Final document of the 3rd BACSA meeting, held on 20th September 2007 at Vratza, Bulgaria

Final document of the 3rd BACSA meeting, held on 20th September 2007 at Vratza, Bulgaria during the international conference “Sericulture Challenges in the 21st Century” (Serichal 2007)

 

The BACSA executive committee in the forum: Third Executive Meeting of Black, Caspian seas and Central Asia Silk Association (BACSA), 20 September 2007, Vratza, Bulgaria took the following decisions:

1. Express formal gratefulness to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN, the Government of Republic of Bulgaria and National Centre of Agricultural Sciences, Sericulture Experiment Station, Vratza, Bulgaria for organizing the international conference “Sericulture Challenges in the 21st Century” (Serichal 2007) and the 3rd BACSA meeting, 18 -21 September 2007, Vratza, Bulgaria.

2. Express formal gratefulness to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN for providing technical assistance and financial support to the international conference “Sericulture Challenges in the 21st Century” (Serichal 2007) and the 3rd BACSA meeting, 18 -21 September 2007, Vratza, Bulgaria.

3. Express formal gratefulness to the Sericulture Research Institute, Gandja, Azerbaijan, Sericulture Experiment Station, Vratza, Bulgaria, Commercial society “Sericarom” – Research department, Bucharest, Romania, Apicultural and Sericultural Department, Faculty of Animal Husbandry and Biotechnology, University of Agricultural Science and Veterinary Medicine, Cluj Napoca, Romania and Uzbek Sericulture Research Institute, Tashkent, Uzbekistan for conducting the international silkworm hybrid testing and to all the silkworm egg providers for their participation in the mini BACSA regional project “Comparative studies of silkworm hybrids performance for sericultural enterprise development in Black, Caspian seas and Central Asia region”.

4. Express formal gratefulness to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN for providing technical assistance and financial support to conduct the mini BACSA regional project “Comparative studies of silkworm hybrids performance for sericultural enterprise development in Black, Caspian seas and Central Asia region”.

5. The BACSA’ national coordinators to inform their governments about the 3rd BACSA executive meeting results and decisions.

6. Until the end of year 2007 the BACSA National coordinators in Albania, Georgia, Greece, Kazakhstan, Romania, Turkey and Ukraine to prepare sericulture national development plans for the period 2007 – 2015 and to put them on the attention of the government respective for approval and consideration in the national agricultural development plans. The sericulture national development plans to be uploaded at the BACSA web site.

7. The BACSA Executive committee recommends to all BACSA member countries to continue and expand their bi/multi lateral cooperation in exchange, testing and use of silkworm and mulberry genetic material.

8. The BACSA Executive committee recommends to all BACSA member countries their silkworm breeding programmes to be directed towards improvement the silk productivity of the hybrids, by the same time preserving their comparatively high pupation rate and cocoon yield.

9. The BACSA Executive committee recommends to all BACSA member countries their sericultural organizations to make bi and multi lateral agreements for international cooperation for exchange of mulberry and silkworm germplasm resources, new scientific and technical information, visits of researchers, participate in joint research projects etc.

10. The BACSA Executive committee recommends to the BACSA member countries to try submitting sericulture projects through the FAO TCP facility programme which is under the responsibilities of the FAO country representative or the Regional FAO office.

11. The BACSA members should continue their efforts in popularizing the association’s activities in the world by the web site, attending at international meetings and conferences etc/.

12. Until May 2008 the BACSA president to prepare a draft for an uniform standardization system for production of sericultural branch of the BACSA countries and distribute it to all BACSA members for their review, comments and suggestions. After revising the draft to present it during the 4th BACSA meeting for approval by the Executive committee members.

13. To make efforts in strengthening the possible technical and scientific cooperation among the BACSA and other countries through the European framework programmes. The EU member countries (Bulgaria, Greece and Romania) and candidates (Turkey) should be especially active in searching for foreign partners and initiation of joint research projects and cooperation.

14. The BACSA Executive committee to make efforts in finding funding for the next four points:

• Creation of uniform standardization system for production of silk branch of the countries involved.

• Prepare a draft project proposal in development of methods and means for innovation of the cocoon/silk processing technique and technology.

• Creation of an international fund on revival and development of sericulture industry and handcraft manufacture of silk in the countries of the Black, Caspian seas and Central Asian region.

• Providing experts of the Silk Sector to/from different Black, Caspian seas and Central Asia countries, with individual programs with base in specific necessities.

15. BACSA Executive committee recommends to the Bulgarian Sericulture Association and the Commercial society “Sericarom”, Romania to make efforts the governments of Bulgaria and Romania to request officially the European commission about implementation after 2009 of the EUROPEAN COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 1544/2006 of 5 October 2006 laying down special measures to encourage silkworm rearing and the COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 1744/2006 of 24 November 2006 on detailed rules for aid in respect of silkworms.

16. BACSA Executive committee recommends to the Bulgarian Sericulture Association and the Commercial society “Sericarom”, Romania to suggest to the governments of Bulgaria and Romania providing national financial direct support to the silkworm reareres in 2008 and 2009.

17. Due to the recent retirement of the BACSA National coordinator in Greece, Ms. E. Rammou the BACSA Executive committee has elected unanimously Dr Evripidis Kipriotis, Director of the Agricultural Research Station if Komotini as National coordinator in Greece.

18. Considering that Iran is one of the leading silk producer in the Caspian region, having very old and recent tradition in sericulture the BACSA Executive committee has taken a decision to accept Iran as a BACSA member country if some of the sericultural Iranian institutions (University of Guilan, Iran Sericulture Research Institute, Iran silkworm rearing Co.) agree.

19. BACSA Executive committee has taken decision to accept as personal BACSA members Dr B.N. Susheelamma from India and Mr. K. Etebari and Ms. L. Matindoost from Iran.

20. The BACSA Executive committee recommends to the Sericulture Experiment Station, Vratza, Bulgaria to prepare, print and distribute by post the Proceedings of the international conference “Sericulture Challenges in the 21st Century” (Serichal 2007) and the 3rd BACSA meeting held in Vratza, Bulgaria from 18 to 21 September 2007. By the same time BACSA will upload the conference proceedings at its web site.

21. To organize the next 4th BACSA executive meeting during the International Sericultural Commission 21st congress which will be held from 3 to 6 November 2008 at Athens, Greece.

22. The BACSA national coordinators and the Executive committee members to make efforts in organizing national/regional meetings or conferences on the occasion of the International year of natural fibers 2009.