This publication contains the report of a workshop, held in Zambia in October 2002, organised to consider the role of commercial aquaculture in helping to secure poverty alleviation through the promotion of regional economic growth, employment opportunities and food security. Recommendations made include the need for clear national policies for commercial aquaculture development, defining models for economic and financial viability assessments to be applied by funding institutions, and disseminating research findings to farmers and information sharing at all levels of aquaculture development.

This publication contains the report of a workshop, held in Zambia in October 2002, organised to consider the role of commercial aquaculture in helping to secure poverty alleviation through the promotion of regional economic growth, employment opportunities and food security. Recommendations made include the need for clear national policies for commercial aquaculture development, defining models for economic and financial viability assessments to be applied by funding institutions, and disseminating research findings to farmers and information sharing at all levels of aquaculture development.

Volume 3. This document identifies elements of a legislation that will encourage the emergence of a sustainable commercial aquaculture. The aquaculture law of an individual country must provide the operator with a secure right to conduct aquaculture operations, to the property on which the farm will be located, to good quality water and to the produce. It must also ensure environmental sustainability, through permit or licence systems, without imposing unnecessary costs on applicants. Only proposals with the potential for serious environmental harm should be subjected to a full environmental impact assessment. Environmental supervision must extend to controls over the use of exotic species and products from modern biotechnology including genetically modified organisms, disease control and health management and to any water quality concerns created by the proposed project. To minimise costs, countries are encouraged to adopt a single window approach for the numerous approvals usually required for an aquaculture operation and screen initial applications. They could also consider creating a single agency to promote aquaculture and to monitor the progress of applications. Aquaculture regimes of selected African countries are measured against the elements required to encourage sustainable commercial aquaculture, and improvements that are applicable to all countries in sub-Sahara are suggested.

This study considers the elements of a legal framework designed to promote a sustainable commercial aquaculture. These relate to: a secure right to property and clean water; avoidance of unnecessary costs; and a licence system, including a system for environmental impact assessments and enforcement of codes of practice. Environmental supervision should extend to: controls over the use of exotic species and products from modern biotechnology. These include genetically modified organisms, disease control and health management, and to any water quality concerns created by the proposed project. The study analyses the aquaculture industries of Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria and Zambia against these criteria. Improvements in legislation applicable to the individual countries, but which require consideration by all sub-Saharan countries are then suggested.

This document contains nine FAO commissioned papers on cage aquaculture including a global overview, one country review for China, and seven regional reviews for Asia (excluding China), northern Europe, the Mediterranean, sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, northern America and Oceania. The content of the papers is based on the broad experience and sound knowledge of the authors with advice and help received from many experts and reviewers around the globe. The papers were presented to a distinguished audience of some 300 participants from over 25 countries during the FAO Special Session on Cage Aquaculture - Regional Reviews and Global Overview at the Asian Fisheries Society (AFS) Second International Symposium on Cage Aquaculture in Asia (CAA2), held in Hangzhou, China, from 3 to 8 July 2006.

This volume, the second of three on commercial aquaculture in sub-Saharan Africa, discusses access to investment capital, one of the major obstacles to the development of a sustainable commercial aquaculture in this region. Among the key problems, are the excessively high interest rates on loans; bankers' perceptions that the industry is prone to failure; the lack of understanding by farmers of the financial options available, and limited information about other commercially successful aquaculture enterprises in this area. The study argues that banks need to take a less pessimistic view of the commercial viability of such enterprises, but that borrowers should also learn to formulate and develop a clear business plan, outlining how they intend to repay the loans requested. A number of options are available to improve the situation. Such as "no-collateral" strategies, through group lending, village banks and solidarity groups, that would persuade lenders of the committment of the those wishing to set up a commercial aquaculture business. Overall a need for legal and regulatory reform, along with the institution of government loan guarantees could help develop and improve the options for a commercially viable aquaculture business.