The global export value of fish and associated products has soared dramatically over recent decade. The global export value of fish and associated products has soared dramatically over recent decades, from US$15 billion in 1980 to US$130 billion today. At the same time, there have been dramatic changes in the fish supply and value chains, enormous growth in aquaculture, and tremendous improvements in logistics, distribution and packaging. In parallel, there also have been growing concerns over environmental issues and sustainability. GLOBEFISH, the FAO unit responsible for gathering, assessing and disseminating information and analysis of international fish trade, has almost three decades of experience in developing regional information networks.

Raised wire-mesh racks, covered with small, silver lake fish drying in the sun, stretch across the Burundi shore of Lake Tanganyika near the small fishing village of Mvugo. While simple in design, these drying racks have made an enormous contribution both to local nutrition and the local economy. This improved drying technique was introduced in 2004 by an 18-month FAO project, during which a small pilot centre was constructed near Mvugo fishing village.

A summary of knowledge on the process of aquaculture site selection and carrying capacity estimates within an ecosystem approach to aquaculture (EAA) is now available online. "Site selection and carrying capacities for inland and coastal aquaculture" contains the proceedings of the FAO Expert Workshop on Site Selection and Carrying Capacities for Inland and Coastal Aquaculture held at the Institute of Aquaculture, University of Stirling, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, from 6 to 8 December 2010. It includes seven global reviews and ten regional reviews on site selection and carrying capacity encompassing inland aquaculture and coastal aquaculture presented at the workshop. Four with capacity categories appropriate for different types of aquaculture - physical, production, ecological and social - were agreed. Discussion also covered the range and capability of modelling tools, including spatial tools, available for addressing these capacities. The prioritization and sequence for addressing site selection and the different categories of carrying capacity were considered in detail in terms of both regional or national priorities and site-specific considerations.

The workshop produced two major outcomes: (i) a comprehensive record of the workshop proceedings (this publication); and (ii) a set of guidelines for addressing site selection and carrying capacity in the context of the framework of the EAA, including summaries of the key findings and recommendations for aquaculture site selection and carrying capacity with an EAA perspective. Recommendations were made for promotion of these concepts and approaches by FAO.

This publication is organized in two parts: the workshop report and first global review and the full document (available on a CD–ROM accompanying the report).