The FAO and CACFish (the Central Asian and Caucasus Regional Fisheries and Aquaculture Commission), the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Turkey and EUROFISH organised a capacity-building regional workshop in Istanbul, Turkey. The workshop was intended for government officials and industry representatives in Central Asian and Caucasian countries and sought to aid the development of the post-harvest fisheries sector in the areas of food safety, processing, markets, and trade. The workshop addressed issues faced by fish processors and traders in developing countries and economies in transition arising from the increasingly complex fish value chains that include countless import regulations, international standards, and certification schemes. The workshop was attended by 54 participants including the 14 speakers from 18 countries (Albania, Azerbaijan, Denmark, Estonia, Georgia, Hungary, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Latvia, Norway, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Turkey, and Uzbekistan).
