In order to work towards improving information on global status and trends for aquaculture, the FAO Fisheries Department convened two meetings of international aquaculture experts in January 2004. The first Expert Consultation on Improving Information on Status and Trends of Aquaculture was held from 20 to 23 January. The 16 technical experts included participants from five continents and a mix of government aquaculture officials, academic researchers, and representatives of producers associations and regional aquaculture organizations. The Expert Consultation approved a draft Strategy and Outline Plan for Improving Information on Status and Trends of Aquaculture.
Following this Expert Consultation, the Working Group of Experts on the FAO Aquaculture Questionnaire "FISHSTAT AQ" met from 24 to 26 January to suggest improvements to the data collection form used by FAO in its annual inquiry to member countries for aquaculture statistics. They were asked to deliberate improvements, while keeping in mind the relevant recommendations of the preceding Expert Consultation. Many of the same experts participated in this Working Group as well as additional participants representing national providers of data to FAO and two survey research specialists in questionnaire design.
These meetings are seen as the beginning of the already existing parallel process for status and trends reporting for capture fisheries. The outcome there was the adoption of the Strategy for Improving Information on Status and Trends of Capture Fisheries, which was formally agreed on and accepted by the FAO Committee on Fisheries (COFI) in Febuary 2003. The process for aquaculture status and trends was envisioned to produce a similar strategy document for the aquaculture sector.
The draft strategy for aquaculture, the reports of the two meetings and background documents prepared for the meetings are contained in this volume. These background documents include an overview of current FAO procedures for collecting and reporting aquaculture statistics, a summary of the issues confronting attempts to improve data collection and reporting and a collection of regional reviews in which countries have described their systems and strategies for the collection of aquaculture status and trends information.
FAO Fisheries Department.
Towards improving global
information on aquaculture.
FAO Fisheries Technical Paper. No. 480.
Rome, FAO. 2005. 172p.
