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 2003, 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.

Lymphocystis is a common, chronic and benign infection caused by an iridovirus that results in uniquely hypertrophied cells, typically in the skin and fins of only the more advanced orders of fishes.

This disease card provides information on the epizootic of koi and common carp in Indonesia. The pattern of the recent epidemic in koi and common carp in Indonesia is consistent with that of an infectious disease, but there is as yet no definitive aetiological diagnosis. The Regional Aquatic Animal Health Advisory Group of NACA in its first meeting decided to list Koi mass mortality under Unknown diseases of serious nature in the Quarterly Aquatic Animal Disease report.

The Manual of Procedures for the Implementation of the Asia Regional Technical Guidelines on Health Management for the Responsible Movement of Live Aquatic Animals provides background material and detailed technical procedures to assist countries and territories in the Asia Region in implementing the Asia Regional Technical Guidelines on Health Management for the Responsible Movement of Live Aquatic Animals. The Technical Guidelines were initiated due to increased recognition that disease emergence is often linked to live aquatic animal movements.

The Asia Regional Technical Guidelines on Health Management for the Responsible Movement of Live Aquatic Animals and their associated implementation plan, the Beijing Consensus and Implementation Strategy provide expert guidance for national and regional efforts in reducing the risks of disease due to trans-boundary movement of live aquatic animals. The Technical Guidelines were initiated due to increased recognition that disease emergence is often linked to live aquatic animal movements and causes significant socio-economic losses.

The sixteen papers in this volume were largely based on the data from a survey of more than 5,000 shrimp and close to 6,000 carp farms in sixteen countries and territories in the Asia-Pacific region. They provide an economic and technical efficiency of production analysis for Asian shrimp and carp farming systems. This survey was conducted under the ADB/NACA regional study and workshop on aquaculture sustainability and the environment (RETA 5534).

In this issue:

Freshwater prawn Macrobrachium nobilii for rural nutrition. Snapshots of a socially responsible farm in Sri Lanka. Introduction of rainbow trout in Nepal. Tilapia seed production in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Seaweed mariculture - scope and potential in India. Growth enhancement of carp and prawn through dietary suppliementation with salt. Fertilisation and water quality management in small ponds. The "Gher Revolution". Exercising responsibilities to tackle aquatic animal disease. Immunostimulants in aquaculture.

In this issue:

Ornamental fish farming in India. Tilapia for Indian aquaculture? Peri-urban food production in southeast Asia. Socio-economic consequences of shrimp farming in Andhra Pradesh. Breeding techniques for golden arowana Scleropages formosus. Captive breeding of peacock eel Macrognathus aculeatus. Substrate-based aquaculture systems. Extension in shrimp health management - experiences from India. Treatment of disease in freshwater shrimps and crabs in China. Larval rearing techniques for humpback grouper Cromileptes altivelis.

In this issue:

Peri-urban aquaculture in Kolkata. Diffusion and adoption of shrimp farming technologies. Aquaculture education in India. Information system on fish germplasm resources in China. Freshwater crustacean aquaculture in China. The role of macronutrients. Innovations by Bengal farmers. Scientific guidelines for freshwater prawn farmers in India. Status of mariculture in Indonesia. Use of probiotics in larval rearing. Problems in shrimp culture during the wet season.

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 2002, global and regional disease reporting arrangements, global issues and standards, progress in implementation of 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.