UN agency meeting seeks to boost responsible use of aquaculture

Over 100 delegates from some 50 countries are gathered in Trondheim, Norway, for a United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) meeting to promote wider use of responsible aquaculture as a tool in the fight against hunger and poverty.

“The potential contribution of aquaculture to rural development, food security, hunger eradication, poverty reduction and national economic development is enormous,” a senior FAO Fisheries Resources Officer, Rohana Subasinghe, said.

However debates regarding negative environmental, social and economic impacts of certain kinds of aquaculture practices have also picked up. In 2001, FAO established a sub-committee on Aquaculture – the farming of fish and aquatic plants in coastal sea areas and inland waterways – to inform its work and to promote international discussions on the issue.

“The ultimate objective of the sub-committee is to ensure that this important sector is developed in a sustainable, responsible and equitable manner, resulting in a product that is nutritious, affordable, acceptable, safe to eat and accessible to all sectors of society,” said Serge Garcia, Director of FAO’s Fisheries Resources Division.

The experts, resource managers and policy-makers gathered this week for the sub-committee’s second meeting are seeking to promote wider use of responsible and sustainable aquaculture as a tool in the fight against hunger and poverty.

The agenda includes a discussion on the implementation of best practices within the sector, and talks on creating better systems for recording statistics and promoting the sharing of information and technology. Also slated is a discussion of international strategies for improving the safety and quality of aquaculture products.