Organised by FAO and the World Bank and hosted by Dokuz Eylul University, Institute of Marine Sciences and Technology, the workshop ran from 5 to 8 July.
Participating experts hailed from Brazil, Chile, China, Indonesia, Oman, Mexico, Philippines, Turkey, Uganda, and the United Kingdom.
The OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook 2015-2024 report, released on 1 July, estimates that by 2023 total aquaculture production worldwide will exceed that of capture fisheries for the first time.
Clearly, there is enormous potential for the sector, but to make sure aquaculture is developed in a sustainable way, planning and policies need to integrate economic, environmental, social and governance factors.
This week’s workshop is reviewing steps for aquaculture zoning, site selection, and area management under an ecosystem approach.
Site selection identifies the most appropriate sites for individual farm development. It takes into account local environmental conditions, the farming system and resources of the farmer, as well as socioeconomic and governance aspects.
Zoning can be used to identify potential areas for aquaculture growth, help regulate the development of aquaculture where it is already well established, and serve as a mechanism for disease control.
Aquaculture management areas are defined water bodies or geographic areas where all aquaculture operators agree to certain management practices or codes of conduct for the area.
Each country represented at the workshop, including Turkey, will present a country case study on spatial planning and management. The 35 workshop participants will also visit aquaculture sites near Izmir.
“Turkey is leading the aquaculture scene in the subregion, and the sector is developing rapidly,” said FAO regional fisheries and aquaculture officer Thomas Moth-Poulsen.
“Through the FAO-Turkey Partnership Programme, the countries in Central Asia have benefitted from intensive capacity building on aquaculture through joint workshops and projects,” he added.
Recent years have seen a significant increase in cooperation on aquaculture among Central Asian countries, including establishment of the Central Asian and Caucasus Regional Fisheries and Aquaculture Commission.
Workshop findings will be incorporated into FAO-World Bank joint publications designed to provide a general background and practical guidance for policy makers, investors and managers at a global level.
