Date: 26/03/2012
Source: The Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
Title: SA: Joemat-Pettersson: Address by the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, at the FAO committee on fisheries committee on aquaculture, Cape Town

Head of the FAO Delegation, Dr Lahsen Ababouch
Honourable Ministers and Deputy Ministers
The FAO Secretariat
Invited Guests
Ladies and gentlemen

It is my privilege and honour to address this august gathering of the aquaculture stakeholders from all over the world. On behalf of the South African Government, along with the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) - I would like to welcome you all to the Sixth Session of the Committee on Fisheries (COFI) Sub-Committee on Aquaculture in this beautiful city of Cape Town, renowned for its beauty, tranquillity and more important being the seat of Parliament of the Republic of South Africa.

We are proud to be hosting this event and thanks to the FAO and all the Member States for showing confidence and support towards this country. Rest assured that you are in good hands, as suggested by the current status our country is enjoying as a prime destination for tourism and hosting of international events of note, including this one.

The founding father of South Africa and a man who put us on the international map, Nelson Mandela once said: “What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead.”

As we meet here to talk about aquaculture, we should keep Madiba’s words in mind that all pontifications will mean nothing if such deliberations are not meant to be life-changing to others.

We are all aware that aquaculture is the fastest growing food production sector in the world, and as it continues to grow, a decreasing percentage of food fish and other aquatic animals will be provided from the already heavily exploited natural resources. The fast growth of aquaculture worldwide is a result of intensification of production methods, and the resultant improvement of the efficiency of breeding and growing fish, lobsters, molluscs, and other highly-valued aquatic food species.

The aquaculture sector finds itself confronted with problems similar to those known from the intensive and growing agricultural sector. As is the case with terrestrial farming, intensification of animal production and specifically fish farming leads to the emergence of different challenges that we have to confront and overcome.

It is at platforms like these that such challenges are discussed and solutions shared and adopted by different stakeholders, be it best management practices, new technologies and/or general governance issues.

One key challenge that we have been grappling with as a country and following up from the recent successful hosting of the 17th United Nation’s Congress Of the Parties, commonly known as COP17 we hosted last year, is climate change. Using resources efficiently and adapting to the effects of climatic and other shocks will be the hallmarks of Smart Aquaculture in the coming decades.
The South African Government recognises the importance of aquaculture and the role it will play in sustaining production of food fish, as the natural fish resources become further challenged and wild stocks under pressure.

In saying this, the Sixth Session of COFI Sub-Committee on Aquaculture will without doubt highlight the importance of this sector, its role in economic development, food security and livelihoods alternatives.

South Africa, like many other countries represented in this gathering, is bound by the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries (CCRF). We are making considerable progress in ensuring its implementation, together with the Technical Guidelines for Aquaculture Certification which is the product of this Sub-Committee.

It is important that as a collective, we encourage the development of sustainable aquaculture sectors, through adoption of good governance practices, and supporting the FAO Secretariat’s work in promoting good governance through better monitoring and evaluation systems, information sharing and reporting, and most importantly improving the quality of such information.

More pressing for me as a Minister responsible for Fisheries in South Africa, is achieving growth targets we have set ourselves in our Aquaculture Development Programme.

This is because currently South Africa and Africa in general, is lagging behind in terms of aquaculture development, as shown in the recent State of Fisheries and Aquaculture (SOFIA) Report. I am sure this sentiment is shared by my counterparts in other African countries, not forgetting those in other developing parts of the world, South East Asia and Latin America.

It is against this background that I will like to urge this meeting that as discussions continues around sustainable development and management of aquaculture in developed countries, the plight of the developing world should be considered.

The FAO should ensure that these regions are prioritised and assisted accordingly, so that they are also in a position to achieve their own developmental goals and more so the Millennium Development Goals, and be able to compete globally.

Through this meeting, we all have the responsibility to demonstrate our commitment and passion in order to reach a common and superior end, with the aim to secure the sustainable development of aquaculture sectors globally.

Let us all use this opportunity to work towards the common goal through the FAO programmes and shape the global agenda for aquaculture and fisheries in general.

To emphasise our need to think about how our work can be for the common good of the many, let me conclude with more words from Nelson Mandela, who said: “A fundamental concern for others in our individual and community lives would go a long way in making the world the better place we so passionately dreamt of.”

I trust that this meeting will be a catalyst to working towards a joint plan of action for aquaculture development and for a future that is fish secure. I wish you good deliberations.

I thank you!