1. The Committee for Inland Fisheries of Africa (CIFA) held its Ninth Session from 5 to 9 December 1994 at the Harare International Conference Centre (HICC), Harare, Zimbabwe. The Session was attended by delegates from 26 member countries and by observers from Algeria, France, Italy, Germany, Japan, Mozambique, The Netherlands, Sweden, Wildlife Clubs of Kenya, International Centre for Living Aquatic Resources Management, International Foundation for Science, and representatives from United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). The list of participants is given in Appendix A.
2. In the absence of the outgoing Chairman, Dr Salah El Zarka (Egypt), Mr G.N. Shimang (Nigeria), the outgoing First Vice-Chairman, chaired the opening ceremony. The session was opened officially by Mr. E.T. Mundangepfupfu, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Environment and Tourism of Zimbabwe, who deputized for his Minister. He welcomed delegates on behalf of the Government and people of Zimbabwe. He noted that inland fisheries was very important in Zimbabwe and it currently seemed to be the only available source of animal protein for the rural households since other protein sources had been adversely affected by the long and persistent drought in the sub-region. Consequently, the Zimbabwean Government had placed emphasis on inland fisheries research, through the Lake Kariba Research Station, as a means of providing supplementary food for the people. He expressed that the main concern of the Station was to increase the resources of the lake, especially the kapenta resource, so as to benefit more people. In this regard, he cautioned that only environmentally-friendly methods should be used.
3. Mr Mundangepfupfu acknowledged that over-fishing was one of the major problems facing inland fisheries. He, therefore, called on the scientific community to design programmes that would address this human element as well as the biotechnological component of inland fisheries, so as to ensure the sustainability of the subsector. Finally, he advised that more effort should be directed towards analysing deeply the dynamics of fisheries in inland water bodies and urged delegates to take advantage of the session for cross-fertilization of ideas to benefit the inland fisheries of Africa as a whole.
4. In a brief address, Mr C.R. MacCulloch, FAO Representative in Zimbabwe, also welcomed the delegates and thanked the Government of Zimbabwe for hosting the Session and for the excellent facilities provided.
5. Mr B.F. Dada, Director, Fishery Policy and Planning Division of FAO, addressed the Session on behalf of the Director-General of FAO, Dr Jacques Diouf. He stressed the importance of inland fisheries and aquaculture in Africa which if properly developed and managed could contribute much more to the region's food supply and general economic well being than they did at present. Mr Dada reiterated that CIFA was the FAO body for regional collaboration in African inland fisheries which brought together fisheries administrators and scientists to discuss collaboration in inland fisheries development, research and management activities, through symposia, seminars and workshops. He emphasized that FAO's role was to assist the Committee in this work.
6. In referring to the substantive items on the agenda, Mr Dada remarked that pollution and environmental degradation in Africa, though not severe if compared to those of the industrialized countries, could become a problem in future if no preventive management actions were taken. He, therefore, noted with satisfaction that the seminar being held in conjunction with the session was focusing principally on problems related to pollution and the degradation of the African aquatic environment. He expressed the hope that the seminar would suggest guidelines and measures that could be taken at national, regional and international levels to improve the management and conservation of African aquatic habitats and their fisheries resources.
7. Mr Dada highlighted other important topics on the agenda, including the International Code of Conduct for Responsible Fishing which FAO had been involved in elaborating, and research needs in fisheries with special reference to aquaculture. Mr Dada also referred to the Directory of African Capacities in Fisheries being prepared by the FAO Regional Office for Africa (RAFR) which would enhance technical cooperation among developing countries (TCDC) in general, and among African countries (TCAC) in particular.
8. The Committee unanimously elected Mr S. Chimbuya, the leader of the Zimbabwean Delegation, as Chairman for the Ninth Session, with Ethiopia, Côte d'Ivoire and Zambia as Vice-chairmen. According to CIFA Rules of Procedure, they will remain in office until the beginning of the Tenth Session.
