Asia Pacific Fisheries Conference

North Sulawesi Governor SH Sarundajang said in his speech opening the RCFM, the meeting was the precursor of an Asia Pacific Fishery Commission (APFIC) meeting on August 11-13 which would be opened by Marine and Fisheries Minister Freddy Numberi, according to Asia Pulse.

Sarundajang said the meetings between 25 representatives of teh region were part of efforts to spur the optimum utilization of marine resources through development and fish catching management as well as fish cultivation.

The meetings were also linked to the fish processing and marketing efforts of members of the world fishery commission, and would discuss issues related to enrichment of marine resoruces through the Marine Protected Areas (MPA) scheme, Sarundajang said.

Other key issues to be taken up at the meeting were certification of catch fisheries including boat registration, boat crewmen, and fishery cultivation methods within the framework of efforts to implement "good aquaculture practices."

The governor added that Manado would host a World Ocean Conference (WOC) on May 11-15, 2009.

Meanwhile, Soen'an Hadi Poernomo, chief of the Marine and Fisheries Ministry's Data, Statistics and Information Center, said countries in Asia and Pacific region account for a great deal of fishery catching and aquaculture world-wide, since this area is acknowledged as the biggest producer of fish, namely 87.1 million tonnes.