These guidelines prepare and enable aquaculture societies to seek group certification from independent third party certification programmes. The guidelines are independent of commodity and certification standards. They were developed as part of a collaborative MPEDA/NaCSA/NACA project on the certification of aquaculture societies. Draft guidelines developed by the project partners were discussed at the inception meeting on aquacutlure society certifiction held at Kakinada during 1-2 September 2009.

Certification schemes for both wild and farmed products are gaining market share in many developed country markets. In a not too distant future, aquaculture’s share of total supply for human consumption will rise to somewhere between 60 and 70 percent. This will have a profound impact on the sector’s ability to shape world markets but it will also challenge the sector’s ability to respond successfully to evolving consumer needs.

As standards, certification schemes and claims proliferate, their value is being questioned. Producers and producing countries in particular question whether these private standards and certification schemes duplicate or complement government work, especially in relation to food safety and animal health. The expert panel will review current practices and future trends in market-based quality standards and certification schemes in aquaculture, including international initiatives to promote transparent market standards for improved safety, quality and sustainability in aquaculture. 

There is unprecedented growth in the demand for organic food and new areas of organic food production, such as fish, are proving increasingly popular. Today, several specific and relatively precise standards of organic aquaculture production (hatchery, feed, grow-out) and processing exist which aim at achieving optimal agro-ecosystems which are socially, ecologically and economically sustainable. Around 80 different organic aquaculture standards exist, both public as well as private.

Presentation of the summary, conclusions and recommendations of Thematic Session 4 (Responding to market demands and challenges; making aquaculture a safe and diverse food producing sector for the benefit of world consumers).

The Phuket Consensus is a declaration on aquaculture development endorsed by participants of the Global Conference on Aquaculture 2010, held in Phuket, Thailand, 22-25 September. The consensus builds on the Bangkok Declaration, which was formulated at the International Conference on Aquaculture in the Third Millennium, held in Bangkok, 20-25 February 2000. The consensus and declaration provide strategic guidance on sustainable development of aquaculture considering social, environmental, technical and economic issues.

In this issue:

Development of modern aquaculture in Java, Indonesia. Better management practices - gateway to sustainability. Update on organic scampi aquaculture in Andhra Pradesh. Domestic fish marketing in south India. Seed rearing of catfish Clarias batrachus. Supply and use of catfish Pangasianodon hypopthalmus seed in the Mekong Delta. Risk analysis and sustainability of catfish seed in the Mekong Delta. Life of a river in the Himalaya: Ecological study of the Trisuli River, Nepal and more.

In this issue:

Inception meeting on methodologies for aquaculture society certification. Meetings discuss impacts, adaptation to climate change of Vietnamese shrimp farmers. Aquaclimate project: India case study. In memory of Gagan Bahadur Nhuchhe Pradhan. Version 2 of the draft better management practices for catfish farming released. Technical course on federating digital library systems.

In this issue:

GLOBALGAP standard in Thai shrimp farms: Mission (im)possible? The Victorian trout industry and the bushfires. Small-scale aquaculture in the Ayeyarwady Delta, Myanmar. The history, status and future prospects of monosex tilapia culture in Thailand. Mangroves of Nakhon Si Thammaarat Province in Souther Thailand. Induced breeding of pacu Piaractus brachypomus in captivity. Fumosins - mycotoxins of increasing importance in fish. Microsatellite DNA markers, a fisheries perspective. Formulated feed for tiger grouper grow out.

In this issue:

Myanmar revisited. Harvesting, traditional preservation and marketing of fishes of Chalan Beel, Bangladesh. Role of community in production and supply of larger, quality fingerlings. Can rice-fish farming provide food security in Bangladesh? Nutritional and food security for rural poor through multi-commodity production from a lake of eastern Uttar Pradesh. Emerging boost in Sri Lankan reservoir fish production. Farming the freshwater prawn Macrobrachium malcolmnsonii. Breeding and seed production of catfish Ompok pabda.

In this issue:

Possible improvements to carp culture in Andhra Pradesh. Aquaculture and environmental issues in the region of Nai Lagoon, Vietnam. Selection potential for feed efficiency in farmed salmonids. Freshwater prawn broodstock concern in Bangladhesh hatcheries. Production of Cirrhinus molitorella and Labeo chrysophekadion for culture-based fisheries in Lao PDR: Nursery and grow-out. Mussel farming: Alternate water monitoring practice. Use of poultry by-product meals in pelleted feed for humpback grouper Cromileptes altivelis.

In this issue:

Aquaculture certification guidelines development process continues in Beijing, Washington D.C. Development of BMPs for catfish farming in Vietnam - survey of management practices. NACA extends cooperation with ADB for tsunami rehabilitation in Indonesia. International hands-on training programme on molecular biology techniques. Cage aquaculture carrying capacity tool now available. 6th Regional Grouper Hatchery Production Training Course completed. 2008 Forum on Fisheries Science and Technology, 25-27 September 2008, Shanghai, China. Aquaculture success stories 'write shop'. Bookshelf: New publications for free download.

This workshop was the fifth in a series of consultations to prepare the international guidelines for aquaculture certification. The workshop had a strong emphasis on aquaculture products from China, and explored opportunities and challenges for implementing the certification guidelines in China towards improving overall aquatic production and trade of aquaculture products. The workshop considered that international guidelines for aquaculture certification would provide a useful basis for development of standards for certification of aquaculture products in China.

Fish and fish products are crucial in the nutrition and livelihoods of the Myanmar people. However, little information is available on their patterns of consumption, inter-regional differences, availability and types of fish consumed. This report is the outcome of two concurrent missions, one to coastal areas and one to inland areas. The report includes the findings of the missions as well as conclusions and recommendations in support of the long-term sustainability of fishery resources in Myanmar.

In this issue:

19th Governing Council meeting held in Kathmandu, Nepal. OIE/NACA Regional Workshop on Aquatic Animal Health. Vietnam catfish BMP project kicks off. Planning meeting, Regional Project on Reservoir Fisheries Development and Management. NACA to document 'Aquaculture Success Stories'. 6th Regional Grouper Hatchery Training Course 5-25 May 2008. Establishing a Working Party on Aquaculture Statistics. Implementing the ASEAN Roadmap for Integration of Fisheries Sector. London Expert Workshop on Aquaculture Certification.

IDRC and NACA convened a workshop to identify the main research issues and needs to sustain Asian aquaculture into the first quarter of the 21st century, and also to bring them to the notice of relevant planners, managers and policy makers, and potential donors. The workshop was held in Rayong, Thailand from 4-7 June 2007. This report contains the issues papers drafted in preparation for the meeting and a summary of the discussions.

In this issue:

Developing guidelines for sustainable freshwater aquaculture planning in Vietnam. Aquaculture production, certification and trade for small-scale farmers. Backyard hatcheries for crustaceans in Thailand. Alternative carp species for diversification in India. Genetic and reproduction technologies for aquaculture and fisheries management of Murray cod. Status of sahar domestication in Nepal. Comparative advantage analysis of shrimp production in Asia. Strategies to improve the livelihoods of the rural poor, Vietnam, and more.

In this issue:

Better management practices for catfish aquaculture in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam. Developing better management practices for marine finfish aquaculture. Workshop on modelling carrying capacity for tropical finfish cage culture: Towards a consensus view. First comprehensive genetic management plan for Asian fish species: Mahseer. NACA and World Fisheries Trust sign agreement on collaboration. Fish Health Master Class. Second Workshop on Application of Molecular Genetic Techniques in Inland Fisheries and Aquaculture Management. Two new species of spiny eels described from Myanmar. Importance of species identification in conservation. Koh Yao Noi mangrove replanting in celebration of 80th birthday of His Majesty the King of Thailand. Responsible movement of live food finfish within ASEAN: Implementation workshop. Consultation on aquaculture certification guidelines. Strengthening regional mechanisms to maximise benefits to small-holder shrimp farmer groups adopting better management practices.

The workshop was the second in a series of expert meetings to assist the development of guidelines for aquaculture certification. The workshop gave stakeholders in the Americas a unique opportunity to get together with international stakeholders to discuss certification and in particular the development of the draft FAO/NACA guidelines for aquaculture certification. The workshop identified a strong need for an aquaculture certification guideline document to inform and guide stakeholders towards responsible and sustainable aquaculture. 

In this issue:

18th NACA Governing Council held in Bali, Indonesia. Strengthening aquatic animal health capacity and biosecurity in ASEAN - final workshop. Aquatic animal pathology master class. Vietnamese extension manual on culture-based fisheries. New project: Culture-based fisheries development in Lao PDR. Guidelines on digital publishing: a practical approach for small organizations with limited resources. Workshop on understanding and applying risk analysis in aquaculture. GISFish: Remote sensing and mapping for aquaculture and inland fisheries. Online encyclopeadia to list 1.8 m known species. DELTA 2007. NACA/FAO partnership working to establish guidelines for certification of farmed fish. Asia-Pacific Aquaculture 2007, 5-8 August 2007, Vietnam. Skretting sponsorship & scholarships for the Marine Finfish Aquaculture Network. The eleventh regular session on genetic resources for food and agriculture.