On behalf of H.E. the Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Fisheries of Portugal, I am deeply honoured for the opportunity to address you a few words in the closing of this 20^th Session of EIFAC.

Let me tell you, first of all, that my Minister had long foreseen his attendance to this Session; regretfully he has been forced to cancel his presence here due to unexpected reasons.

The times we are living are extremely demanding for all those who are responsible for the management of natural resources.

The frightening growth of the world population, which should persist for the following decades, leads to an increase of the consumption needs of mankind, alimentary and others, and to a consequent increase of the pressure on natural resources.

Our starting point is not the best one, since in a recent past the use of resources has not always been correct and we are facing many unbalanced situations: environmental degradation, overexploitation, species extinction, etc.

The correction of mistakes and the recovery of degraded systems are vehemently demanded by groups of citizens who are echoing in public opinion and each time the management of natural resources becomes more visible and subject to rules. The natural resources manager is more than ever obliged to account for his work to society.

Mainly in what concerns the management of natural resources, concepts such as sustainable management or the conservation of biodiversity have been guiding the activity of technicians, scientists and managers.

The big challenge we must rise to is how to guarantee sustainability, making sure that future generations will have identical opportunities to use these resources, while satisfying the consumption needs of the present generation.

As H.E. the Secretary of State for Fisheries said in the Opening Session, fisheries resources in inland waters will be ever more called to fill in for the growing lack of marine resources.

Only three or four days ago, in the European Commission, Emma Bonino spoke of the need for new reductions in fishing effort to give the oceans the opportunity to recover from overexploitation.

In view of the production potential of inland waters, this is obviously an opportunity to seize but their use should thoroughly respect principles of sustainability and conservation of biodiversity.

We are dealing here with ecosystems whose mechanisms we should know each time better; we depend on a precious natural resource � water � whose quality and quantity are essential to life; we depend on links to other sectorial policies (energetic, industrial, agricultural, forestry).

As a matter of fact I can see that these have also been your concerns, expressed in the Symposium conclusions when you refer the need for a multidisciplinary and integrated approach to matters of fisheries and aquaculture in inland waters.

In Portugal, inland water bodies represent about 150 thousand hectares and are the responsibility of several administration offices that articulate through the so-called Watershed Boards.

The articulation among these various offices is not always easy, mainly in the absence of consensual development strategies and previously agreed management rules.

For that purpose the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Fisheries is working on a forest development strategy which includes a chapter dedicated to inland waters.

The main vectors of this strategy are naturally the protection of water quality, the promotion of fisheries � that assumes nowadays great importance as sports and leisure assets � and the support to the development of fish farms, as a way to fulfil the populations alimentary needs.

We adopted the following principles:

1. Inland waters species are a renewable natural resource whose protection, conservation, promotion and rational use are a national asset.
2. Protection, conservation, promotion and use of this resource imply a wise management of the water resources heritage in general and of fisheries in particular.
3. Water resources must be sustainably managed, within a framework of integrated rural development.
4. Public inland waters must be progressively subjected to specific management rules, within a general framework of water resources management, in view of protection, conservation, promotion and rational use of the water resources heritage bearing in mind the users interests.
5. Fisheries in inland waters are a valorisation factor in the rural world and in the regional and national economy.

This strategy is designed to be as horizontal as possible and should include a set of guidelines that will influence future legislation, the elimination of bottlenecks � such as inadequate hydraulic works � and will take into account the necessary incentive for development.

Attempting to respect the boundaries I set to myself to be brief, please indulge me for a few more minutes so that I can say some final words about this event.

Firstly, let me tell you that the global role played by the international organisations, especially those belonging to the United Nations system, is becoming ever more important. Thus, it has been an honour to my country to support and participate in the organisation of this event.

Secondly, it has been a great pleasure to host this group, whom I have accompanied less than I would have liked, but whose heroic and well humoured spirit I had the chance to witness during our visit to EXPO 98.

I am sure that we all acquired here new ideas, new tasks to accomplish and new challenges to rise up to.

I sincerely wish that the Portuguese support and participation in this meeting have in any way contributed for its success and for the success we all hope to achieve in our own countries.