Havana - The 16th Regular Meeting of the Commission for Small-Scale and Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture of Latin America and the Caribbean (COPPESAALC) concludes this Friday with the formulation of a working plan for the 2019/20 biennium.

Also during the final day of this event, taking place at the Melia Habana Hotel since Wednesday, participants present COPPESAALC recommendations to the regional conference of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

The FAO regional conference is made up of ministerial-level officials representing member countries. It defines the priorities for technical assistance in this field from that organization.

Debates are fostered by recommendations of several bodies and actors, among them the FAO Statutory Technical Commissions.

Issues such as the situation of marine, inland and aquaculture fishing in COPPESAALC countries, as well as proposals to improve the functioning of the Commission in the context of its new thematic scope, have been analyzed during the meeting.

FAO representative in Cuba Marcelo Resende described the Fishing Law approved in this country as very important for sustainable production and development. It is a universal public policy that contributes to the development of marine resources, fishing and aquaculture.

COPPESAALC currently includes 21 countries: Argentina, Ecuador, Panama, Bolivia, El Salvador, Paraguay, Brazil, Guatemala, Peru, Chile, Honduras, Dominican Republic, Colombia, Jamaica, Suriname, Costa Rica, Mexico, Uruguay, Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela.