| English | The FAO Fisheries Department conducts reviews of aquaculture development status and trends on a regular basis. This document is a result of such an exercise conducted during 2005 and 2006. The regional review is a synthesis of the National Aquaculture Sector Overviews (NASO) of 16 countries from five sub-regions of Asia and the Pacific and information from two additional countries, Japan and the Democratic People¿s Republic of Korea. The review also contains a brief description of the aquaculture development trends and issues in the Pacific island nations. The production volume and value data have been derived from the latest FAO FISHSTAT Plus database. As part of the review process, a regional expert workshop was conducted in Ramzar, Islamic Republic of Iran, in 2006, to discuss the regional aquaculture development status and trends. The report of this expert workshop is also included in this review.
The regional review provides a description of how the aquaculture sector developed in Asia and the Pacific over the past three decades. The review and analysis of data and information clearly show that the sector is growing and expanding and is predicted to meet the increasing demand for aquatic food products in the years to come, with a few clear trends. These are: (a) increasing demand for aquaculture products; (b) increasing intensification of production systems; (c) continuing diversification of production systems and species farmed; (d) increasing influence of markets, trade, consumers and consumption; (e) enhanced regulation and better governance; and (f) drive towards better management. The review also attempts to analyse the trends and look at the sector¿s sustainability and how the sector is behaving as a responsible food production sector in Asia and the Pacific. |
