ABSTRACT

This is the report of the Expert Consultation on the Proposed Sub-Committee on Aquaculture of the Committee on Fisheries, which was held, in response to the request by the 23rd Session of COFI, in FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific in Bangkok, Thailand, from 28 to 29 February 2000. Thirty-three participants from 14 countries, two regional inter-governmental organizations and two international non-governmental organizations attended the consultation. The expert consultation confirmed that the growing importance of aquaculture, including culture-based fisheries, and its interactions justified a focused global intergovernmental mechanism to provide the opportunity for information exchange, discussion and consensus-building among various parties interested in aquaculture development and to establish an efficient means to advise and guide COFI and FAO. The consultation concluded that the establishment of such a sub-committee would be in line with the FAO Conference Resolution 13/97 and the expenditure of funds on the sub-committee would be justified. The consultation identified major issues and prioritized six key areas that need to be addressed and stated that the role of aquaculture for enhancing food security and economic development in FAO member countries was a primary priority.