8 SEPTEMBER 2014 • WORLD AQUACULTURE • WWW.WAS.ORG of international biotechnology for aquaculture. The PND states that Mexico must develop new technologies applicable to commercial crops. To do so, the Mexican government has signed international agreements, most notably the Convention on Biological Diversity, the UNFCCCs Kyoto Protocol on Climate Change, the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora and the UN Millennium Development Goals. Signing these agreements is intended to make Mexico an active participant in the sustainable development of new technologies for commercial crops. This implies an increase in the competitiveness of the Mexican economy, including the aquaculture sector. Technical and Market Challenges for Mexican Aquaculture Shrimp is the main aquaculture sector in Mexico, with a production record of 150,000 tons in 2009, although production is subject to large variation from the threats of massive crop losses from diseases and competition with shrimp produced in Asia. In 2013, total production was only 20,000 tons because of EMS. The most common diseases faced by shrimp production are White Spot Syndrome Virus, Infectious Hypodermal and Hematopoietic Necrosis Virus, Taura Syndrome Virus and Yellow Head Virus. Recently, Mexican crops faced a massive outbreak of the Early Mortality Syndrome, also known as Acute Hepatopancreatic Necrosis Syndrome. While information on viruses is abundant, there is much to learn about their molecular biology, infection mechanisms, transmission, origin and evolution. In Mexico, the presence of some of these viruses has affected the shrimp farming industry and effects on natural populations have not yet been evaluated. In this context, an alliance among the production sector, government and academia is vital to mitigate the effects of diseases and to support certification schemes for eco-efficient production and thus achieve greater market competitiveness. Another important challenge for aquaculture in Mexico is to reduce the current dependence on imported seafood products, mainly produced in Asian aquaculture. Today, more than 45,000 tons of tilapia are imported annually, mainly from China, with about MXN$1,500 billion (USD$113 billion) going to foreign producers, simply because domestic production is not sufficient to meet market demand. The same effect occurs with other species, such as basa catfish imported from Vietnam. To obtain high quality products for human consumption, it is necessary to apply Best Farming Practices, along with a rigorous monitoring that would allow producers to certify their products in terms of health and safety. Aquaculture must avoid negative impacts on ecosystems, other productive activities and socioeconomic conditions, hence the importance of correspondence between aquaculture development programs and benefits for the population of each region. Research Aquaculture research programs are concentrated in three key government institutions and public centers, namely the National Polytechnic Institute (IPN), the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) and the Centers of the National Council for Science and Technology (CONACyT). These programs focus on research for the development and improvement of culture technologies to boost production of species with high nutritional value at affordable prices. So far there are several lines of research conducted in these research centers and, according to the Fisheries and Aquaculture Rector Plan, priorities are aquaculture of crustaceans, shellfish and finfish. Research lines focus on the development of live feeds, optimal environmental conditions, and the reduction of stress on crops to increase larval survival. There are experimental laboratories for research in areas such as nutrition, breeding, health and pathology, physiology, reproduction and development of aqua-technologies. Mexican academic graduate programs are among the most important in Latin America in terms of personnel training and the country ranks among the best in the world in research of commercially important species, competing with countries such as Australia, Chile, France and the USA. Mexico offers graduate degree programs that support students with scholarships and research stays around the world. This promotes inter-institutional collaboration to develop and apply aquaculture research programs that optimize natural resources and organize the available current infrastructure and human and financial resources. Need for Collaboration Aside from technical aspects, the lack of linkages in current aquaculture programs has promoted an empirical growth of the industry. This has caused severe problems when adapting existing technologies, thus causing high costs and delaying the fulfillment of national goals. There is a great lack of biotechnologies for the development of native species, which highlights the need to establish coordination mechanisms for breeding programs and for the management of resources. The limited contact between academia and producers has led to a steady loss of resources, with consequent delays and duplication of efforts, resulting in a disparity and inconsistency of results. Therefore, there is a great need for reorganization to maximize efforts, with effective mechanisms that interlink social, public and private entities. This would gather current knowledge and potential developments and allow appropriate and optimal planning of research required for the development of Mexican aquaculture in the short, medium and long term. Editors Note: This article was submitted by the staff of Panorama Acuícola magazine in promotion of the upcoming LACQUA meeting in Guadalajara, Mexico. More information on aquacultural practices in Mexico and Latin America can be found at www.panoramaacuicola.com. In Mexico, food is a priority issue. On one hand there is a malnutrition problem prevailing in the extremely poor segment of the population, on the other there is a huge obesity problem.
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