April 8, 2010
Asean officials meet to improve high-value aquaculture
Fisheries officials from the Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East Asean Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) have gathered in the Philippines, to promote and improve high-value aquaculture in the sub-region.
The first-ever BIMP-EAGA Business Conference on High Value Aquaculture was a response from BIMP-EAGA governments' directive to create a joint venture on fisheries in the sub-region, according to the Mindanao Economic Development Council.
It also aims to firm up immediate next steps and generate involvement from all stakeholders in BIMP-EAGA, it added. The growth covers the eastern part of Asean, the Association of Southeast Asian nations; which comprise Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
High-value aquaculture has been identified as one of the areas of collaboration by the BIMP-EAGA Fisheries Working Group, along with tuna, sardines and seaweeds.
The conference also intends to increase and expand private enterprises on high-value aquaculture in the BIMP-EAGA through the active promotion of joint ventures between and among EAGA members, investment and trading and export of high-value seafood to target markets.
In addition, trade and investment opportunities in the aquaculture sector from among the BIMP-EAGA countries, and best practices and recent breakthroughs on high-value aquaculture farming and marketing, will be presented.
A plan of action for high-value aquaculture sector in BIMP-EAGA will also be drawn up including business proposals through the business matching sessions.
Among the topics to be discussed include global market opportunities for high-value aquaculture, economic potentials vis-Ã -vis environment conservation of the Coral Triangle, as well as business potentials of the abalone industry, seaweeds and grouper.
