Aquaculture Development Plan 2008-2013

The Aquaculture Development Plan 2008-2013 is a guide to aquaculture development in Vanuatu. It highlights the main commodities considered as having high potential for the Vanuatu situation, and identifies strategies, resources and key stakeholders required for the plan’s implementation. It highlights the need for all stakeholders to make a concerted effort to promote the development of aquaculture as complementary to wild fisheries production. The policy identifies seven critical areas that need to be addressed in order to produce the development framework required to bring the high-priority commodities to fruition. These critical areas are:putting in place appropriate aquaculture policy and legislation;establishing credit and finance schemes for the public and private sector;ensuring that adequate infrastructure is in place, including basic utilities and transportation;instigating research and development that will address bottlenecks in farming,marketing, etc.;ensuring that environmental management and biosecurity programmes maintain development within limits and at an acceptable level of risk;providing adequate extension support to farmers and communities; and undertaking human resource development to ensure that the public and private sector have the necessary skills and training for aquaculture.
Regarding the improvement of food security the accessibility of protein in the local diet would be improved with fish farm operations. In rural communities, some forms of aquaculture can be easily adopted by women, who are often responsible for meeting basic family needs on a day-to-day basis.
Nevertheless, agriculture, forestry and fisheries continue to feature highly among the country’s 80% rural-based population for household staple food and income. The government intends to facilitate more resources towards aquaculture development. This will help supplement current fisheries production and at the same time relieve pressure on natural fisheries resources. The ultimate aim is to optimise fisheries sector production to alleviate food security situations and impact positively on the country’s balance of trade.The principal focuses for the fisheries sector are to improve the industry’s efficiencyso it can supply a larger proportion of the protein needs of a rapidly growing population from local fish stocks, and to sustain limited fisheries resources.