Comunidad del pacífico en perspectiva - Volumen 2

LA COMl:NIDAD DEL PAclnoo EN PERSPECTIVA / F. Orrego Vicuria nations of vegetables, tropics-adapted carbohydrate-producing crop~ and even of mixing land agriculture with aquaculture. The availability of fresh water may set a limit to some of these endeavors, but recent developments of selective breeding and hybri– dization of crop plants suggest that plants can be grown with the use of brackish or saline water (Boyko, 1968), and that, therefore, the coastal zone may have uses for agriculture that have not yet been realized. In aquaculture, there are numerous cultivars that permit the use of brackish water (Bardach et al., 1972). Maricul· ture proper is developing by leaps and bounds with Pacific nations being in the lead by far in these developments (Bardach, 1976), among which one should mentÍon especially the culture of marine algae for industrial colIoids and perhaps eventually as a base of biofuels. At the same time, the Pacific furnishes about 52% of the worId's fish harvest (Holt, 1978); estimates by the FAO indicate that the fish take in the Pacific could at least be doubled through emphasis on now underharvested species, the high value skipjack tuna promi. nently among them (FAO, 1978). Even laboratory attempts at the first stages of tuna aquaculture have been successful. The tropical Pacific, compared to other oceans, has by far the largest area of coral reefs; these are productive of fish and their harvest has endowed the Pacific Islanders with a remarkably sound nutritional base in the pasto Now sporadic overfishing Ís the rule, in part, because ancient and wise fishery management methods ha– ve been relinquished in favor oí those introduced by western na– tions. WJwre fishes do not l1l0ve much, as is the case with most members of reef fish populations, and/or where man reHes for food or income on truly sessile organisms such as giant dams or cone shells it pays to give management responsibilities for areas to indi– viduaIs or groups rather than to open the fishery to all wha can technically partake in it. Such was the ancient polynesian custom; it should be reexamined for its applicability to present times. The authors believe that this would be an important contribution which island cultures could make to red fish management in the Pacifico Just as reef fishing grounds were owned by dans, tribes, or fami– lies in ancient times, so are now the fishing grounds for tuna· OW- 142