Wuxi, Jiangsu, China
(Sep 3-29, 2001)

Inland fishery and aquaculture are important components of the world fisheries industry. Due to the over exploitation to marine fishery resource, share of inland fish production has increased steadily over the past decades in the world. In 1997, the world inland fish production (from capture and aquaculture) reached 24.83 million metric tones, accounting for 20.35% of the total world fisheries production in that year. In comparison, inland fish production contributed only 14.91% in 1970. The inland fishery and aquaculture will continue to play a significant role in national development, improving animal protein food supply and livelihood in rural area in the developing world.

Asia and Pacific has been the most active region in inland fisheries development mainly due to the long tradition and huge market demand. China is the largest freshwater fish producer in the world. Its freshwater fish production from aquaculture accounted for 72.21% of the world total in 1997. Its catch from inland water reached 5.07 million tones in 1998, while the world inland fish production from capture was 7.7 million tones in 1997.

The traditional inland fisheries largely depending on extensive use of natural resource, sometimes at the cost of environment deterioration is now facing strong challenge. Sustainability has become vitally important to the future growth of this food production sub-sector. Environmentally friendly aquaculture systems and various types of technologies suitable for sustainable use of inland waters have been developed in the region. The training work is to provide opportunities for the inland fisheries and aquaculture personnel from China and other countries in the region to share the existing experiences and management skills and exchange of views over the future trend of development. It is envisaged to promote the long-term sustainability of inland fisheries and aquaculture development in the region.

The training workshop will be a participatory process and the topics will be opened with introductory lectures by resources persons. The participants are required to contribute their own experiences and opinions in the open discussion. Study tours and field trips will be organized to expose participants to the present inland fisheries and aquaculture practices in China.

The training workshop is jointly organized by the Freshwater Fisheries Research Centre (FFRC) of Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, and the Network of Aquaculture Centres in Asia-Pacific (NACA). The FFRC is a prominent national fisheries research and training institution in China, and is designated as the Regional Lead Centres of the NACA, which is an inter-governmental organization with the mandate of promoting regional cooperation for aquaculture development.

Date and duration

The training workshop will be 4 weeks in duration, from 3 - 29  September 2000.

The training workshop will be conducted at the training quarters of the Freshwater Fisheries Research Centre, Qitang, Wuxi City, China, which is equipped with appropriate facilities for training and conferences.

The participants should be technical or managerial personnel with relevant experiences and currently involved in inland fisheries and aquaculture from the Asia-Pacific region.

The training workshop is principally funded by the APEC Technological and Scientific Collaborative Fund of Chinese government. The organizer will bear all the local costs and expenses of overseas participants in China pertaining to the training workshop activity, including the registration fee, board and lodging (arranged meals and double-occupancy accommodation at FFRC hostel), local transportation, etc. In addition, the participants will be provided with a daily pocket allowance of thirty Chinese Yuan (CNY 30) for purchase of daily needs.

Each candidate/applicant is required to obtain financial support for their international travel to and from China (Shanghai) from his/her employer, the nominating government agency or a third party.

The candidates/applicants must be physically and mentally fit for international travel and stay in a foreign country for four weeks for attending the training workshop. An appropriate international travel accident and sickness insurance policy must be arranged to protect each participant for the entire period of the training workshop prior to his/her departure from home country by the participant or his/her employer or the donor.

Application for registration in the training workshop should be sent to the NACA Secretariat or directly to the centre.

¡¡

For further information, please contact: