In this issue:

28th NACA Governing Council, Dhaka, Bangladesh; register for the First Regional Training Course on Culture-based Fisheries; 11th Indian Fisheries and Aquaculture Forum, Kochi, 21-24 November; audio recordings for regional feed consultation now available; tilapia lake virus; Proceedings of the International Symposium on Aquatic Animal Health and Epidemiology for Sustainable Asian Aquaculture; ICAR-CIBA launch "Vanami Shrimpapp", a mobile app on Pacific white shrimp (Penaeus vannamei) farming; Pakistan officials train on aquaculture certification.

This position provides the opportunity for an exceptional candidate to pursue research on governing for food security, equity and resilience in Pacific small-scale fisheries. The appointee will work alongside a WorldFish team working with regional authorities and national governments. The joint appointment will provide the opportunity to collaborate with leading social scientists in the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies program on policy, institutions and governance.

In this issue:

Inspiring story of aquaculture in Sikkim - a journey from conservation to farming; farming of scampi and tiger shrimp together - a case study from West Bengal; Labeo pangusia - a candidate for diversification of hill aquaculture; sustainability of an integrated livestock-fish-crop farming system as a small scale enterprise; sustainable coastal aquaculture in India; potential scope and prospects of domestic fish market in Chhattisgarh.

Coastal aquaculture in India was historically focussed mainly on tiger shrimp farming (Penaeus monodon) but production issues and disease led to the introduction of SPF Pacific white shrimp (L. vannamei) in 2009. A robust technical and legal framework was established by the Coastal Aquaculture Authority. Improved regulation has improved sustainability of the sector and underpinned production, with farmed Pacific shrimp output rising from 1,731 tonnes in 2009-2010 to 353,413 tonnes in 2014-2015.

The Department of Fisheries is responsible for aquaculture sustainability, including food safety, animal health and welfare, environmental integrity, social and community welfare and regulation of fishing activities across the whole aquaculture supply chain. The Feed Quality Control and Development Division is responsible for registration and certification of feed formulas and monitoring of feed quality. In addition to input controls, end products are also subject to inspection and monitoring, certification and traceability systems.

China is the world's largest producer of aquaculture feeds. With the development of aquaculture, the feed industry has inevitably faced some challenges in promoting update of commercial feeds, pollution, use of trash fish, fish meal and fish oil issues, provision of accurate nutrition and feeding, antibiotic residues, food safety, and so on. In order to balance economic and environmental issues the Chinese Government released its 13th Five-year Plan last year. Trends and policy changes relevant to aquaculture are discussed.

The Asia Regional Advisory Group on Aquatic Animal Health meets annually to discuss regional health issues including emerging disease threats. This report includes a review of regional disease status circa 2016, global and regional disease reporting arrangements, global issues and standards, progress in implementation of the the Regional Technical Guidelines on Health management for the Responsible Movement of Live Aquatic Animals, identification and designation of regional aquatic animal health resources and regional and international cooperation.

The 15th meeting was held from 21-23 November 2016, in Bangkok, Thailand. A special session was held on addressing the use of anti-microbial substances in aquaculture and the development of anti-microbial resistance. This is an issue of global concern for both human and animal health, and it had been addressed by a resolution at FAO’s Thirty-ninth Conference in June 2015. The meeting reviewed in detail the status of aquatic animal disease in the region.

Directory of research and development centres and other partners that participate in the Network of Aquaculture Centres in Asia-Pacific.

Directory of NACA's staff members and their contact details.

The Technical Advisory Committee is a body of independent experts that make recommendations on development of the NACA Work Programme. The committee meets bi-annually.

The Governing Council is NACA's peak policy body, consisting of representatives from member governments.

The Asia Regional Advisory Group on Aquatic Animal Health meets annually to discuss regional health issues including emerging disease threats. This report includes a review of regional disease status circa 2015, global and regional disease reporting arrangements, global issues and standards, progress in implementation of the the Regional Technical Guidelines on Health management for the Responsible Movement of Live Aquatic Animals, identification and designation of regional aquatic animal health resources and regional and international cooperation.

In this issue:

Changes to the magazine and website. Status of alien fish species farming and it's implications for Andhra Pradesh, India. Bridging the research-extension-farmer-input and market linkage gap in coastal aquaculture through application of ICT. Bio-remediation of domestic sewerage recycled in aquaculture: A Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture model. Role of family farming in marine and coastal ecosystem management in India. Conservation of fish genetic resources: An introduction to the state fishes of India.

The Asia Regional Advisory Group on Aquatic Animal Health meets annually to discuss regional health issues including emerging disease threats. This report includes a review of regional disease status circa 2014, global and regional disease reporting arrangements, global issues and standards, progress in implementation of the the Regional Technical Guidelines on Health management for the Responsible Movement of Live Aquatic Animals, identification and designation of regional aquatic animal health resources and regional and international cooperation.

In this issue:

Anti-microbials and alternatives. Successful demonstration of new model for rural development in Myanmar. Optimisation of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) production in ponds based on improved farm management practices in Rwanda. EUS infection in freshwater fishes of Andhra Pradesh. Development of pond-reared broodstock / spawners of green mud crab Scylla serrata. ASEAN Gender Network launched. A two-tube nested PCR detection method for AHPND bacteria. 9th Regional Grouper Hatchery Production Training Course.

Further training provided to aquaculturists in Fiji. Spatial planning for sustainable coastal shrimp production. Availability of grouper (Serranidae) fingerlings and seed in the coral reef of Son Tra Peninsula, central Viet Nam. Small-scale carp seed production through portable FRP hatchery at Khanguri, Odisha. Regional consultation on culture-based fisheries developments in Asia. Gender Assessment Synthesis Workshop. Broodstock management in aquaculture. Urgent appeal to control spread of the shrimp microsporidian parasite Enterocytozoon hepatopenaei (EHP).

The research and development mandate of NACA is addressed through five thematic work programmes and three cross-cutting work programmes that support sustainable aquaculture and aquatic resource management in the region.

In this issue:

Integrated rice/crayfish farming in Hubei Province, China. Improvement of seaweed Kappaphycus alvarezii culture production by reducing grazing by rabbit fish (Siganus spp.). Exploring the fisheries of Wular Lake, Kashmir, India. Golden mahseer Tor putitora - a possible candidate species for hill aquaculture. Free primers for specific detection of bacterial isolates that cause acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease. Special session on regional cooperation for improved biosecurity. AHPND detection discussion group established.

The Asia Regional Advisory Group on Aquatic Animal Health meets annually to discuss regional health issues including emerging disease threats. This report includes a review of regional disease status circa 2013, global and regional disease reporting arrangements, global issues and standards, progress in implementation of the the Regional Technical Guidelines on Health management for the Responsible Movement of Live Aquatic Animals, identification and designation of regional aquatic animal health resources and regional and international cooperation.