Transcript Document

Information and Communication
Technologies in Aquaculture: NACA’s
Approach
Sih-Yang Sim, Yoothana Suansok and Simon Wilkinson
Network of Aquaculture Centres in Asia-Pacific
Suraswadi Building, Department of Fisheries Compound
Kasetsart University Campus, Ladyao, Jatujak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
Website: http://www.enaca.org
E-mail: [email protected]
Introduction to NACA
• Intergovernmental organization, 15 full member governments
and 4 participating governments (members including China,
India, Thailand, Malaysia, etc)
• Coordinating network of aquaculture & related institutions in the
region
• Network functions by sharing information and expertise between
participating institutions and through people-based networks
• Providing aquaculture training to farmers, government officers,
etc
• Broadly focused addressing all aspects of sustainable
aquaculture development
NACA Organization Structure
• Governed by Governing Council Members
• Operated and Coordinated by Secretariat, headed by
Coordinator
• Technical Consultation by Technical Advisory
Committee and FAO
• Regional Lead Centres – R & D
• National Lead Centres – Implement and adapt
technology to suit local conditions
Aquaculture
• FAO definition “Aquaculture is the farming of aquatic
organisms including fish, molluscs, crustaceans and aquatic
plants. Farming implies some sort of intervention in the rearing
process to enhance production, such as regular stocking, feeding,
protection from predators, etc. Farming also implies individual
or corporate ownership of the stock being cultivated. For
statistical purposes, aquatic organisms which are harvested by an
individual or corporate body which has owned them throughout
their rearing period contribute to aquaculture while aquatic
organisms which are exploitable by the public as a common
property resources, with or without appropriate licenses, are the
harvest of fisheries”
Brief on Aquaculture
• It is one of the fastest developing industries
• Increasing concern with improper and inappropriate used of
technologies and techniques:
– Lead to environmental issues
– Disease problems
– Economics and social livelihood losses
• Increasing need in proper information, technologies, and
farming techniques dissemination, such as the Code of Good
Management Conduct in Aquaculture
• NACA is taking a step forward and making eNACA as an
information hub for sustainable aquaculture development in the
region
Traditional Information and Communication
Methods in Aquaculture
• Magazines – Aquaculture Asia, quarterly multilingual aquaculture
magazine by NACA
• Other form of publications such as workshop proceedings,
reports, etc
• Workshops and Seminars, for examples the recent NACA
AquaBusiness Seminar and Exhibit in Langkawi, Malaysia
• Study tours and field trips
• Training Courses, such as a regular training course run in NACA
Regional Lead Centre at Wuxi, China and the upcoming Grouper
Hatchery Training Course in Bali, Indonesia
Limitation of Traditional Information and
Communication Methods in Aquaculture
• Limitation of these methods
– Time consuming and less flexible
– Expensive - not all people can participate
– Limiting distribution
– Information is easily outdated, particularly on disease
issues
New Age Information and Communication
Methods in Aquaculture
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Websites http://www.enaca.org
E-mail news – Grouper Electronic Newsletter
Web based and e-mail discussion groups
CDs
Networking – Asia-Pacific Grouper Network (APGN), with
fully integrated communication network on R & D in grouper
and marine fish activities, ranging from Australia, Indonesia,
Philippines, Thailand, and possibly expanding to Malaysia,
Vietnam and more in the region.
• Due to the success of APGN activities, strong support from
ACIAR (Australia) for expanding networking activities into
other R & D programs
New Useful Information & Communication
Tools For NACA’s Websites
• Search Engine
• Databases – such as AAPQIS, the information from the
AAPQIS has been used to develop a very resourceful and
useful manual for farmers
• Electronic Library – to allow institutions to access each
other publications
• Mail server – for electronic news, events, etc
Trans-Himalayan Coldwater Fisheries
Network (TCFN)
• Increasing awareness and important of internet technologies in
aquaculture and fisheries for information exchange and
dissemination
• Members of NACA request to assist in establishing TCFN
• Including establishing the internet and networking facilities in
Nepal
• This program will extend to other countries such as China, India,
Pakistan, etc in the Trans-Himalayan region
• The request strongly indicating the important of modern
communication technologies and their application in Aquaculture
and fisheries activities
e-Learning in Aquaculture Education and
Training
• In 1999, APEC funded a program on “Collaborative Aquaculture
Education in the Asia-Pacific Region”, which was carried out
jointly by NACA and Deakin University (Australia)
• As a result, an Expert Consultation (EC) was held in Hanoi,
Vietnam in May 2000
• The EC recommended an Aquaculture Education Consortium
(AEC) to be established, to develop a regional aquaculture
curriculum, and also include some technical level courses to help
farmers learn on-the-job
• A second Expert Meeting was held in Nov 2001 in Hanoi,
Vietnam, funded by FAO, and hosted by RIA No 1
• AEC was strongly supported once again
e-Learning in Aquaculture Education and
Training
• NACA and Deakin University is already working toward
establishing the AEC, based on the recommendation and NACA’s
5 years Work Program
• Kasetsart University (KU) was invited and two representatives
attended the meeting, one from Department of Aquaculture and
one from the Computer Center
• NACA will look for strong link with KU in the Aquaculture
Education Program, KU already connected with APAN network
• To achieve the e-Learning program in aquaculture education and
training, NACA seeks to build links with APAN, with its strong
internet network in this region
Constraints of Modern Communication
Technologies in Aquaculture
• General Constraints
– Not accessible by all, particularly less developed countries and
remote areas where internet access can be a problem (but can
be limiting as information can be distributed by extension
workers, and some conventional extension mechanisms like
radio and TV are also useful in some areas)
– Language issues
Constraints of Modern Communication
Technologies in Aquaculture
• Specific Constraints
– NACA is currently connection at 64 Kbs ISDN line, low
speed internet connection
– High cost of internet connection, NACA is not a profit
oriented organization, therefore cost is the major limiting
factor for further expansion of its services, Most NACA
aquaculture information are distributed at cost or free, free
particularly to academic institutes, research institutes, and
governments
Future Expansion and Collaboration
• NACA would like to expand its internet & website capacities
and also looking at upgrading server capacity
• Organization interested in providing assistance or work in
collaboration please contact us or visit our HQ in Bangkok
• To find out more of our activities please visit our website at
http://www.enaca.org
Thank You