PRESS RELEASE

For immediate release. November 2002
For further information contact: Martin Parr, Tel: +44 (0) 1491 829442, Email: m.parr@cabi.org

The Aquaculture Compendium

Building the leading source of global information on Aquaculture

CAB International, in association with the Institute of Aquaculture - University of Stirling, and the Asian Institute of Technology, is pleased to announce the development of the new Aquaculture Compendium.

The Compendium is a versatile reference and problem-solving resource that brings together a wide range of encyclopaedic and multimedia tools to present a continually updated scientific overview of the topic.

The Aquaculture Compendium will take two years to develop and will involve the contribution of the worlds' experts in Aquaculture and Aquatic Resource Management. It will be the fourth Compendium that CAB International has produced in its award-winning series; its predecessors covering Crop Protection, Forestry, and Animal Health and Production have set global standards for information delivery. Each Compendium comprises information sourced from experts, edited and compiled by an independent scientific organization, and kept up-to-date routinely.

To be developed and funded through a consortium of donor agencies, technical bodies and private sector corporations, this unique comprehensive resource will offer quick and easy access to the world's information on Aquaculture, drawing together new texts with existing databases and Aquaculture-related information. Negotiations are underway to build partnerships with FishBase, the FAO and others.

The Compendium is designed to help users:
" Understand aquaculture in its broader context. Addressing issues of livelihoods, natural resources and environment, biodiversity, trade, food production and safety, poverty alleviation, and much more.
" Find information about finfish, crustaceans, molluscs and other commonly cultured aquatic species.
" Determine solutions for identifying, solving and preventing health problems in different production systems, including detailed coverage of pests and diseases.
" Identify trends in aquaculture worldwide.
" Recognize good practice through examination of detailed case studies from around the world.
" Promote the sustainable development of aquatic resources.

All of this and more, will be contained in an intelligent taxonomic and systems-based framework, and displayed in an extremely user-friendly format. The Compendium will be available on CD-ROM or via the Internet.

The Aquaculture Compendium will be a unique key information source for both aquaculture specialists and non-specialists wanting to learn more about the subject. Those that will benefit include Extension Officers, Commercial Producers, Feed and Chemical Industry, Seed Producers, Aquatic Health Specialists, Policy Makers, Planners, Research Scientists, Quarantine Officers, Lecturers, Students, Processing and Export Industries. It meets the needs of those in developed and developing countries.

If you would like more information on the Aquaculture Compendium, would like to contribute material or can assist in funding - simply email: m.parr@cabi.org
For further information visit: www.cabicompendium.org

Notes for Editors

CAB International, is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to improving human welfare worldwide through the dissemination, application and generation of scientific knowledge in support of sustainable development.

CABI Publishing, a division of CAB International, is one of the world's leading applied life science publishers. In addition to its world-renowned databases, from which many print and electronic products are derived, CABI Publishing has an active and expanding list of highly respected primary research journals and books. CABI Publishing is at the forefront of many of today's developments in electronic publishing, has been producing databases in electronic form since 1972, and started publishing on the Internet in 1995.

Compendia are developed by CAB International's Information for Development Programme, which assists developing countries in the acquisition, management and dissemination of information to support national programmes in a sustainable way.