Protecting transboundary aquatic ecosystems
Countries with aquaculture activities in or bordering international waters should accept their obligations to neighboring countries to make responsible choices about fish species used for culture and for the location and management of aquaculture activities. Government officers, fishery managers and fish farmers need to be aware of the affects that some aquaculture practices can have on transboundary aquatic ecosystems if they are not managed carefully.
There is more opportunity for cooperation at the sub - regional and regional level. Government agencies, private sector associations, researchers and other concerned people in different countries may find it useful to join together to develop and transfer technology, exchange market information, do research and training and develop measures to handle natural and human - made disasters.
Choice of species, distribution, siting and management
Choice of species for culture should be based on biological, environmental and socio - economic criteria. Culture - based fisheries deserve special attention because the purpose of aquaculture is to produce an organism that can survive in nature. Living organisms usually escape into the environment, even in contained aquaculture systems. For this reason, several groups have recommended the use of native species over introduced species. In light of these developments, Government officers need to:
be aware that genetically altered species can have negative affects on biological resources and on communities of people who depend on these resources for their livelihoods;
monitor and control any species introduced into their country;
make sure that aquafarms are located in places and managed in a way to avoid negative environmental impacts, and
prevent transfer of pathogens and subsequent outbreaks of disease that may affect fisheries resources or activities in other countries.
Governments should inform each other about outbreaks of diseases which can be transmitted through transboundary ecosystems. They should make plans to cooperate at the sub - regional and regional levels to try to contain or stop any disease outbreaks.
Role of regional fisheries bodies, information sharing and regional cooperation
Neighbouring countries can set up procedures for consulting with each other about introducing non - native species. In cases where there are no regional fishery bodies or organizations, the countries concerned may set them up. Fisheries agencies should also consult each other about introducing genetically altered organisms. Topics for discussion should include:
the species, its country of origin and the number introduced;
breeding programmes or genetic modification used on the organism;
location of aquaculture sites and possible routes of dispersion;
expected benefits;
expected and potential problems;
monitoring programmes and emergency plans, and
reporting the introduced species to FAO
The demand for global, regional and national aquaculture data is growing rapidly. There is a need for data and statistics on production, areas under cultivation, types and capacities of production systems, resource use and employment in the aquaculture sector and related services. There is also strong interest in information on domestic and international demand for aquaculture products, including consumption patterns, product prices, trade and market opportunities.
Cooperation can be strengthened among fish farmers, fish farmers’ associations, suppliers, product processors and traders, to improve data collection, analysis and interpretation and to share data and information through regional and international organizations of which they are members.
Governments can help by supporting efforts to improve cooperation in capacity building and research on aquaculture systems and by improving procedures for exchanging knowledge, experience and technical assistance to support sustainable development practices. For example, fisheries would benefit from fair trade in equipment, feeds and other inputs. Aquaculture also needs special equipment and supplies. These are often in limited supply or difficult to get in some regions. There is a need, therefore, to improve cooperation to set up production facilities and to promote trade in such equipment and supplies within and between regions. Suitable control mechanisms should be in place to monitor the quality of materials.
