FAO has awarded the Margarita Lizárraga Medal to the Network of Aquaculture Centres in Asia-Pacific (NACA) in Thailand. NACA was selected with recognition of its significant contribution to sustainable aquaculture development in the Asia and Pacific Region. NACA serves as a cohesive intergovernmental forum for the formulation of regional policies as well as cooperation and coordination in aquaculture research, development and training. In particular NACA has noteworthy achievements in the areas of environment and aquatic animal health, support to small-scale fish farming, promotion of better management practices (BMPs) and aquaculture certification. The NACA model as an intergovernmental organization and a regional aquaculture network has been and is being emulated in other region as a catalytic effect of the achievement. The contribution of NACA to application of the Code is therefore outstanding, practical, tangible and sustainable as well as catalytic for other regions to follow.

In 1997 the FAO Conference instituted the Margarita Lizárraga Medal to be awarded every two years to a person or organization that has served with distinction in the application of the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries. The Medal pays tribute to Ms Margarita Lizárraga, Senior Fishery Officer, for her decisive role in promotion the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries.