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A new fisheries vision for the Asia-Pacific region (03/10)
03/10/2012 - 12 Lượt xem
Within
the framework of these two events, governmental representatives from
different countries, international organizations and other
organizations and individuals discussed improvements to seafood catching and aquaculture management in the Asia-Pacific region.
At
the forum, APFIC appealed to countries to better manage seafood catches
within Asia, with the intention of harmonizing the need to preserve
marine ecosystems and supplying feed for aquaculture.
Representatives
from many APFIC member countries admitted at the forum that the
excessive exploitation of seafood in coastal areas (especially
referring to industrial trawling and without specialist equipment) had become one of major challenges for the regional fishery sector.
Forum participants said they acknowledged the need to maintain the means of livelihood for a large number of people while satisfying the demand for low-value fish as feed for offshore and coastal aquaculture.
APFIC Secretary, Dr. Funge-Smith said that it was necessary to construct a new vision to better manage trawler-based seafood catching in Asia, and that this vision
should harmonize the demand for seafood for human consumption and
aquaculture with the need to preserve marine ecosystems and improved fishing quality.
APFIC
member countries agreed to take action toward improving the management
of trawler-based seafood catching in the region, including constructing
methods to strengthen assessments based on risks, suggestions of best practices for trawl-based fishing management, and decreasing trawling without specific targets.
APFIC
members recognized the regional aquaculture sector's great contribution
to food security and export revenue. The industry continues to grow
strongly but still over-relies on feed consisting of low-value fish caught offshore through trawling, and the region needs to take action so as feed is always available and that only feed caught responsibly is used, said APFIC Secretary Funge-Smith.
APFIC session participants agreed that it was necessary to have richer knowledge of changes in fishing activities and the fishery sector's structure to agree on more effective management measures in the field.
A representative from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development's Directorate of Fisheries said at the forum that the Directorate of Fisheries
had been drafting a project for the restructuring of the sector and
considered the restructuring very important in the context of Vietnam's
pursuance of maritime-based economic development. This project was designed to resolve existing problems, aimed at effectively controlling and bringing into play resources, contributing to sustainable fishing, making fishing and resources and environmental protection go together, while assuring island and sea-related national defense and security and international integration, the representative said.
APFIC said that to reach efficient administration and thoroughly resolve problems related to a too high seafood output and illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, in the coming time, member countries need to apply scientific approaches in order to establish
natural reserves, artificial coral cultivation and essential living
environment protection or closure. APFIC recognized the need to improve
organizational and individual awareness as part of the domestic fishing sector's contribution in the region.
According to APFIC, Asia-Pacific remains that most important part of the world in terms of the fishery production industry due to its developed caching and aquaculture segments. In 2010, about 48.7
million tonnes of seafood worth US$48.3 billion was caught in
Asia-Pacific, which accounted for more than half of the world's total.
In the same year, the Asia-Pacific region produced 53.1 million tonnes
of seafood worth US$95.2 billion through aquaculture (except cultured
flora), which represented 89 percent of the world's total seafood
production output./.
Source: VEN
Source: VEN
