INFOPESCA is an international and independent organization aiming to serve enterprises, sectorial associations and governments in all aspects related to fisheries and aquaculture development. Its particularity is to develop projects in different fields such as production, processing and distribution having always a marketing concept in mind.

Having Latin American and Caribbean member countries, INFOPESCA does not, however, limit its activities to this continent but brings also the know-how and the experience of Latin America and the Caribbean in these fields to the fisheries sector worldwide.

For the development of fisheries and aquaculture projects, with international, national or private financing, INFOPESCA is based on: (a) a permanent and multidisciplinary team of experts with international experience, (b) link agents in all countries of Latin America and of the Caribbean, (c) a worldwide network of specialized consultancy enterprises, (d) a network of independent and associated experts, (e) an exceptional and permanently updated data bank about fisheries and aquaculture, and (f) collaboration with the GLOBEFISH network of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), which also includes INFOFISH in Asia, INFOPECHE in Africa, INFOSAMAK in Arab countries, EASTFISH in Eastern Europe, and INFOYU in China.

The main fields of activity are: (a) marketing of seafood (general or tailor-made market studies; search of markets for producers and of suppliers for buyers; promotion of Latin American and Caribbean seafood on the world market, including the participation in the world main specialized fairs: BOSTON, ANUGA, SIAL, BREMEN, EXPOPESCA, CENIPA, etc.; and publications that bring to subscribers updated information about opportunities and the state of the regional and of the world markets for fish products), (b) processing and quality control (implantation of the HACCP concept and leveling of plants to the standards of the main importing countries; rationalization of production lines; development of value-added products; edition of quarterly CC&I that brings to subscribers the main information in connection with quality control and fish inspection, (c) production (in fisheries or in aquaculture, mobilizing for clients the best experts in several specialities, with total back-up of INFOPESCA), and (d) development strategy (definition of business plans, preparation of projects documents for presentation to financing institutions, and preparation of sectorial diagnostics and master plans).

COMPOSITION

11 members: Argentina, Belize, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Uruguay, Venezuela

STRUCTURE

INFOPESCA has two principal organs: the General Assembly, which meets every two years, and the Executive Committee, which meets once a year. INFOPESCA consults with National Liaison Offices in each country of the region which are mostly governmental agencies appointed by the respective governments. To achieve its objectives, INFOPESCA utilizes three principal services: (1) The Commercial Information Service; (2) The Trade Promotion Service; and (3) The Technical Advisory Service.

GENERAL PUBLICATIONS