Asian Fisheries Society: Working for Fisheries, Aquaculture, and the Environment The Kaohsiung Declaration

Adopted by the 6th General Assembly of the Asian Fisheries Society, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, 28 November 2001

The Asian Fisheries Society is an international, non-government professional body of 3,000 members from 75 countries and territories. Its purpose is to address fisheries issues, promote global cooperation, link fisheries scientists, sponsor and support young scientists, disseminate information through publications and scientific conferences.. The Society is affiliated with several like-minded national and international fisheries societies.

This Declaration of the Asian Fisheries Society adopted by the Sixth General Assembly is hereby submitted to the Johannesburg World Summit on Sustainable Development, in view of the great importance of fish and other aquatic products to Asia and the rest of the world. Such importance was recognized at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 and Articles 17-18 of Agenda 21 provide for the development and management of fisheries and aquaculture in the context of the oceans and the freshwater environment.

The Asian Fisheries Society declares that:

The importance of fish, fisheries and aquaculture in the context of the natural and human environment should be reaffirmed at the Johannesburg Summit.
Fisheries and aquaculture should continue to be developed to their optimum sustainable levels so that they contribute to the food and nutritional security, livelihoods, economic growth, and improved living standards in Asia and the rest of the world.

Cooperation is needed at national, regional and international levels among sociopolitical and academic institutions and the fisheries and aquaculture sectors to achieve sustainable aquatic production, environment protection, and socioeconomic development.
National governments and the development assistance community should increase their commitments to the fisheries and aquaculture research and development so that they can meet the challenges of industry sustainability and globalization, and ecosystem protection and rehabilitation and contribute to welfare of poor in developing countries.

Background: Current realities in Asian fisheries and aquaculture

· Fish and fisheries products are the primary sources of animal protein in Asia and make a major contribution to the world's food supplies.
· Asia is the world's largest producer, consumer, and exporter of fish and fish products.
· Inland and marine capture fisheries and aquaculture are major contributors to the food security and livelihood of millions of Asians, and the economies of the Asian countries.
· Despite the large harvests from fisheries, the vast majority of Asians who depend on fisheries are mired in extreme poverty.
· Rapid population growth in Asia and elsewhere in the world increases the demand for fish and the pressure on fisheries resources.
· International trade and globalization place greater demands on Asian fisheries and aquaculture.
· The open-access commons nature of most capture fisheries has led to the degradation of many marine and freshwater ecosystems and the decline of fisheries stocks in Asia and around the world. A Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries has been formulated to protect ecosystems and ensure the sustainability of the fisheries industry.
· Aquaculture has long produced additional fish for a larger Asian population and is expected to increase its contribution to the global food supply. Some aquaculture practices have caused environmental problems, but public vigilance and a Code of Conduct for Responsible Aquaculture are expected to keep the industry environment-friendly and sustainable.
· Marine and freshwater ecosystems in Asia contain the greatest diversity of species in the world, but many species are now vulnerable or threatened with extinction due to overfishing, habitat destruction, and pollution.
· Enhanced capabilities in science and technology, resources management, and people empowerment are needed in all developing countries of Asia, to meet the challenges of fisheries and aquaculture sustainability, environment protection, and globalization.

Asian Fisheries Society: Action Plan for the Decade

1. Support research and development in fisheries, aquaculture, and the environment.
2. Bring greater awareness among national governments, multi-lateral financial institutions, and donor agencies the importance of fisheries and aquaculture and encourage them to increase their commitments to the sector.
3. Communicate scientific knowledge on the state of fisheries resources and help national and local governments and communities to implement effective management measures to sustain fisheries.
4. Disseminate scientific knowledge and appropriate technologies for sustainable development of aquaculture.
5. Disseminate and support the implementation of the provisions of the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries (and Aquaculture) and the recommendations of the International Commission on Dams for the integrated management of aquatic ecosystems and fisheries in river basins.
6. Facilitate the implementation of watershed and coastal resources development and management that integrates fisheries and aquaculture.
7. Help formulate and implement policies, regulations, and biosafety protocols that safeguard Asia's aquatic biodiversity, including endangered and threatened species and ecosystems.
8. Strengthen human resource development among fisheries and aquaculture professionals in Asia, and emphasize youth and gender representation in capacity building.
9. Enhance global and regional cooperation and advocacy on fisheries, aquaculture, and environmental issues through better use of existing networks among professional fisheries organizations.

