Page 22 - FAO Aquaculture News, May 2021 - No. 63

Webinar: Regional

Review on Status

and Trends in

Aquaculture

Development in

the Near East and ©FAO/Aqua Mdiq (photo taken before COVID-19 pandemic) Special Section | Aquaculture Reviews

North Africa – 2020

Commercial marine fish cage farm off the Mediterranean coast of Morocco.

n September 2021, FAO, in close collaboration with the Arabia for 4.2 percent; other significant producers included
IChinese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and the Iraq (25 737 tonnes), Tunisia (21 826 tonnes), Algeria
Network of Aquaculture Centres in Asia-Pacific (NACA), (5 100 tonnes), the United Arab Emirates (3 350 tonnes)
will organize the Global Conference on Aquaculture and the Syrian Arab Republic (2 350 tonnes).
Millennium +20 (see www.aquaculture2020.org). Day
one of this Conference will review the developmental A total of 43 species of finfish, shellfish and aquatic plants
status of global aquaculture and will do so by focusing on were farmed in the region. Tilapia (mainly Oreochromis
the industry status, trends and emerging issues in different niloticus) was produced in 14 NENA countries and
regions of the world. In preparation of this important event, represented 63 percent of total production, followed by
FAO has engaged a large number of experts and is in the mullets (14 percent) and the major carp species (12 percent).
process of finalizing six regional aquaculture reviews that Farming of marine finfish (mainly gilthead seabream,
will be published later this year. The key development, Sparus aurata, and European seabass, Dicentrarchus labrax)
constraints and outlooks of the sector for each region will and the whiteleg shrimp (Litopeneaus vannamei – mainly in
also be presented and discussed at the Conference.
INTRODUCTION AND KEYNOTE
The preliminary findings of the Regional Review on Status Welcome remarks Matthias Halwart
and Trends in Aquaculture Development in the Near East Head, Aquaculture Branch, FAO
and North Africa were presented in October 2020 at a Opening remarks Saud Al-Habsi
webinar organized by FAO (the video recording is available Minister, Agriculture, Fisheries Wealth and
here: www.aquaculture2020.org/reviews). Below is a Water Resources, Oman
brief summary of the sector in the Near East and North Regional Review of Malcolm Dickson
Africa (NENA) region. Aquaculture in North Africa Former Country Director, WorldFish
and the Near East – Status,
Trends and Options for the
The NENA region covers a wide territory that extends from Way Forward
Iraq to the east of the Arabic Peninsula all the way across EXPERT PANEL DISCUSSION
northern Africa to Morocco on the Atlantic coast, covering Roles of government and Majida Maârouf
2
a total land mass of 9.8 million km . The region is mostly private sector in aquaculture Director, National Aquaculture Development
arid or semi-arid but has extensive coastlines and includes a development Agency, Morocco
wide range of economies, from high-income, hydrocarbon- Future developments, Ali M. Al Shaikhi
rich countries to low-income countries. In 2018, NENA innovation and climate Director General, General Directorate of
aquaculture production was worth USD 2.3 billion, two- change Fisheries, CEO, National Fishery Development
Program, Ministry of Environment, Water and
thirds of which came from Egypt as the leading producer. Agriculture, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Production has doubled over the past decade, reaching a Markets as key drivers for Shérif Sadek
historical high of 1.7 million tonnes in 2018. Egyptian fish aquaculture development President, African Chapter, World Aquaculture
farms accounted for 92 percent of production and Saudi Society, Director, Aquaculture Consultant
Office, Egypt
Q&A AND CONCLUSION
Prepared by: Question and Answer session
Alessandro Lovatelli Closing remarks
E-mail: Alessandro.Lovatelli@fao.org Matthias Halwart
Head, Aquaculture Branch, FAO
FAO Fisheries Division, Rome, Italy
Moderator: Alessandro Lovatelli, Aquaculture Branch, FAO.

FAO AQUACULTURE NEWS – Nº. 63 ■ MAY 2021 21