9. The agenda was adopted, as attached in Appendix B. The documents placed before the Committee are listed in Appendix C.
10. The Committee received and deliberated on the conclusions of the Seminar on African Inland Fisheries, Aquaculture and the Environment (document CIFA/94/9) which took place in Harare, Zimbabwe, from 5 to 7 December 1994, in follow-up to the decisions at the Eighth Session of CIFA. It was organized in two separate Working Sessions and introduced with Summary Reports attached as Appendix D. Forty papers were received and distributed at the Seminar. It is the intention of the Secretariat to publish the proceedings of the Seminar later.
11. Working Session 1, “Pollution and Degradation of the African Aquatic Environment and Impacts on Inland Fisheries and Aquaculture”, was chaired by Mr C.A. Biney (Ghana). Messrs E.K. Abban (Ghana), R. Laë (France) and M.A.H. Saad (Egypt) acted as Rapporteurs. Working Session 2, "Environmental Management of Inland Fisheries and Aquaculture in Africa - Cross-sectoral Coordination, was chaired by Ms M. Alem (Ethiopia). Messrs A. Camara (Guinea), T.W. Maembe (Tanzania) and V.O. Sagua (Nigeria) acted as Rapporteurs for this Session. Ms K. Remane of FAO was the Technical Secretary of the Seminar.
12. The Committee noted that in the last few decades, various parts of Africa had experienced drought conditions. In addition, many of the major rivers had been dammed. These changes have impacted both inland and marine fisheries. Furthermore, increasing urbanization, industrialization and agricultural land use had led to a great increase in discharge of pollutants to receiving waters causing undesirable effects on the aquatic environment and fisheries. It appeared that in African inland water bodies, the pollution was mainly organic. Other emerging problems were linked to destructive fishing practices and species introductions.
13. It further noted that, despite the above environmental constraints, there was still potential for further development of African inland fisheries and aquaculture, if properly managed. Different strategies for environmentally-sound management of the sector in Africa were discussed, and several successful examples of community-based management, notably of small water bodies, were presented. In this context, the importance of public awareness building and education, including programmes in schools and training of rural women and fishermen, was pointed out, and the need for cross-sectoral coordination and multinational collaboration in the case of shared water bodies was also stressed.
14. Consequently, the Committee endorsed the following recommendations, submitted by the Seminar and directed at African governments:
Recognition must be given to the relationships between hydrological conditions, especially drought and fish production. Therefore, controls on fishing pressure must be put in place, where appropriate. However, knowledge of correlation between species composition and hydrological situations is lacking and studies are required.
The risk of African water bodies becoming eutrophic is considered high. Inputs of nutrients from sewage, industry and agricultural run-off should therefore be controlled.
In the chemical control of aquatic weeds, such as water hyacinth, due recognition should be given to the protection of non-target organisms, especially fish. Preference should be given to biological and mechanical control, wherever possible.
In assessing the detrimental effects of toxic chemicals, e.g. pesticides and heavy metals, on inland water bodies and fisheries, the Risk Assessment Approach should be used. Also, the use of persistent pesticides should be reduced and the application of Integrated Pest Control encouraged.
Environmental Impact Assessment should be made a requirement for every development and/or investment project likely to affect water quality and fisheries.
Databases should be developed for use in monitoring trends in water quality affecting inland fisheries production, including aquaculture.
In order to support the position of the fisheries sector vis-a-vis other sectors in watersheds, social and economic data on the importance of fisheries should be collected on a continuous basis.
Governments should develop and review fisheries laws with the involvement of local communities so as to facilitate compliance with those laws. They should also ensure that regulations are targeted at benefiting communities rather than extracting benefits from them, and, where feasible, involve such communities in enforcement. Where water bodies are shared, harmonization of the laws of the concerned states is recommended.
Programmes must be developed for the protection of aquatic systems and fisheries development. For this purpose, it is essential to educate local communities and authorities to allow for their effective involvement in the planning, development and execution of fisheries programmes. Eventually, resource management should be delegated to local authorities, where appropriate.
Because of the key role that rural women play in inland fisheries, Governments, in their educational programmes, should pay special attention to their adequate formal and informal training.
People engaged in fisheries should be educated not only to manage inland fisheries resources in a sustainable manner, but also to diversify to other economic activities, including aquaculture.
Governments should, preferably for the purpose of fisheries protection, make use of existing regional and national organizations, already active in environmental education.
Scientific cooperation at regional levels, including exchange of experiences, training and sharing of facilities, should be highly encouraged for more efficient management of inland water bodies. In this regard, CIFA could play a coordinating role.
Realizing that watershed management involves many sectors other than fisheries which may have conflicting interests, the establishment of a sectoral coordinating body, at high government level, is recommended. A similar body should be established at regional level.
15. Further, the Committee requested FAO:
To compile and synthesize, in cooperation with member countries and relevant organizations, existing guidelines for the sustainable management of inland fisheries, aquaculture and watersheds which can be used at national and regional levels, and
To develop and introduce. in collaboration with Unesco, UNEP, other UN agencies and NGOs, curricula in inland fisheries and environmental education for schools, colleges and other training institutions.
16. This item of the agenda was considered on the basis of document CIFA/94/11. The Committee was reminded of the various events which led the FAO Governing bodies to request the preparation of the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fishing and was informed that the concept “encompasses the sustainable utilization of fisheries resources in harmony with the environment; the use of capture and aquaculture practices which are not harmful to ecosystems, resources or their quality; the incorporation of added value to such products through transformation processes meeting the required sanitary standards; the conduct of commercial practices so as to provide consumers with access to good quality products”.
17. The Committee noted that the Draft Code was being formulated on the basis of the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and taking into account the 1992 Declaration of Cancun, the Strategy endorsed by the 1984 FAO World Fisheries Conference, the 1992 Rio Declaration and the provisions of Agenda 21 of UNCED and other relevant instruments. It further noted that the Draft Code was a comprehensive instrument for inland and marine fisheries consisting of Five Introductory Articles, General Principles and Six Thematic Chapters covering: Fisheries Management, Fishing Operations, Aquaculture Development, Integration of Fisheries into Coastal Area Management, Post-harvest Practices and Trade and, Fisheries Research. In addition, for each chapter, Technical Guidelines had been elaborated. The Committee expressed satisfaction with the progress made in the preparation of the Draft Code since the first meeting of the Group of Experts in February 1994 and noted that a final draft of the full text would be ready for endorsement during the next session of the Committee on Fisheries to be held in March 1995 at the Ministerial level.
18. The Committee stressed the importance the Code would have in guiding the management and development of inland fisheries, particularly for water bodies, such as large lakes and international rivers, which are shared among two or more countries. In this respect, the elaboration of specific technical guidelines for those water bodies should be envisaged. Such guidelines should cover critical issues such as: fishing rights, harmonization of legislations, collaborative arrangement for the enforcement of legislations and for monitoring, control and surveillance (MCS) of fishing operations.
19. The Committee recognized that research was an essential element for fishery development and management, including development and management of aquaculture, and noted the study on International Fisheries Research Needs for Developing Countries which was summarized in Document CIFA/94/3. The study considered research in three broad categories: aquaculture, inland capture fisheries and environmental changes in rivers and lakes. Of these, the identification of research needs for aquaculture in Africa was the most advanced, the Committee was informed.
Aquaculturé
20. The study, Aquaculture Development and Research in sub-Saharan Africa, was carried out by FAO in 1992–93 to better focus future aquaculture programmes and to provide more national input to the Study on International Fisheries Research. It synthesized 12 commissioned national reviews, identified aquaculture development and research priorities and constraints, and proposed nine regional research programmes to alleviate the research constraints. The Secretariat informed the Committee that, while the proposals had been forwarded to and considered by the Third Fishery Development Donors Consultation meeting in Paris, France, in April 1994, strong support at national and regional levels was a prerequisite to obtaining donor funding.
21. The Committee noted that the regional nature of the proposed research programmes would promote collaboration among countries and scientists and minimize duplication of effort. It was pointed out that countries in the region had the human resource and institutional capabilities to undertake the research programmes identified but needed long-term financial support. Several countries underlined their national aquaculture research priorities which could be accommodated by the proposed programmes which, in any case, would need further elaboration once donor support had been indicated. The Committee requested FAO to continue to seek donor funding for the research programmes as identified and prioritized in the report.
Inland Capture Fisheries
22. Already identified research needs for inland capture fisheries consisted of cost-effective sampling schemes for stock assessment and means to improve fishery statistics. However, the Committee pointed out that in addition to assessing the potential of small water bodies, a synoptic and holistic approach to identifying research needs and priorities was essential. This included, for example, attention to the ecology of fishes and more broadly, to the ecosystem as a whole in order to more fully understand the interrelationships among its various components. Furthermore, the Committee recommended that research was required on social and economic aspects of fisheries, including methodologies such as extension.
23. The importance of fishery statistics, not only catches, but also the underlying data to calculate effort and other necessary parameters to assess the status of stocks was emphasized.
The Environment of Rivers and Lakes
24. With regard to environmental changes in rivers and lakes, the Committee acknowledged that there were many problems related to poor land use, agriculture, urban development and industrialization that required systematic investigation. Fishermen were affected by such changes in their health and livelihood. Therefore, these impacts, as well as fishermen's attitudes towards the environment, required study.
25. The Committee agreed that the concerns raised by the Seminar on African Inland Fisheries, Aquaculture and the Environment, as well as the recommendations of the seminar, could advance the identification of research needs and priorities for the environment.
26. The Committee noted that it was important to consider the whole environment as a target for research, not just the aquatic environment. Water quality, reflecting many kinds of uses and abuses, was a key area for research. As was the case with inland capture fisheries, an ecosystem approach was appropriate for environmental research. Regarding the scope of environmental research, it should not be limited just to fisheries, but should reach out in order to avoid duplication of effort and in order to take advantage of already existing relevant information.
27. Regarding the issue of duplication of research effort, the Committee noted the usefulness of regional projects such as ALCOM and of those sponsored by IFS.
Follow up
28. The Committee noted with appreciation that FAO would continue to play an important role in the process of obtaining donor support to satisfy fishery research needs. In this regard, FAO would hold a meeting on this topic in 1995 in which fisheries specialists from Africa would participate. In addition, FAO would be prepared to help with the identification and prioritization of research needs, acting as an intermediary where this was required and, following an expression of donor interest, to provide technical support for the formulation of projects.
29. The Committee was informed of all the follow-up actions which the Secretariat had taken during the intersessional period on the major decisions and recommendations made at the Eighth Session. The agenda item was introduced on the basis of Document CIFA/94/4.
30. The Committee expressed satisfaction with the efforts which FAO had made in implementing the recommendations and the results so far obtained. It, however, advised that FAO strengthened its collaboration with other organizations so as to avoid duplication of efforts and ensure complementarity. While acknowledging and commending the catalytic role which FAO played in encouraging the dissemination of scientific information on all aspects of fisheries research, development, utilization and management, as well as the exchange of expertise, the Committee asked FAO to strengthen this role.
31. The Secretariat introduced this agenda item on the basis of document CIFA/94/5, supported by Vol.I of the Directory which had already been published and copies of which were made available to the Committee. The Committee was informed of the method used in the collection and collation of the data as well as the format used in the preparation of the Directory.
32. The Committee acknowledged that the Directory, when completed, would be a very useful reference material which would enhance the promotion of technical cooperation among developing countries (TCDC) in general, and among African countries (TCAC) in particular. Furthermore, a survey of the human and institutional capacities available in Africa would also provide a sound basis for determining areas requiring strengthening, the Committee noted. It therefore commended the FAO Regional Office for Africa (RAFR) for undertaking this important exercise and called for the collaboration of national fisheries experts and institutions in providing and ensuring that, as much as possible, the information pertaining to their respective countries were complete and up-to-date.
33. The Committee finally urged donor agencies to assist FAO in this task by providing appropriate funding support.
34. The Committee reviewed the Reports of Sessions of its subsidiary bodies held during the intersessional period and endorsed the main conclusions and recommendations in Document CIFA/94/6 as follows:-
35. The Committee noted with satisfaction that the ultimate objective of the LTR1 project, to produce a fisheries management plan for the lake, was on course. A background report had been produced for the recent joint meetings of the Scientific and Coordinating Committees of the project and a management workshop would be held in 1995.
36. The establishment of the proposed Lake Tanganyika Fisheries Commission would be taken up at the 7th Session of the Sub-Committee, to be held at the end of 1995. The Committee was informed that when established, this body would be responsible for formulating and implementing management measures for the entire lake at national and regional levels. It would also coordinate research activities on the lake.
37. The Committee welcomed the efforts made to ensure coordination with the UNDP/GEF project for Lake Tanganyika. A proposal for cooperation was put forward by FAO and the details were currently being worked out with UNDP.
38. Two sessions of the Sub-Committee were held during the intersessional period. The most important work of the Sub-Committee was to facilitate and expedite the formation of the Lake Victoria Fisheries Organization (LVFO). This had been accomplished with the help of the FAO/TCP project - “Assistance to the establishment of LVFO” following the termination of UNDP/FAO IFIP Project.
39. The Sub-Committee was also mandated to play a key role in the preparatory stages of the World Bank-sponsored GEF project, and specifically to act as Task Force I for the proposed Lake Victoria Environmental Management Programme.
40. The Committee noted with satisfaction that the LVFO would soon come into being. The Sub-Committee would cease to exist once the LVFO becomes operational, the Committee was informed.
41. It was also noted that FAO, through the Sub-Committee, could still play an important role in addressing the control of water hyacinth that was becoming a major problem on the lake.
42. The Fifth Session of the Sub-Committee had been held in December 1993. The Sub-Committee reviewed a number of critical topics including the effects of climatic changes on the fisheries, the identification of research priorities and of training needs and the collection of statistical data. Intra-regional fish trade issues were analysed in detail and the reduction and harmonization of formal taxes and duties regarding fish distribution were recommended.
43. The Committee noted that most of the member countries of the Sub-Committee had adopted policies which encouraged the devolution of responsibilities for fisheries management to the fishing communities, and that several countries were revising their legislations accordingly.
44. The Committee approved the FAO Fisheries Report No. 504 and also endorsed the Sub-regional project document on fisheries planning and resource management in the Sahelian zone. It requested FAO and member countries to solicit appropriate donor funding support for the implementation of the project which was considered a priority.
45. The Committee was informed that the Working Party held two sessions (the third and fourth) during the intersessional period. Both Sessions were held in Accra, Ghana, the Third Session from 25 to 29 November 1991, and fourth from 18 to 22 October 1993. Two reviews of heavy metals and of chlorinated hydrocarbons in the African aquatic environment were prepared and published.
46. The Committee noted with satisfaction that by adding those two reports to the other two prepared earlier, the Working Party had achieved its major goal to evaluate the state of the African aquatic environment and to review major groups of pollutants that could have negative impacts on aquatic life and fishery resources. It had given general advice on protection of the aquatic environment and had singled out, in order of importance, organic matter, metals and organochlorine substances as potential pollutants; organic matter, giving rise to eutrophication and anoxia, being identified as the major threat to fisheries. It was further appreciated that the results of all four sessions of the Working Party had been collected in CIFA Technical Paper No. 25, entitled “Review of Pollution in the African Aquatic Environment” and had thus become available to a broad readership.
47. The Working Party, during the Fourth Session, had proposed that future studies could concentrate on phosphorus loads causing eutrophication and on the state of specific types of water bodies in Africa, e.g., large lakes, ( man-made and natural), shallow lakes (including coastal lagoons), large rivers, small rivers and their tributaries, and estuaries. The Committee, taking note that eutrophication was an emerging problem for most African lakes, felt that a report on the phosphorus problem in African lakes, including actual data on phosphorus concentrations, sources and loads, as well as other limnological information, would be desirable.
48. The Working Party on Aquaculture held its Second Session in Harare, Zimbabwe, from 13 to 17 September 1993, to consider the study, “Aquaculture Development and Research in Sub-Saharan Africa: Synthesis of national reviews and indicative plan for research” (CIFA Technical paper 23, presented under CIFA Agenda Item 6). The Working Party endorsed the indicative plan for aquaculture research and the priority ranking of the nine Aquaculture Research Programmes. It urged FAO to establish contact with the Executive Secretariat of SIFR (Strategy for International Fisheries Research) to facilitate detailed formulation of the various programme ideas.
49. The Working Party noted that many of the problems encountered in developing aquaculture in Africa could be due to a lack of proper development planning. It asserted that aquaculture development planning would benefit from the same rigorous approach as had been applied for planning aquaculture research, recognizing that the most appropriate framework for such work was at the national level. The Working Party called on African governments to give aquaculture sufficient priority in national development plans.
50. The Committee endorsed the findings and recommendations of the Working Party.
1 Research for the Management of Fisheries on Lake Tanganyika (GCP/RAF/271/FIN)
51. The Secretariat introduced agenda item 8 with document CIFA/94/7 covering FAO technical assistance to the region. The Committee was informed that FAO was executing some 17 projects with a total value of over $21 million in inland fisheries and aquaculture in Africa south of the Sahara, of which eleven were national projects, and six had a regional coverage. These projects were financed from three sources, viz, UNDP, trust funds and directly from FAO's regular programme through the Technical Cooperation Programme (TCP). Of these, trust fund donors formed the largest category of support (approx. $11.4 million), followed by UNDP ($9.1 million). FAO was currently financing four TCP projects, with a total contribution of $687,500, which, becáuse of their specialized nature (preparatory for or complementary to larger projects, or emergency), were generally shorter in duration and lower in cost.
52. The majority of the projects mentioned above fell within the area of support to the artisanal sub-sector. Nine were planning/management projects, while four were multi-purpose in scope as they were integrated and more closely related to fish production. Three of these projects were nationally executed, but with FAO as cooperating agency.
53. The future of the field programme was uncertain, the Committee was informed, as FAO's major donor, UNDP, was experiencing its own financial problems. While majority of trust fund donors were interested in channelling their assistance through the UN system, many others still preferred bilateral aid programmes. Even though FAO would help in obtaining field support from donors, recipient countries were reminded that donors would prefer receiving requests directly from them rather than through the intermediary of FAO.
54. In the ensuing discussion, the Committee recommended that FAO should fully make use of national and regional competencies where available and should continue to provide adequate training to national counterparts. The Secretariat informed the Committee that FAO was making increasing use of local expertise in Africa. In this respect, it was expected that the directory of African capacities in fisheries being prepared by RAFR would assist countries and organizations in the identification of suitable African expertise. Furthermore, reference was made to the new National Programme Officers Scheme which would soon be introduced by FAO.