News Item: Naga The ICLARM Quarterly (Vol. 25, No. 1) January-March 2002

Asian fisheries experts must act to halt decline

Kaohsiung, November 25, 2001 - Scientists warn that ecosystems will collapse, species of sea creatures will become extinct and efforts to revive original fish stocks will be futile if current trends in the depletion of fish stocks in Asia are to continue into the 21st Century. Millions of the poor of the region who presently depend on the fisheries for their food, livelihood and income will be left bereft.
Dr Meryl J. Williams, Director General of ICLARM - The World Fish Center, in her keynote address at the 6th Asian Fisheries Forum, held from November 25 to 29 in Kaohsiung, Taiwan emphasized the vital leadership role of members of the Asian Fisheries Society in navigating their countries along the challenging route to sustainable fisheries prosperity.
Fisheries all over the world are being heavily exploited. Recent studies conducted by scientists from ICLARM - The World Fish Center, in collaboration with partners in Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam show that many coastal fisheries stocks in the region are now down to 10 to 30% of original stock levels. Larger species of fish such as groupers, snappers, sharks and rays have greatly diminished, leaving only smaller, faster growing and less valuable species such as cardinals and trigger fishes.
The natural habitats of fish in aquatic environments and wetlands are severely deteriorating. Half of the world's wetlands disappeared in the 20th Century. Eighty per cent of the coral reefs of the Asian region are under severe threat. One of nature's best nurseries, the mangrove forest has made way for developments in most developing countries. The flows of most rivers are now interrupted by dams or will be in the next 10-50 years. Fresh water supplies are increasingly polluted by industrial, agricultural, urban and environmental contamination.
Dr Williams acknowledged that the route to widespread fisheries prosperity in Asia in the 21st Century is beset with challenges of how to rebuild depleted fish stocks. On the route map to success are 3 waypoints singled out as effective indicators.
In the first waypoint, she stressed the need for an integrated approach, as problems in the fisheries sector cannot be solved in isolation. Dr Williams urged for better management of aquatic environments and sharing of benefits through a participatory, integrated management approach whereby the fisheries voice is raised alongside those of other sectors in order that both the productive capacity of the environment, integrity and long-term sustainability is assured.
Problems in the fisheries sector cannot be solved in isolation. This was formally addressed in the 1995 FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries supported by technical guides such as "The Integration of fisheries into Coastal Area Management", and based on Agenda 21 of the 1992 Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit and the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.
The integrated area management approach is being realized in numerous small and large-scale projects conducted across Asia and these efforts need to continue and multiply.
The integrated plans now developing require knowledge from a wide range of sources. Pieces of vital fisheries relevant information need to be pieced together and made user-friendly, relevant and accessible to policy makers and fisheries managers for effective planning at global and local levels.
Electronic knowledge bases such as www.reefbase.org and www.fishbase.org are now available and are currently being further developed by researchers at The World Fish Center to ensure greater utility for decision makers.
As her second waypoint, Dr Williams stressed that the lack of sustainability and poor economic performance of fisheries management systems can only be reversed if rights-based fisheries management systems are established. This was the key finding of the WHAT Fisheries Resources Commission in 2000. Dr. Williams was a member of the Commission.
In Asia, scientists from the World Fish Center and partners are studying pilot tests on the feasibility of management schemes in which community groups hold the rights.
Community based co-management studies in Bangladesh and several Southeast Asian countries have indicated the appropriateness and success of rights based fisheries to achieve quite rapid positive results for equity and efficiency while resource recovery and sustainability outcomes seem to take longer to appear.
Each governments' commitment and political will to realize the intrinsic values of rights based resources management must prevail to ensure that rights are secure in the long term and to persuade all involved to make short-term sacrifices for long-term gains. The transition to rights-based systems is very challenging and the transition costs and impacts on people and their investments in fisheries need immediate action.
Dr Williams in her third waypoint indicated that there are opportunities for fishers to increase the value of fish products because of the greater demand for high quality fish and the greater public awareness of food safety issues. Certification and labeling schemes for products, such as those developed by the Marine Stewardship Council mark fish produced from sustainably managed fisheries. These schemes may offer one way of obtaining a price premium while helping to support more sustainable management, although studies are still underway to see if certification procedures can be made affordable for small-scale fisheries.
Trade and its increasing globalization under trade liberalization are having profound effects on fish supply and demand, especially affecting the price of fish and cost of production. While the price of aquaculture fish will generally decrease as more becomes available, capture fish prices are expected to remain strong.
Dr Williams concluded, "Asian Fisheries Society members make up the regional fisheries voice and it will be they who navigate their countries, the region and the world to fisheries prosperity. They will confront many challenges along the course. They will have to contend with the need to be part of the larger, more complex arrangements dictated by integrated area management. They must commence the transition to rights based systems and, finally, they must seek to increase the per unit value of the product despite the complex interplays of trade, subsidy and management on the ground."

The Asian Fisheries Society

http://www.nayon.com/afs