FAO 11 FISHERIES ISSN 1813-3940 PROCEEDINGS FAO FISHERIES PROCEEDINGS 11 11 The future of mariculture: a regional development in the Asia-Pacific region for responsible approach a regional of mariculture: The future approach for responsible development in the Asia-Pacific region The future of mariculture: a regional approach for responsible development FAO/NACA Regional Workshop 7–11 March 2006 Guangzhou, China in the Asia-Pacific region Aquaculture in the Southeast Asian region has been FAO/NACA Regional Workshop growing steadily over the last few decades, requiring 7–11 March 2006 more space to accommodate it. The search for additional Guangzhou, China areas to expand the aquaculture industry as a whole and the identification of new farming species of commercial value to satisfy the growing local and export markets are pushing the sector in some countries to broaden activities in the sea, including further offshore where more space is available and where, to a lesser extent, competition is currently not so intense. The Fisheries and Aquaculture Department of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in collaboration with the Network of Aquaculture Centres in Asia-Pacific (NACA) organized the regional workshop entitled "The Future of Mariculture: a Regional Approach for Responsible Development in the Asia-Pacific Region" from 7 to 11 March 2006. The workshop was conducted in collaboration with the Ministry of Fisheries of the People’s Republic of China and the Guangdong Ocean and Fisheries Administration. The workshop was convened in response to requests from FAO and NACA member countries to identify key trends and issues affecting mariculture growth in the Asia-Pacific region and to strengthen regional collaboration for future responsible development of mariculture. ISBN 978-92-5-106007-0 ISSN 1813-3940 F 9 7 8 9 2 5 1 0 6 0 0 7 0 AO TC/M/I0202E/1/06.08/1550 Cover photo: Finfish cage mariculture in China (courtesy of Chen Jiaxin). Copies of FAO publications can be requested from: SALES AND MARKETING GROUP Communication Division Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Viale delle Terme di Caracalla 00153 Rome, Italy E-mail: [email protected] Fax: +39 06 57053360 Web site: http://www.fao.org FAO FISHERIES PROCEEDINGS 11 The future of mariculture: a regional approach for responsible development in the Asia-Pacific region FAO/NACA Regional Workshop 7–11 March 2006 Guangzhou, China Edited by Alessandro Lovatelli Fishery Resources Officer (Aquaculture) Aquaculture Management and Conservation Service FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department Rome, Italy Micheal J. Phillips Environment Specialist Network of Aquaculture Centres in Asia-Pacific Bangkok, Thailand J. Richard Arthur FAO Consultant Barriere British Colombia, Canada and Koji Yamamoto Research Associate Network of Aquaculture Centres in Asia-Pacific Bangkok, Thailand FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS Rome, 2008 The designations employed and the presentation of material in this information product do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) concerning the legal or development status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The mention of specific companies or products of manufacturers, whether or not these have been patented, does not imply that these have been endorsed or recommended by FAO in preference to others of a similar nature that are not mentioned. The views expressed in this information product are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of FAO. ISBN 978-92-5-106007-0 All rights reserved. Reproduction and dissemination of material in this information product for educational or other non-commercial purposes are authorized without any prior written permission from the copyright holders provided the source is fully acknowledged. Reproduction of material in this information product for resale or other commercial purposes is prohibited without written permission of the copyright holders. Applications for such permission should be addressed to: Chief Electronic Publishing Policy and Support Branch Communication Division FAO Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, 00153 Rome, Italy or by e-mail to: [email protected] © FAO 2008 iii Preparation of this document This document contains the proceedings of the regional workshop entitled “The Future of Mariculture: a Regional Approach for Responsible Development in the Asia-Pacific Region” held from 7 to 11 March 2006 in Guangzhou, China, and organized by the Fisheries and Aquaculture Department of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Network of Aquaculture Centres in Asia-Pacific (NACA). It includes the workshop summary as well as all the papers presented. The papers provide up-to-date information on the status of mariculture in the Asia-Pacific region, major opportunities and constraints, and recommended actions for its future responsible development. This publication is aimed at fishers, farmers, researchers, managers and policy-makers. It is hoped that it will assist international and regional development organizations and national governments. The papers, submitted by the participants at the regional mariculture workshop, have been technically edited by FAO and NACA. Lovatelli, A.; Phillips, M.J.; Arthur, J.R.; Yamamoto, K. (eds). FAO/NACA Regional Workshop on the Future of Mariculture: a Regional Approach for Responsible Development in the Asia-Pacific Region. Guangzhou, China, 7–11 March 2006. FAO Fisheries Proceedings. No. 11. Rome, FAO. 2008. 325p. iv Abstract Aquaculture in the southeast Asian region has been growing steadily over the last few decades, requiring more space to accommodate it. The search for additional areas to expand the aquaculture industry as a whole and the identification of new farming species of commercial value to satisfy the growing local and export markets are pushing the sector in some countries to expand its activities in the sea, including further offshore where more space is available and where, to a lesser extent, competition is currently not so intense. During the latest session of the FAO Committee on Fisheries (COFI) and the Sub-Committee on Aquaculture (COFI-SCA), members requested that FAO look into issues related to the sustainable development of coastal aquaculture and in particular mariculture. The FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department in collaboration with the Network of Aquaculture Centres in Asia-Pacific (NACA) organized the regional workshop entitled “The Future of Mariculture: a Regional Approach for Responsible Development in the Asia-Pacific Region” from 7 to 11 March 2006. The workshop, held in Guangzhou, China, was conducted in collaboration with the Bureau of Fisheries of the People’s Republic of China and the Guangdong Ocean and Fisheries Administration. Fifty-one participants from governments, business, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), universities and regional and international organizations from mariculture- producing countries around the Asia-Pacific region attended the workshop. The workshop was convened in response to requests from FAO and NACA members to identify key trends and issues affecting mariculture growth in the Asia-Pacific region and to strengthen regional collaboration for future responsible development of mariculture. China’s hosting of the workshop recognizes the status of China as the leading mariculture-producing country in the world and a major market for mariculture products from around the Asia-Pacific region. The workshop was organized in complementary sessions. The first consisted of a series of presentations and discussions on country trends and thematic reviews on selected key issues. The second continued with three working groups focusing on important topics, namely: 1) Market, Demand and Trade; 2) Livelihoods, Producer Organizations, Technology Transfer and Communications; and 3) Mariculture Species and Systems. The third session comprised a “farmer dialogue” and a “trader and marketing dialogue”. The farmer dialogue was conducted at a large mariculture farming area near Guangzhou, while the trader and marketing dialogue was conducted at the largest live-seafood market in Asia. These dialogues yielded valuable insights and recommendations from farmers and traders. The final plenary session brought together the working group findings and identified opportunities for regional collaborative action. The workshop participants proposed the establishment of a regional “Asia-Pacific Mariculture Cooperation” initiative to support the development of sustainable mariculture in the Asia-Pacific region. The initiative will facilitate cooperation among the countries of the region by promoting responsible mariculture farming technologies, capacity-building, market access and effective transfer of knowledge. The platform for the initiative would be the “Asia-Pacific Marine Finfish Aquaculture Network”, which is already promoting cooperation in marine fish farming around the region and has been widely seen as a successful programme. FAO and NACA were requested to facilitate and support the development of this new mariculture initiative. v Contents Preparation of this document iii Abstract iv Acknowledgements vii Abbreviations and acronyms viii Workshop summary 1 Background and workshop organization 1 Working group findings 2 Final discussion and way forward 15