Responsible aquaculture management practices

1. Responsible aquaculture management practices Aquamarkets, Manila 2nd-6th June 2003 Michael Phillips, NACA

2. Aquaculture for food • Human populations on the increase • Capture fisheries production is limited • Aquatic meat is still a cheap protein in many countries • Need to feed people • Aquaculture is essential to contribute to demand-supply gap! • Globally fastest growing food production sector

3. Growing attention on aquaculture • Media, lobby groups, civil society organizations • Consumer awareness and preferences • Human health concerns • Environmental issues • Social concerns and equity • Export oriented production for affluent societies • Equitability of income and poverty alleviation from export oriented aquaculture

4. Food quality and safety concerns • BSE, FMD, human health concerns • EU and USA regulations • No avian or mammalian material in livestock feed • Restrictions on feeding material from same species • Veterinary drugs and anti-microbials • Livestock, aquaculture • Chemical use in aquaculture • Human health repercussions

6. International rules and obligations • WTO, SPS agreement • Human health • Animal health • Doha – “Trade and development” • Fisheries given special attention • FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries • Convention on Biological Diversity • CITES • National rules, bilateral agreements • Labeling for EU, US markets

7. Responsible aquaculture management and markets • Traditionally, the only concern was product quality and (post-harvest) food safety • Now, increasing recognition of the importance of the food production process • Therefore, growing emphasis on the importance of responsible aquaculture management practices • Increasingly important to implement and have systems in place that effectively communicate and assure

8. Consortium program on Shrimp farming and the environment • “To analyse and share experiences on better management of shrimp aquaculture in coastal areas” • Main partners are the World Bank, NACA, WWF and FAO. • Government, private sector and NGOs participated in activities, totaling over 100 researchers in 20 countries • Funding - Bank-Netherlands partnership, AVINA and MacArthur Foundation, FAO, in-kind support substantial • 1999 -2002

9. Consortium program objectives • Better understanding of key issues • Encourage debate, discussion and consensus around these issues • Identify better management practices (BMPs) • Evaluate cost, benefits and barriers for adoption of BMPs • Strategies to support implementation of BMPs • Special attention being given to social issues, employment and poverty

10. Consortium program structure • Comprises 35 complementary case studies on different aspects of shrimp aquaculture • Over 100 researchers, 20 countries • Case studies on specific topics in: • Asia • Africa and the Middle East • Latin America • Thematic reviews (studies of a global nature) • Studies involve wide range of stakeholders and consultations • Terms of Reference and study reports circulated for public discussion

11. Outcome of the consortium work

12. Issues to be addressed through better management • Shrimp farm siting and its impacts on habitats • Shrimp farm design and construction • Water use, quality, and effluent discharge • Shrimp PLs and wild broodstock/PL collection • Responsible use of chemicals, food quality and safety • Feed and feed management • Effluent and solid waste management • Shrimp health management • Employment and social impacts • Shrimp culture, rural development and poverty alleviation • For each of these, the consortium work has identified “worse” and “better” practices. • On farm economic costs and benefits assessed

13. Reducing impacts on water resources • Better practice: • Minimize release of nutrients and organic matter • Reduced water exchange • Economic benefits: • Reduced energy costs • Reduce disease risk

14. Feed and feed management • Better practice: • Use of high quality feeds, efficient use of fish meal • Feed monitoring • Feeding according to demand • Low FCR • Economic benefits: • Substantial increase in profitability

15. Major findings • Impacts can be managed • Farm level (mostly) • Local area, national levels • Key better management practices can lead to more profitable farming • Issue is providing incentives, and support for implementation • Such results provide a basis for international agreement on BMP principles (including possibly certification systems)

16. Improvements in shrimp production: examples from extensive farms in India Shrimp crop production (kg.ha-1) Kg/Ha Ponds

17. Challenges ahead • Much known about better management practice • Implementation is a key factor • Market access moving towards product trace-ability and certification of responsible practices: • Farm to table (or farm to fork) approach • EU/US mandatory requirements for labeling • Aquaculture product certification • Transformation of the sector is a challenge: • Large numbers of small-scale farmers! • Low investment, low input systems • Creating effective cooperation to support responsible farm management practices • Providing supporting policy, legal, institutional framework • Participatory process towards agreeing responsible practice?

18. Kandleru Creek, AP, India: FCC 432 IRS-1C LISS-III (20/02/01 ) Muttukuru Road Bk canal Kattuvapali SP Open scrub (RF) Kr port Sand bar M Cr mouth M Pattapupalem Legend Kr = Krisnapatnam M = Mangrove SP = Salt Pan SF = Shrimp farm BK = Buckingham CR = Creek RF = Reserve Forest M Venkatareddipalem Bk canal SF Bay of Bengal Mn SF SF Momidi Varagali

19. Better farmer organization is a way forward • Local groups/“clubs” can form the base of the market chain • An example from India • “Self-made” rules and regulations: • Don’t use antibiotics • How to provide such progressive farming groups business incentives through market access? • Empowering producers?

20. Importance of partnerships • Farmer-farmer • Farmer groups have significant opportunities for local organization and “self-help” • Farmer groups can be a building block for product supply • Farmer-farmer communication networks (complements limited extension) • Farmer-input suppliers • Farmers to hatcheries, nurseries (chemical salesmen!), investors (in sustainable practice) • Farmer-buyer-processor-exporters-importers-consumers • Partnership along the market chain (for trace-ability) and also to reward and support market access for farmers adopting better practice • Public-private • Regulations and incentives that support better management • Support to communication and awareness building • Inter and intra-regional cooperation • Harmonization of SPS measures (for trade, aquaculture chemicals) • Participation of stakeholders in standard setting (eg WTO, certification)

21. Addressing the challenge • Responsible aquaculture management practice will be a basic requirement for market access • Implementing better management practice represents an opportunity to address problems, improve the sectors’ image, promote the sector’s development • Certification, and trace-ability of product will be required • However, the transition in the sector will not be easy. • Fair trade schemes that support sector’s development, and small-scale farming sector are required • Better understanding of mechanisms and support required • Support to development of credible certification systems will be required • Increased stakeholder participation, transparency, harmonized approach, more bottom up approach • Need for harmonized, transparent, credible standards • Better partnerships

22. For more information www.enaca.org/shrimp

23. Thank you!