Aquaculture successes celebrated at 3rd national forum in Dili

December 7, 2023 - Around 200 stakeholders have converged in Dili, Timor-Leste, for the third National Aquaculture Forum to share research and development experiences and foster partnerships for sustainable aquaculture development.

The two-day forum, on November 30 and December 1, was hosted by the partnership for Aquaculture Development in Timor-Leste Phase 2 project (2020-24) funded by the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade who have continuously funded aquaculture development since 2014, with complementary funding from United States Agency for International Development. The PADTL2 project is implemented by WorldFish in partnership with the Timor-Leste Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Forestry.

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The aquaculture forum brings together government officials, development partners, researchers, fish farmers and private sector operators. The event aims to foster collaboration, learning and the continued scaling of sustainable practices within Timor-Leste's growing aquaculture sector.

Eng. Marcos da Cruz MAg ST, Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries, and Forestry: 

"Efforts to scale up Genetically Improved Farmed Tilapia (GIFT) over the last 10 years have yielded tangible benefits by enhancing livelihoods and improving food and nutrition security. It's imperative for the public and private sectors, along with development partners, to share their experiences and learnings to inform a coordinated approach to accelerate efforts. Our targets of achieving 12,000 tonnes of farmed fish production annually and increasing annual fish consumption to 15kg per person by 2030 remain paramount."

Philip Hewitt, New Zealand Ambassador to Timor-Leste: "The forum is a testament to our collective progress-more than 300 PADTL2 project farmers in six municipalities have achieved a 350 percent increase in productivity through semi-intensive systems and better management practices. With a capacity of producing more than 10 million fingerlings by all five GIFT hatcheries annually, our journey toward sustainable aquaculture is making a real difference."

Dr Essam Yassin Mohammed, Director General, WorldFish: "With key building blocks in place, such as a scalable aquaculture development model, participants can explore opportunities and challenges to accelerate fish farming in Timor-Leste for a brighter future. The successes and lessons learned from Timor-Leste's aquaculture development provides a blueprint for other small island developing states to realise new economic and livelihood opportunities."

For more information, visit HERE.

The Aquaculturists

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