55. The Committee was informed that the facilities for training and research at the African Regional Aquaculture Centre (ARAC) in Nigeria had been greatly improved, thanks to financial support given by the national Government, the EEC and the World Bank. It was recalled that ARAC used to be a UNDP-funded project until 1987 when the project was terminated. In view of the pressing need for the training of senior aquaculturists in the region, the Committee urged FAO to solicit funding support from potential donors to resuscitate the regional scope of ARAC, so that member countries could benefit from its post-graduate schemes as they did in the past.
56. The status of the collaboration between FAO and various African regional and sub-regional bodies with interest in inland fisheries was reviewed on the basis of document CIFA/94/8. The Committee noted with satisfaction that FAO had cooperated in organizing the Third Session of the Inter-African Committee on Oceanography, Marine and Inland Fisheries (IACOMIF) of the OAU's Scientific, Technical and Research Commission which was held in Cairo, Egypt, in April, 1993 and that joint activities undertaken with the ECA/FAO Agriculture Division (JAFR) had been intensified during the intersession. Cooperation with and assistance to economic groupings such as ECOWAS, LCBC, CEPGL, SADC and PTA had been provided through FAO/TCP projects and activities of FAO/UNDP regional projects, in particular, RAF/88/047 - Assistance to ECOWAS and RAF/87/099 - Inland Fisheries Planning and Management Project (IFIP)., now terminated due to lack of funding.
57. The Committee stressed that cooperation should be reinforced with these bodies and other sub-regional organizations with a view to avoiding duplication of effort and making concerned institutions more efficient with regard to inland fisheries. For example, CILSS could be more closely involved in the work CIFA is carrying out for the development of Sahelian fisheries. In this respect, relevant institutions should continue to be systematically invited to the meetings of CIFA and its subsidiary bodies and possible resources to assist some of the institutions to participate should be investigated. In case such participation could not be ensured, the concerned institutions should be invited to designate a member country to represent it and take position on its behalf. The Secretariat should, whenever possible, be represented at the meetings of those institutions.
58. The Committee further recognized the need for the development of a network among the various regional and sub-regional institutions with interest in inland fisheries. The organization of a meeting among those institutions with the objective of agreeing on arrangements for effective consultation and coordination was suggested.
59. In introducing this agenda item (Document CIFA/94/10), the Secretariat reviewed the major topics covered by past CIFA sessions so far. It presented the following five ideas to be considered for the next session:
inland fisheries and aquaculture as a vehicle for economic growth and food security;
fishery statistics;
river and floodplain fisheries and food security;
regional collaboration in inland fisheries development in Africa, and
integrated coastal area management in inland waters.
60. The Committee examined in detail each of the five proposals and selected (i) and (iii) above having regard to the importance which the member countries and the Organization attached to the sustainable contribution of fisheries and aquaculture to food security. It proposed that these two topics should be merged to contribute the theme for the seminar to be held in conjunction with the next session of CIFA. However, the Committee recognized that the other topics were also of immediate relevance and therefore recommended that these issues should be taken into consideration as items on the agenda of the Tenth Session.
61. The Committee raised the issue of infestation of water bodies with water hyacinth, causing increasing problems to fisheries in many African countries. It, therefore, requested FAO to compile experience gained all over the world in combatting infestations of water hyacinth, as well as exploiting them as a resource, and to prepare guidelines and recommendations to deal with this problem in Africa, eventually leading to a co-ordinated regional programme.
62. The Committee further requested FAO to investigate possibilities for the preparation of updated inventories of freshwater fish species in African rivers and lakes.
63. The Committee was informed that according to Rule IV.2 of the Rules of Procedure of CIFA, sessions of CIFA were convened by the Director-General of FAO who decided on the date and place of the session, in consultation with the Chairman and the competent authorities of the host country, taking into consideration the views expressed by the Committee.
64. With the above understanding, the delegates of Côte d'Ivoire and Uganda expressed the willingness of their respective countries to host the Tenth Session of CIFA in 1997, pending the final approval of their governments, which would be communicated to the Director-General of FAO.
65. The Report was adopted on 9 December 1994.
