The Working Group on Aquaculture of the Regional Commission for Fisheries (RECOFI), which is based in Cairo at the FAO Regional Office for the Near East, will hold a Regional Technical Workshop on Sustainable Marine Cage Aquaculture Development along with its fourth meeting from 25 to 28 of January at the Safeer International Hotel in Muscat, Sultanate of Oman. 

The regional workshop will be attended by representatives of the eight RECOFI Member countries (Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates), in addition to FAO staff and marine cage aquaculture consultants. 

The organization of this technical workshop was endorsed by the Commission during its fourth session held in May 2007 in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as part of the biannual work plan of the Working Group on Aquaculture. The activity was endorsed in view of the growing importance of this aquaculture sub-sector across the region. The expected outputs of the workshop would include among others a regional status review of cage culture, policy guidelines and regulatory framework recommendations, standardized licensing procedures, site selection criteria, best management practices and a common Environmental Impact Assessment methodology. 

During the fourth meeting of the Working Group on Aquaculture the national focal points will focus discussions on the work plan for the next intercessional period including follow-up activities as result of the two major workshop carried out in 2008 and 2009: the Marine Cage Aquaculture Workshop and the one on Aquatic Animal Health. The meeting will also dedicate one day to finalize the development of the RECOFI Regional Aquaculture Information System (RAIS), including the adoption of its User Manual, role of the RAIS Regional Centre (currently located in Kuwait), and the agreement on a common communication strategy to launch and promote the information system. The official launching of the RAIS is planned to take place on March 2009.