The 81st edition of the Quarterly Aquatic Animal Disease report contains information from twelve governments. The foreword discusses the proposed Regional Collaboration Framework on Aquatic Animal Diseases in Asia and the Pacific. This will initially focus on building a framework of actors with the aim of strengthening laboratory capacity for aquatic animal disease activities in Asia and the Pacific, for example to support emergency response. 

In this issue:

First announcement: Global Conference on Aquaculture 2020, 26-30 October, Shanghai, China; Bangladesh delegation visits Thailand to study shrimp aquaculture; Expert Consultation on Development of Sustainable Aquaculture Guidelines, Rome; Report of the Seventeenth Meeting of the Asia Regional Advisory Group on Aquatic Animal Health; Quarterly Aquatic Animal Disease Report, October-December 2018; Tuskfish 2 Alpha: Testers wanted.

This report summarises the proceedings of the 17th meeting of the Advisory Group, held 13-14 November 2018 in Bangkok, Thailand. The group's role includes reviewing disease trends and emerging threats in the region, identifying developments in global aquatic disease issues and standards, evaluating the Quarterly Aquatic Animal Disease Reporting Programme and providing guidance on regional strategies to improve aquatic animal health management.

The 80th edition of the Quarterly Aquatic Animal Disease report contains information from twelve governments. The foreword discusses revisions to the regional reporting system for 2019.

This year’s International Training Course on the Biology and Pathology of Penaeid Shrimp will take place from 1-12 July at Centex Shrimp, Mahidol University, Bangkok. Tailored to those interested in doing shrimp research or learning about shrimp diseases, you will get to learn from the very best in the field about major and emerging shrimp diseases, shrimp farm management, gross inspection and molecular diagnosis of infectious shrimp diseases. You will have opportunities to try your hand in a series of practical sessions.

In this issue:

30th NACA Governing Council Meeting, China; Dr Huang Jie elected as the next Director General of NACA; Expert Consultation on Genetically Responsible Aquaculture; Launch of AGRISI: Aquatic Genetic Resource System of India; Aquatic animal epidemiology training course held at NBFGR; Asia-Pacific Laboratory Proficiency Testing Workshop; Proceedings of the FishAdapt Conference; Quarterly Aquatic Animal Disease Report, July-September 2018; Centex Shrimp International Training Course on Biology and Pathology of Penaeid Shrimp; INFOFISH World Shrimp Trade Conference and Exposition.

A regional proficiency testing workshop for aquatic animal health laboratories was held from 13-14 March in Bangkok, Thailand. The workshop is part of a programme to provide laboratories with the opportunity to assess their own diagnostic performance, and improve their practices. Eight rounds of proficiency testing will be carried out over a period of four years. 34 laboratories from thirteen countries in the region are participating in the programme. The programme is an initiative of the Australian Government.

The ICAR-NACA School on Aquatic Epidemiology and Disease Surveillance was held at the ICAR National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources (NBFGR) from 1-6 March. The school was a collaboration between the Indian Council of Agricultural Research and NACA. The school covered:

• Concepts and principles of epidemiology.
• Use of epidemiological principles in design and implementation of surveillance programmes.
• Sampling considerations for surveillance programmes.
• Population surveys.
• Estimation of sensitivity and specificity of diagnostic tests.
• Questionnaire design.

The 79th edition of the Quarterly Aquatic Animal Disease report contains information from eleven governments. The foreword discusses the outcomes of the 17th Meeting of the Asia Regional Advisory Group on Aquatic Animal Health, held in Bangkok, 13-14 November 2018.

The ICAR-National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources, Lucknow, India is conducting a School on Aquatic Animal Epidemiology and Disease Surveillance from 1-6 March, 2019. Five seats are available in the school for researchers from NACA member countries (outside of India) on first-come first-served basis. Participants should be nominated by research centres participating in NACA or by member governments. Accommodation, hospitality and meals will be provided for the duration of the training. Travel grants are not available. Please apply / express interest by 13 February 2019.

In this issue:

Current status of freshwater cage aquaculture in India; Fattening of mud crab Scylla serrata in estuarine region of south-eastern West Bengal; Aquaponics - sustainable farming method in the fight against hunger; aquatic invasive apple snails (Pomacea spp.) in Timore-Leste - current status, spread and management in rice fields; NACA Newsletter.

In this issue:

Joint FAO-NACA workshop reviews aquaculture farming system classification scheme; Join us for the Global Conference on Aquaculture 2020; Expert Consultation on Genetically Responsible Aquaculture; Strengthening governance in aquaculture; Pike perch and in-pond raceways; Quarterly Aquatic Animal Disease Report, April-June 2018.

FAO and NACA have signed an agreement to convene a global conference on aquaculture in 2020. This will be the fourth conference in a series that began at the dawn of the industry in Kyoto, 1976. Aquaculture 2020 will be held late in the year in China. Arrangements, programme and partner details will be announced via the NACA website in due course.

The 78th edition of the Quarterly Aquatic Animal Disease Report contains information from twelve governments in the Asia-Pacific region. The foreword discusses three recent aquatic animal health consultations: The ASEAN Regional Technical Consultation on Aquatic Emergency Preparedness and Response Systems for Effective Management of Transboundary Disease Outbreaks in Southeast Asia; the Regional Consultation and Related Study on Antimicrobial Resistance Risk to Aquaculture in Asia; and the Preliminary Consultation on Monitoring of Antimicrobial Resistance in Bacterial Pathogens in Aquaculture.

A contact list of national focal points for NACA's Aquatic Animal Health Programme and OIE.

The third resource level in the NACA regional resource base initiative is Regional Reference Laboratories (RRL) for diseases of regional concern, not listed by the OIE. These laboratories would (a) function as centres of expertise and standardisation for designated diseases (b) store and distribute biological reference products and any other reagents used in the diagnosis and control of the designated diseases (c) develop new procedures for diagnosis and control of the designated diseases and (d) gather, process, analyse and disseminate epidemiological data relevant to their speciality.

Listed below are the six Regional Resource Centres (RRC), approved by the 16th NACA Governing Council (21-23rd March 2005). The RRCs will support the regional aquatic animal health program through the provision of scientific and technical training for personnel from the region and diagnostic testing services to governments that are members of the regional aquatic animal health initiative and their personnel.

A contact list of aquatic animal health experts that have kindly agreed to support the regional health program by answering technical questions related to their field of expertise, assisting in development of disease cards, diagnostic manuals and supporting documents, and providing diagnostic assistance as far as possible during disease emergencies.

In this issue:

Consultations address antimicrobial resistance risk in aquaculture; ASEAN consultation on emergency aquatic animal disease preparedness and response; Applications for the position of Director General, NACA; Aqua 2018 - #WeRAquaculture; Asian Aquaculture 2018: Celebrating Asian Aquaculture, 3-6 December, Thailand; and Training and Deans' Forum organised in China.

The ASEAN Regional Consultation on Aquatic Emergency Preparedness and Response Systems for Effective Management of Transboundary Disease Outbreaks in Southeast Asia was held in Bangkok, 20-22 August. The objective of the consultation was to bring together ASEAN member states and technical experts to discuss the current status of emergency animal disease preparedness and response systems, and to identify gaps and opportunities for regional cooperation in management of transboundary disease.