAO

Regional Office for Latin America

TAPIAS, C.
Regional Secretary of COPESCAL
Regional Fisheries Officer
RLAT
Casilla 10095
Santiago, Chile

Field

CAMPBELL, Homer J.
Project Manager PER/76/022
FAO/PNUD
Apartado 4480
Lima, Peru

Headquarters

SILVA, L.I.J.
Assistant to the Assistant Director General (Fisheries)
Fisheries Department
FAO
Via delle Terme de Caracalla
00100 Rome, Italy

GAUDET, J.L.
Secretary of COPESCAL
Fisheries Liaison Officer
Fisheries Department
FAO
Via delle Terme de Caracalla
00100 Rome, Italy

KRONE, W.
Chief
Fish Utilization and Marketing Service
Fishery Industries Division
Fisheries Department
FAO
Via delle Terme de Caracalla
00100 Rome, Italy

WELCOMME, R.
Senior Fishery Resources Officer
Fishery Resources and Environment Division
FAO
Via delle Terme de Caracalla
00100 Rome, Italy

FIRST SESSION CHAIRMAN

CORDINI, Juan Manuel
(Argentina)

VICE CHAIRMEN

DEL REAL MARTINEZ, Eduardo
(Colombia)

ROSS, Franklin E.
(Jamaica)

APPENDIX B
Address by the Representative of the Director-General of FAO, Mr. L.I.J. Silva

Mr. Under-Secretary of State for Fisheries, Distinguished Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen,

It gives me great pleasure to transmit to you the best wishes of the Director-General of FAO, Dr. Edouard Saouma, and of Mr. Kenneth Lucas, our new Assistant Director-General (Fisheries), on the occasion of this First Session of the Commission for Inland Fisheries of Latin America (COPESCAL).

We are particularly pleased that Captain Humberto E.F. Ghersa, Under-Secretary of State for Fisheries, has himself come to open this meeting. By doing so, he has drawn attention to the importance which his Government attaches to the development of inland fisheries in Argentina and the increasing role fish production from inland waters can and should play in the nutrition of rural populations throughout Latin America.

May I also, Sir, express to you and your Government our gratitude for having invited COPESCAL to hold its First Session in Mar del Plata and the excellent arrangements made to ensure its success. It is only fitting that you should have chosen Mar del Plata - “Pearl of the Atlantic” - which is an important fishing base and fish processing centre, as the venue for this meeting. The excellent facilities, the congenial atmosphere and the uniquely Latin character of this city make it an ideal location.

At the request of the great majority of Latin American countries, the Director-General of FAO through Council resolution 4/70 established COPESCAL late in 1976. So far, thirteen countries have joined this Commission and we are confident that all the countries having important inland fisheries resources will become members of COPESCAL in the near future. This Commission is the ninth regional fishery body established by FAO over the years. Of the nine, three are entirely concerned with inland fisheries. Beside COPESCAL, these are the European Inland Fisheries Advisory Commission (EIFAC) and the Committee for Inland Fisheries of Africa (CIFA). The experience FAO has gained over 30 years in establishing and operating regional fishery bodies will no doubt be of use to you in planning the future work of this Commission. However, the problems facing Latin America in developing its inland fisheries will be different and the solutions to them would have to be uniquely Latin American solutions, which I am sure your countries have the competence to formulate. FAO's role is naturally of a limited nature. We stand in the background, helping countries to find directions if necessary. The major players are the participating countries. It is you who must take the decisions, you who must find the solutions and plan out the programme of work. We have only suggestions and advice to offer.

Total recorded fish production of Latin American inland waters, as appearing in the official statistics, is small. However, conservative estimates based on a variety of sources indicate a much higher production of probably 700 000 tons. A factor that adds importance to this figure is that it is almost entirely for direct human consumption and, as such, is of crucial importance in the diet of local populations particularly those living in the vast interior of Latin America. Another important fact is that our best estimates of potential production indicate that it is possible to at least treble this present production with little effort. Until recently, however, investigations and development of the inland fishery resources of Latin America have been carried out by a series of small disconnected research and survey projects apparently having little impact on the evaluation of the fishery as a whole. The inland fishery resource is in a state of flux. On the one hand the creation of large hydroelectric reservoirs in many countries is increasing the fish producers' potential, and further expansion of fish production by means of aquaculture with local species presents real possibilities. On the other hand, numerous other uses of the lakes, rivers and floodplains are threatening the productivity of the fishery. There is therefore a need for an integrated approach to the inland fisheries of the region to enable their incorporation into the planning and development of the rural sector as a whole. Because of the similar nature of the fisheries resources of the inland waters both in terms of type of environment and stocks of fish, and because of the international nature of the main river basins it is apparent that a regional approach is the most logical and efficient way to plan their development.

