Workshop on Best Management Practices for Small-scale Shrimp Farmers
From 28-30 May 2007, the workshop on 'Best Management Practices for Small-scale Shrimp Farmers' was jointly organized by SERD's Aquaculture and Aquatic Resources Management (AARM) Field of Study, the Networks of Aquaculture Centers in Asia-Pacific (NACA) in close cooperation with the Department of Fisheries Thailand. It was a planned activity of the shrimp farm BMPs project co-funded by the EU Thailand Economic Cooperation Small Projects Facility.
About 40 participants representing small-scale shrimp producers, processors, and exporters, department of Fisheries officials, researchers and academicians attended the workshop.
AIT President Said Irandoust presided over the closing ceremony of the workshop on 30 May.
The workshop arranged by Dr. Dhirendra Prasad Thakur, Senior Research Specialist and Coordinator of the project, and AARM colleagues, was to finalize best management practices (BMPs) relevant to the small-scale shrimp farmers and formulate strategies for efficient adoption. It analyzed the existing management plans, capacities and institutional management, identified gaps, and prepared an overall plan for adoption of BMPs by the small-scale shrimp farmers. It was an opportunity to initiate dialogue between farmers and other stakeholders and helped to improve understanding of their role and responsibilities in the industry. The workshop created a forum to build-up mutual trust among the farmers and the processors/ exporters through the effective dialogue. The workshop took note of the historical changes in the Thai shrimp industry influenced by the import standards and discussed strategies to increase Thai shrimp export to the EU.