Workplan

LATIN AMERICAN AND CARIBBEAN SUSTAINABLE AQUACULTURE PROJECT Dr. James Tobey COASTAL RESOURCES CENTER University of Rhode Island, Narragansett Bay Campus, Narragansett, RI 02882 USA Tel: (401) 874-6411, FAX: (401) 789-4670 , Email: Tobey@GSOSUN1.GSO.URI.EDU The Project

The Coastal Resources Center of the University of Rhode Island (CRC), with support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and its Hemispheric Free Trade Expansion Initiative (HFTE), is launching a project that promotes sustainable shrimp aquaculture in the Latin America and Caribbean region (LAC). This project is the second phase of an effort that began as an analysis of the economic, environmental and social issues in shrimp aquaculture in the LAC region. The overview report is now available in English and will soon be available in Spanish.

The Importance of Shrimp Aquaculture in the LAC Region

Shrimp aquaculture is a significant export industry in the LAC region with important impacts on the environment and coastal communities. The environmental and social problems caused by shrimp farming are topics of national and international concern. Sustainable shrimp aquaculture is defined in this project as practices that ensure the industry is economically viable, ecologically sound and socially responsible. Sustainability in shrimp aquaculture can only be reached if short-term and long-term effects on the environment and community are appropriately recognized and effectively protected.

Project Goal

Mechanisms for addressing the environmental and social side effects of shrimp farming are inadequate in many countries. This is being recognized by international government bodies, industry groups and non-governmental organizations. One response has been to formulate principles of sustainable shrimp aquaculture and codes of practice. The goal of this second phase of the CRC project is to advance the translation of principles of sustainable shrimp aquaculture into tangible practice in the LAC region. The project is based on the principle that this will be best accomplished with the private sector, government and other stakeholders working in partnership in the development of better approaches for addressing environmental and social impacts of shrimp aquaculture.

The project is not designed to refine specific on-farm production technologies and practices. The focus is on advancing management approaches that address the relationships between shrimp aquaculture operations and their social and environmental surroundings. The kinds of topics that will be addressed by this project are:

Improvement of pre-construction planning and decisionmaking, through use of:

Impact assessment techniques
Land use zoning, permitting processes and buffer zones

Shrimp farm operations which include:

Review, formulation and testing of Best Management Practices that lower impacts and sustain production
Design and implementation of environmental regulations such as water standards and discharge permits
Community management plans and user group agreements
Research and monitoring of estuary conditions and trends
Technical assistance and extension that address the environmental, social and economic impacts of shrimp farming

The LAC aquaculture project will catalyze, document, test and assess demonstrations of several of these approaches that are selected in consultation with LAC shrimp aquaculture stakeholders–the aquaculture industry, governments, fishers’ associations and affected communities. Experience will be drawn from aquaculture initiatives worldwide, with an emphasis on the LAC region. The focus of field activities, however, will be Central America. Topics will be selected using the following criteria:

Their importance to shrimp aquaculture stakeholders in Latin America, with a focus on Central American countries
The topic requires collaboration among government, the shrimp industry and other stakeholders
The topic relates to issues perceived as critical to progress towards sustainable shrimp aquaculture
There are real opportunities for application of international on-the-ground experiences from other regions into Central American sites
The topic is not so technically intractable or politically charged that progress is unlikely

Projected Outcomes

The outcomes of the project will be increased sharing of country experience to promote sustainable shrimp aquaculture; recommendations for improved shrimp aquaculture management and practice in different country contexts; improved dialogue between the shrimp industry, government and community interests; and, testing of approaches to mitigate the social and environmental impacts of shrimp aquaculture.

Project activities will be undertaken over a one year period ending in late 1998. The project will be administered by USAID and CRC through its Coastal Resources Management II Cooperative Agreement, which advances effective coastal management worldwide. For more information, or to express interest in the project, please contact: