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The Seminar on Responsible Fisheries Management in Large Rivers and Reservoirs in Latin America was held in San Salvador, El Salvador, on 29 January 2003, in association with the ninth session of the Commission for Inland Fisheries of Latin America (COPESCAL). The event was attended by experts from Member countries of the Commission, observers from other regional bodies, and representatives from local fishing communities in El Salvador. Discussions were supported by two documents on the principles of responsible fishery management in large rivers and reservoirs in Latin America, both prepared by the Secretariat, in addition to a selection of national reports submitted by participants. The Seminar recommended, inter alia, that national fishery policies within the region should be reviewed and that due attention should be paid, as appropriate, to revision of national fishery legislation, use of the watershed management approach, and inter-institutional coordination in fishery and aquaculture research. It was further concluded that more effective cooperation at regional and international levels was essential for fishery management in large rivers and reservoirs of Latin America. The seminar also recommended that training and technical assistance activities for the implementation of the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries in large rivers and reservoirs and other inland water bodies in the region be intensified, along with efforts to disseminate information on the Code.

Keywords: Inland fisheries; aquaculture; fishery management; Latin America and the Caribbean.