Welcome address

Professor A.Eleftheriou, Institute of Marine Biology of Crete, Greece
Workshop Coordinator

In recent years there has been a very considerable increase in aquaculture development, but there is still a great deal of scope for further expansion in the light of the near collapse of some wild fisheries stocks. However, it cannot be denied that in spite of all the wealth and employment that aquaculture has brought to many countries, in spite of its continuing production of high quality protein, the aquaculture industry is experiencing some difficult moments. Current concerns on the adverse impact of aquaculture activities and habitat degradation, the unregulated use of chemicals and antibiotics, the use, the production of genetically modified fish, the production and use of genetically modified feeds, the spread of disease and contamination from pollutants, have resulted in a negative image and bad publicity leading to assumptions which are detrimental to aquaculture.

The workshop will address these issues squarely, and will endeavour to come to some conclusions and make some preliminary recommendations, leading to the formulation of some essential protocols for a responsible and sustainable aquaculture.

Greece has undertaken the role of facilitator in the present EU initiative in promoting an ASEM S & T Aquaculture cooperation platform through the mobilization and organization of knowledge, learning and action on a broad front. It is to be hoped that Greece will continue to play this role in this platform between ASEM partners from research, the private sector, administration and society in the broadest sense.

We are grateful to the China Society of Fisheries for accepting to organize this workshop in Beijing in the wake of the preceding meetings of the FAO and World Aquaculture 2002 and which, though much smaller in terms of participants, has added considerably to their workload. We are particularly grateful to Professor Li Sifa, Dr Jacky Jiang and his team, without whose efforts this Workshop could not have taken place.