Better disaster responses safeguard marine resources in Asia-Pacific
As incidents of extreme weather increase, the aquaculture and fisheries sectors can raise their defences by taking stock of successful responses to hardships caused by recent disasters.
Preparedness based on experience was the central message of an APEC seminar that examined ways to mitigate the impact of extreme climate on aquaculture and fisheries, which took place in Taipei on 21-23 March.
The devastation suffered by Chinese Taipei’s marine resource businesses caused by Typhoon Morakot in August 2009 was depicted as a cautionary tale for other APEC member economies during the three day meeting.
APEC members account for over 90% of global aquaculture production, more than 75% of the world’s capture fisheries and around 70% of global consumption of fish products.
Chinese Taipei officials and scientific experts recounted Typhoon Morakot’s fury on the island’s southern coastline and subsequent fallout for enterprises and communities dependent on the surrounding marine-rich environment.
“Hazardous tropical storms are nothing new to us, but the path of destruction of this typhoon was extraordinary and inflicted unparalleled damage to townships, industries, construction and aquaculture, not to mention loss of lives, people’s properties and even their life savings,” said Chinese Taipei Council of Agriculture Minister, Bao-Ji Chen.
Discussion later shifted to disaster response, and the steps necessary to adapt and mitigate the impact of future meteorological events.
Ocean and fisheries officials from across the Asia-Pacific expressed concern about the effects of climate change on the industry.
Chinese Taipei Council of Agriculture Deputy Minister, Sing-Hwa Hu explained the island’s suffering that resulted from extreme climate in the past few years.
“With close cooperation between the public and private sectors, we have managed to overcome all difficulties, move on and get on our feet again,” Hu said.
Typhoon Morakot brought record-breaking torrential rain to Chinese Taipei, resulting in flooding and mudslides that virtually swept away local grouper, oyster and shrimp farming overnight, and inflicted USD140 million in estimated aquaculture damages and another USD17 million in fisheries infrastructure losses.
“This is still a sorrowful memory for me and for those farmers whose livelihoods depend on fish farming,” said Tzu-Yaw Tsay, Chinese Taipei Council of Agriculture’s Fisheries Agency Deputy Director-General. “It is our duty to share our lessons to all APEC member economies and to those in other parts of the world.”
Seminar participants underscored the importance of proper aquaculture and fishery management and protection amid global weather changes, particularly given the role they play in feeding the region’s population and assuring food security, and in light of plummeting fish stocks worldwide.
The consensus was that the exchange of related views and lessons had helped to identify appropriate channels for future cooperation between APEC economies and jointly map out better precautionary responses.
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For more information, contact David Hendrickson +65 6891 9671 at [email protected] or Michael Chapnick +65 9647 4847 at [email protected].
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