The fact that several major rivers are common to two or more countries has resulted in a growing need for international cooperation and collaboration among Latin American countries to improve management methods and to develop fisheries. In fact, your Commission was set up to satisfy such needs. Such cooperation is by no means a novelty in fisheries. It has been clearly demonstrated by the European Inland Fisheries Advisory Commission (EIFAC) which for over 20 years has helped in, and contributed to coordination of fisheries work in the continent of Europe. Similarly, in Africa, several fisheries development problems are common to most member countries of the Committee for Inland Fisheries of Africa (CIFA) and the solution of these problems is greatly facilitated by regional cooperation.

At this First Session of your Commission, you are expected to consider a number of important problems that impede the development and rational utilization of the fishery resources of Latin America. I should therefore like to call your special attention to item 5 of your provisional agenda “Selection of areas of work” and to the relevant working documents, COPESCAL/I/79/4 and 5, which deal respectively with the problems of inland fisheries in Latin America and the possible mechanisms for the implementation of the programme of work of COPESCAL.

Working document 79/4 gives a general review of the status of inland fisheries in Latin America while underlining the main problems facing these fisheries. Your collective experience will no doubt add to the list of problems which can be resolved through regional cooperation. All could not be included in the programme of work of COPESCAL even if you wanted to. Some selection of work priorities will be necessary and you will have to decide on the direction the future activities of your Commission should take. I am sure that you will be practical in your selection and that concrete proposals will emerge from your deliberations.

Some of the tools to carry out the programme of work of COPESCAL are outlined in working document 79/5. You are expected to decide on the mechanisms best suited for the tasks selected. In doing so, you should keep in mind that Latin America is rich not only in inland waters. As illustrated by information documents 4, 6 and 7, it is also rich in experts, institutions and experience. Increased collaboration between existing Latin American experts and institutions should therefore be one of the immediate goals of COPESCAL and the resulting cooperation should make a significant contribution towards meeting the animal protein needs of the growing population of this region as well as the acceleration of economic developments.

In this context, it is important to mention also the active roles played by Latin American regional organizations and I should like in particular to single out the Sistema Económico Latinoamericano and its Action Committee on Fisheries, with which FAO has started to develop an active collaboration. I am sure COPESCAL and SELA will be able to find many areas of common endeavour.

Sir, and distinguished delegates, COPESCAL was established at your request to advise your Governments and FAO on the regional fisheries needs and priorities. As representative of the Director-General of FAO and of Mr. Lucas, Assistant Director-General in charge of the Fisheries Department, I can assure you that FAO will spare no effort to assist your countries through COPESCAL in promoting the development of the fishery resources of this continent.

I wish you every success for a fruitful First Session.

APPENDIX C
Address by Captain Humberto E.F. Ghersa, Under-Secretary for Fisheries of the Argentine Republic

Ladies and Gentlemen:

I have great pleasure in greeting you and bidding you all welcome to this Congress, which has to study very important aspects of inland fisheries in the countries of Latin America. I wish you every success in your work, underlining the importance that it will have for the development of fish culture in this continent.

In order to promote the economic development of the country we are directing our efforts toward expanding the various sectors which can help to achieve this objective, such as pure and applied research, the utilization of all natural resources, primary production, industry, marketing and external trade.

One measure, aimed, among other things, precisely at effecting the great change sought, was the creation of the Secretariat of State for Maritime Affairs, on which this Under-Secretariat for Fisheries depends, to centralize management and responsibility for all matters connected with the sea and the rivers - both transport by water and research into and utilization of the natural resources of the sea, the rivers and other inland stretches of water.

The purpose is to get the Argentine nation, which until recently clung to a Mediterranean outlook, to devote full attention to consideration of the sea-river approach appropriate to it because of its geographical position.

You may be asking yourselves what connexion this has with inland fisheries. The reply is simple: there are two major links. First, the Under-Secretariat for Fisheries has responsibility for both sea and rivers, in view of the fact that our river system harbours a great abundance of fish whose possibilities have not yet been fully exploited. Secondly, there is the fact, to which I referred before, that the fisheries agency which the Secretariat of State inherited and incorporated within it included inland fisheries in its structure, and therefore the criterion was adopted of keeping all the country's fisheries activities centralized, in order to make the best possible use of the human and other resources engaged in this task.

As regards marine fisheries, the changes that have occurred in our activities and in the applied research being conducted are well known. In this way we are openly showing our increased willingness to facilitate the access of our fishery products to those external markets that require them, and we are doing so also with the help of foreign countries, scrupulously respecting the established conventions, which also enable us to ensure respect for our own rights.

We hope to be able to follow the same approach in inland fisheries, should it be necessary, particularly with regard to those water courses shared with neighbouring countries.

I do not think it appropriate for me to lay down the law here on specific fish culture subjects, but it can be stated that as regards our country, this aspect, like many others in the range of maritime interests, continues to be unknown to the people as a whole, with the natural exception of the comparatively small group that takes an interest in it, because of a liking either for the science of fishery development in inland waters, or for sport fishing in these waters.

But there is as yet no real appreciation of the full importance of this activity, of the benefits it can provide for this continent's countries, particularly if we bear in mind the interrelation between the Amazon Basin and the Río de la Plata with regard to fish. These advantages can be enumerated as follows:

1. A significant and valuable contribution to fish supplies which can, in some cases now, and certainly in the future, make up for shortfalls in maritime fishery resulting from poor or depleted fishing grounds;

2. The consequent benefit of an economic nature through marketing the fish fresh;

3. The unquestionable benefit of industrial use of the product, with the instalment of processing plants that promote another kind of consumption and the corresponding increase in trade and as a source of employment;

4. The greater development of both extensive and intensive fish culture geared toward certain species of better quality and yield;

5. The necessary promotion of aquatic sports and sport fishing, leading to an increase in the flow of tourists toward the rivers, lakes and artificially created bodies of water;

6. Management is of the utmost significance. All the inland waters, and eventually even the sea, will be technically managed. At present we are experiencing the effects of damming the waters. The rivers are ceasing to be rivers and becoming a series of sheets of water separated by short stretches of river.

Rates of flow, physical and chemical conditions and even biological continuity are changing, with consequent effects on plant and animal communities. Everything that is natural in these environments will cease to be so, in order to become changed into a real source of directed and controlled production.

The greater fish population density makes it possible to guarantee regular and sustained fishing, as well as a supply of fresh fish at convenient prices for the region.

In our country there has been very little real exploitation of fishery resources and we are working to bring about a large-scale increase, inducing the provincial governments - respectful of our federalism - to take advantage of the surpluses.

The yields now being obtained in the world per hectare of inland water are surprising. Intensive fish culture, with a high density of planting, feeding and aeration, has been able to produce up to 25 tons per hectare per year. We shall shortly be able to produce 5 tons.

The possibilities are great and inland fisheries are assuming unexpected proportions. Everything depends on the support they receive from the governments of the respective countries. Official encouragement remains essential for the rapid development of fisheries. Promotion, advice and support, the installation of fishwell networks for the production and provision of the products required by those concerned in the various regions, are the key points for the development of regional fish culture and the most rational use of the resources of the inland waters.

Finally, I should like to emphasize the enormous extent of uncontrolled utilization and the effects of water pollution, which make it necessary to intensify supervision and control and to acquire a more thorough knowledge of limnology as a basis for the better management of this activity.

I thank you for your presence at this Congress, and FAO as a leading body in this matter for having agreed to make our country the venue for this event.

In declaring the Congress open, I reiterate my best wishes for the success of the discussions, expressing to the delegates and foreign observers present my hopes for a happy stay in our country.

Thank you very much.

APPENDIX D
Agenda

1. Opening of the session

2. Election of officers for the session

3. Adoption of the agenda and arrangements for the session

4. Adoption of the rules of procedure

5. Selection of areas of work

   1. Consideration of areas of work

   2. Identification of priorities

   3. Mechanism for implementation

6. Any other matters

7. Election of officers

8. Date and place of the next session

9. Adoption of the Report

APPENDIX E
List of Documents

APPENDIX F
Rules of Procedure

1 Argentina, Bahamas, Barbados, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay, Venezuela

Note: Amendments incorporated to the draft Rules of Procedure are underlined in the present revised text