Private Sector Issues

The private sector working group tried to identify the aspects of the process that could appeal to entrepreneurs and farmers and how the private sector can be better involved in the establishment and management of AMAs. The working group agreed that aquaculture tends to get into trouble if left to develop organically and that problems occur when there is unregulated growth with new entrants not following good management practices. It noted that the AMA scheme, based on the case studies, works.

The process can address most of the private sector concerns including:

• Disease prevention—by improving ecosystem health and fish welfare leading to improved disease management;
• Long-term improvement of fish stock performance while addressing genetic quality and feed availability;
• Risk mitigation and coping by increasing access to insurance at the AMA level;
• Encouraging responsible investment thus increasing finance availability;
• Making space for aquaculture—protecting the rights of fish farmers in a common property context; protecting the rights of locals and smallholders; equitable access;
• Encouraging stable production resulting in fewer crashes and fish kills;
• Integrating aquaculture with multiple uses—to reduce conflict, which can be expensive to resolve when it flares up;
• Potential for common action to address externalities (e.g., pollution, encroachment of other sectors);
• Improving access to markets and certification;
• Improving the perceptions for aquaculture products by the market;
• Demonstrating the economic benefits of EAA—that investment in EAA is cost-effective; and
• Encouraging the sustainable use of common water bodies and working with others interested in using the commons for community benefit.

In order to implement the process, there is need to:

• Establish a zone/AMA management committee that will lead the process—includes government, other sectors, academia, NGOs and the private sector;
• Focus on specific activities to be undertaken by the committee—AMA level within top-down mandate of zones, and EAA strategy;
• Draft general aquaculture management plan and review and adapt the process as it is a living, evolving concept;
• Develop a flowchart for the implementation;
• Establish a basic mechanism of linking farmers to each other and with government by:
• Communication of significant mortalities to the network,
• Access to veterinary services—mechanism for delivery at AMA level—examples from case studies,
• Collective biosecurity plan,
• Access BAP/efficient technology—linked to research; and
• Establish and monitor agreed indicators of carrying capacity limits—progress towards an agreed standard and definitions of limit. Initially in tonnes of production/year, evolving to include other indicators such as mortality, sediment, turbidity and DO variability.

 

There is also a need to;

• Clarify if it applies to either or both existing sites or new zones;
• Find ways to:
• Improve profitability while maintaining stable production and increasing efficiency,
• Reduce feed costs,
• Reduce disease occurrence and impacts; and
• Assess how it affects product quality—monitoring to ensure food safety and improve market access.