5.1 Government policy in the region
5.2 Government organization in the region
5.3 Aquaculture legislation
5.4 Trade and business associations
5.5 Information resources for management
5.6 Technical assistance projects in the sub-sector
In both Australia and New Zealand aquaculture development is closely tied to fisheries development. In New Zealand responsibility for aquaculture development is invested in the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries. The Ministry is in the process of drafting an aquaculture development plan with representatives from both government and industry. In Australia aquaculture is the responsibility of the respective states and territories all of which are preparing their own development plans and administrative procedures for the sector.
Within the Pacific island countries and territories specific plans for aquaculture development have been drawn up by Guam and by the Federated States of Micronesia. The major goal identified in the Guam aquaculture development plan is replacement of a significant portion of the US$ 7 million which is spent to import fish and seafood. In Micronesia the major goals are to generate income and increase employment.
In most of the other countries within the region plans for aquaculture development are included under the respective agencies responsible for fisheries development, and the goals of the two endeavors are therefore closely associated. For example, in Vanuatu, a Fisheries Service was established in 1978 with the major aim of establishing village-level fisheries to provide income and employment in rural areas. The Government of Vanuatu plans to set up a trochus hatchery for reseeding over-harvested areas of the surrounding reefs.
Similarly the common goals of fisheries and aquaculture development in the Solomon Islands are to increase cash incomes and to achieve self-sufficiency in terms of fish supply to the domestic market; the Solomon Islands imports over 670 000 kg of fish and fisheries products annually.
In Australia and New Zealand the government agencies responsible for aquaculture are those providing services to the fishing industry. In Australia the fisheries-service agencies fall within the Department of Primary Industry and Energy and include the branches of the Australian Fisheries Service, the Bureau of Rural Science, the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics, and the Australian Quarantine Inspection Service. A Pearling Industry Review Committee has also been established in Australia with the responsibility of assessing the development and management strategies for pearl culture.
In New Zealand fisheries services are under the umbrella of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries. A list of agencies, associations, and service organizations have recently been compiled in a publication entitled "Contacts in Fishing".
For most of the countries within the region, the government programmes and activities in aquaculture fall within the purview of the divisions, departments, and offices of fisheries or marine resources. In the Solomon Islands, for example, aquaculture is included in the fishery development sector under the Fisheries Department of the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Provincial Fisheries Development Division. For Palau aquaculture development is within the purview of the Division of Marine Resources.
Similar arrangements exist for most of the other Pacific Islands with the exception of Guam, New Caledonia, and French Polynesia. On Guam the lead agency for aquaculture is the Department of Commerce. Aquaculture activities are coordinated through the Office of Economic Development, and plans have been submitted to establish an office specifically for aquaculture development. In New Caledonia and French Polynesia, aquaculture development activities are primarily carried out by IFREMER.
Licenses are required to operate all aquaculture ventures in New Zealand. Legislation dealing specifically with aquaculture has only recently been developed and is embodied in "The Marine Farming Act" and the "Freshwater Fish Farming Regulations" developed in 1983. New Zealand recently adopted policies for importing exotic species into the country for aquaculture. For many years New Zealand legislation prevented aquaculture development, particularly for the culture of salmonids, and there were strict regulations protecting the indigenous species and the inland fisheries for sports fishing.
In Australia (Tasmania) the Saltwater Salmonid Culture Act 1985 regulated the licensing of salmon farms.
On Guam the licenses and permits required for the establishment of commercial aquaculture operations are detailed in a pamphlet distributed by the Guam Department of Commerce. Both local and federal permits may be required depending on the location and nature of the aquaculture facilities proposed. Permits may be required from up to 10 government agencies.
Importation of exotic species for aquaculture or other purposes requires a permit from the Guam Department of Agriculture. In addition some species cannot be introduced as federal regulations prohibit the importation of particular organisms into the USA or its territories.
In some of the Pacific islands reef and lagoon areas are owned by villages or families. In these cases aquaculture operations must meet with the approval of the appropriate chief or family head. These traditional management systems are still operational in the Cook Islands, Palau, Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, and on many other islands.
In Australia, the Australian Aquaculture Association and the Australian Mariculture Association deal specifically with the developing aquaculture industry. The Australian Development Assistance Bureau (International Support Scheme) is involved in the promotion of regional seafood products.
In New Zealand information on the government agencies and service organizations in fisheries has been compiled by the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries in the publication "Contacts in Fishing". The New Zealand Fishing Industry Association (formerly the New Zealand Seafood Processors and Exporters Association) is active in promoting seafood products.
There are no trade or business associations dealing with aquaculture for the Pacific island countries and territories.
Within the region, information useful for management can be found in various annual reports and fisheries and aquaculture statistics produced by government agencies dealing with trade and commerce. Many departments have a repository of information, such as Asian Development Bank sector studies, consultants' reports, national studies, etc., regarding technical feasibility or economic viability of various aquaculture activities in their respective countries; for example, major studies exist for the Cook Islands, Fiji, Western Samoa, etc. Similar information is available for Papua New Guinea.
Reviews of aquaculture work within a country or region are also of use in formulating development plans. A previous review has been made of aquaculture development in the Pacific region. Information concerning the development of aquaculture in the USA-affiliated islands was recently compiled in a report of the United States Congress, Office of Technology Assistance (1987) which examines opportunities for aquaculture and constraints to development in the region.
From outside the region, particularly from Asia and North America, sources of aquaculture information useful for administrators and managers are available in the form of published materials, and workshops and seminars.
Many of the publications available to aquaculture producers (see 3.8) and professionals (see 4.6) are also used by management. For example, ADB and the WB publish monthly information on the status of their projects which invariably includes something on aquaculture. ADB publishes its monthly Operational Information on Proposed Projects and regular newsletters and announcements on approved loans or technical assistance grants in the region. The latter give capsulized summaries of the scope of the approved projects, including the cost and the services to be required by either the Government agency, in the case of loans, or the Bank, in the case of technical assistance grants.
The WB publishes a monthly International Business Opportunities sheet, which summarizes information on the scope and status of approved projects as well as on contracts which have been awarded. These publications are available on a subscription basis only, except for the ADB circular announcements.
Other published material useful to aquaculture managers includes some FAO/ADCP publications (e.g. guideline documents for planning and development, and the newsletter "Aquaculture Minutes"), the INFOFISH "Trade News", and "INFOFISH International". These provide valuable information to aquaculture managers who need current information on supply and demand situations, prices, etc., for both export and import purposes.
There are a number of short-term courses and orientation workshops and seminars conducted specifically for managers. One example is the Aquaculture Project Development and Management course offered by SEAFDEC-AQD jointly with the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Agriculture in the Philippines. This is open only to professional managers with several years of experience in a managerial position. The course puts emphasis on the financial and management aspects of aquaculture enterprises. In the Philippines there are also short-term courses for managers which focus on the preparation and evaluation of feasibility studies, particularly on financial investment.
There are no major technical assistance projects which deal specifically with the sector at this level. The Government of Fiji received some assistance from a consultant provided by FAO to gather background information for drafting an aquaculture development plan.
