This brief reports on a catfish farming stakeholder workshop and focus group meeting on vulnerability and adaption to climate change held in Can Tho, Vietnam. Stakeholders including catfish farmers in general expressed that climate change is a serious threat, having observed shifts in climatic patterns, saline water intrusion and frequent typhoons. Suggestions to reduce on-farm risks included producing quality fry, developing new culture systems, elevating dykes, livelihood diversification, awareness workshops and financial support to farmers.

Climate change impacts such as more frequent and severe floods and droughts will affect the food and water security of many people. The impact of climate change on aquatic ecosystems, fisheries and aquaculture, however, is not as well known. This policy brief, a joint partnership between several agencies, highlights this issue to ensure that decision makers and climate change negotiators consider aquatic ecosystems, fisheries and aquaculture at the UNFCCC COP-15 in Copenhagen, December 2009.

Shrimp farming is one of the fastest growing aquaculture sectors in many parts of the world and also one of the most controversial. The International Principles for Responsible Shrimp Farming provide the basis upon which stakeholders can collaborate for a more sustainable development of shrimp farming. The principes address issues including farm siting, farm design, water use, broodstock and postlarvae, feed management, health management, food safety and social responsibility.

Our policy briefs are an attempt to share beneficial lessons that are learnt from local practice or from research, to many more people within Asia-Pacific and to enable people, institutions and policy makers to use new tools and mechanisms which support aquatic resources management in ways that benefit the livelihoods of people who are poor. 

In the Asia-Pacific region national government support to aquatic resources management has tended to focus mainly on research and technology development. However, as we accept an increasingly important role for national fisheries administrations in poverty alleviation, we need to consider the choices that people make, the resources they can command and the circumstances in which they can be woven into supporting livelihoods. This means understanding more about people's livelihoods, resources, context, vulnerabilities and objectives.