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.

The workshop was held in Bali, Indonesia from 6 to 8 November 2013. The programme included reports on current aquatic animal disease situations in selected countries and presentations on the national aquatic animal health programmes of China, Japan and Korea. In addition, case studies on the molluscan diseases, shrimp diseases and finfish diseases were presented to facilitate the subsequent discussion on emergency response of those diseases in the national and regional level.

Shrimp aquaculture in tropical regions is facing a disease-induced catastrophe of lost production. There is reason to believe that current (poor) broodstock management practices may induce genetic erosion that increases susceptibility to disease and vulnerability to epizootics. The basic tenet for this consultation is that an important aggravating factor in the disease crisis is an agro-economic system that locks shrimp breeders, hatcheries and farmers into behaviour that induces high levels of inbreeding.

Shrimp aquaculture in tropical regions is facing a disease-induced catastrophe of lost production. There is reason to believe that current broodstock management practices may induce genetic erosion that increases susceptibility to disease and vulnerability to epizootics. The basic tenet for this Expert Consultation is that an important aggravating factor in the disease crisis is an agro-economic system that locks shrimp breeders, hatcheries and farmers into behaviour that induces high levels of inbreeding.

Efforts to control AHPND have been hampered by the lack of a specific and rapid detection method that could be used to determine the reservoirs of the causative bacterial isolates, to insure their absence in shrimp broodstock and post larvae, to monitor shrimp during cultivation and to aid research on possible control measures. Our two groups have been conducting cooperative research on possible PCR methods to detect isolates of AHPND bacteria.

This report, the 63rd in the series, contains information about the aquatic animal health status of fifteen states in the Asia-Pacific region. The foreword provides an update on acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease of cultured shrimp, including a description of an improved PCR method for detection of AHPND bacteria.

In this issue:

Towards meeting future demand for fish: Aquaculture in inland or marine land or water-based systems? Status of carp farming in India. Recent trends in mariculture in southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia. Murrel (snakehead) culture in backyard cement tanks: A breakthrough and a success story. Mobile telephony - ICT eneabled fisheries extension service for sustainable shrimp farming. International Symposium on Small-scale Freshwater Aquaculture Extension. Report on early mortality syndrome / acute hepatopancreatic necrosis syndrome of shrimp.

In this issue:

International Symposium on Small-scale Freshwater Aquaculture Extension, 2-5 December, Bangkok. 12th Meeting of the Asia Regional Advisory Group on Aquatic Animal Health. National Workshop on EMS/AHPND of Cultured Shrimp held in India. Report on early mortality syndrome / acute hepatopancreatic necrosis syndrome of shrimp. Sustaining Ethical Aquaculture Trade Newsletter. India and the AFSPAN Project. Report on AFSPAN Chilean survey. Feeding and feed management of Indian major carps in Andhra Pradesh.

This study was designed to improve our understanding of the main causal pathways for white spot disease (WSD) in a representative, 50-pond shrimp farming system in South Sulawesi, Indonesia. The longitudinal observational study focused on recording the occurrence of different genotypes of the causal infectious agent, white spot syndrome virus (WSSV), in selected components of the system across time, and looking for relationships with pond outcomes, particularly WSD occurrence.

This report, the 62nd in the series, contains information about the aquatic animal health status of sixteen states in the Asia-Pacific region. The foreword discusses the outcomes of the 12th meeting of the Asia Regional Advisory Group on Aquatic Animal Health.

This report, the 61st in the series, contains information about the aquatic animal health status of fifteen states in the Asia-Pacific region. The foreword discusses the OIE tool for evaluation of performance of aquatic veterinary services.

In this issue:

Special session on regional cooperation for improved biosecurity. Pond aquaculture taking off in Nepal. Introduction of culture-based fishery practices in small water bodies in Cambodia: Issues and strategies. A case study on polychaete fishery by the Irular tribal fishing community on the Tamil Nadu coast. Use of pangasius pond sediment for rooftop bag gardening: Potential for rural-urban integrated agriculture-horticulture. Culture-based fisheries exchanges between Lao PDR and Cambodia.

In this issue:

Culture-based fisheries development in Lao PDR and Cambodia proceeding well. National aquatic animal disease surveillance programme launched in India. Report on early mortality syndrome / acute hepatopancreatic necrosis syndrome of shrimp. International Symposium on Small-scale Freshwater Aquaculture Extension, 2-5 December, Bangkok. 'Perfect' food for 'perfect' prawns. Aquaculture without Frontiers Special Session. We asked CSIRO: Gold Coast Tiger Prawns. Understanding the sex of salmon. Overcoming smallholder challenges with biotechnology. Coordinated efforts in aquaculture needed to meet global demand. FAO e-book collection for tablets and e-readers.

This report is the proceedings of a workshop held under the FAO technical cooperation project Emergency assistance to control the spread of an unknown disease affecting shrimps held in Hanoi, Viet Nam from 25 to 27 June 2013. The workshop reviewed recent investigations into the cause of acute hepatopancreatic necrosis syndrome, believed to related to a strain of Vibrio parahaemolyticus and drew a number of recommendations on specific and generic actions and measures for reducing the risk of AHPND.

A new FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Report, Early Mortality Syndrome (EMS) or Acute Hepatopancreatic Necrosis Syndrome (AHPNS) of Cultured Shrimp, focuses on this emerging disease that has devastated the shrimp industry of China, Malaysia, Thailand and Viet Nam over the last three years.

The Department of Animal Husbandry Dairying and Fisheries, Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India has approved a national project on aquatic animal disease surveillance for five years and funding of INR 320 million (about US$ 6 million) has been allocated through the National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB). A national consultation on aquatic animal disease surveillance held last April 2012, attended by NACA, made a strong recommendation for the need for a national program on surveillance.

Under the FAO technical cooperation project (TCP/VIE/3304 (E)) Emergency assistance to control the spread of an unknown disease affecting shrimp, this final technical consultation on “Early Mortality Syndrome (EMS) or Acute Hepatopancreatic Necrosis Syndrome (APHNS) of Cultured Shrimp” was jointly organised by FAO and Vietnam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development from 25-27 June 2013, Prestige Hotel, Hanoi, Viet Nam.

These are the proceedings of the FAO/AAHRI Expert Workshop on Improving Biosecurity through Prudent and Responsible Use of Veterinary Medicines in Aquatic Food Production, held in Bangkok, Thailand, from 15 to 18 December 2009. The workshop discussed the current status of antimicrobial usage in aquaculture and the impacts of their irresponsible use on human health, the aquatic environment and trade. The outcomes are relevant to the development of guiding principles on the responsible use of antimicrobials in aquaculture.

In this issue:

A second trip to Hubei Province, central China. Sea cage growout of cobia Rachycentron canadum in the Gulf of Mannar. Culture of small indigenous fish species in polyculture with Indian major carps and high value crops along pond dykes. Study on sperm chilled storage of common carp Cyprinus carpio in Vietnam. Culture-based fisheries exchanges between Lao PDR and Cambodia. Culprit behind massive shrimp die-offs in Asia unmasked.

In this issue:

Culture-based fisheries exchanges between Lao PDR and Cambodia. Culprit behind massive shrimp die-offs in Asia unmasked. Presentations from the final technical consultation on EMS/AHPNS of shrimp available for download. Aquaculture certification workshop held in Viet Nam. Aquaculture in a genetic plunge towards extinction? NACA implements World Bank training program on Good Aquaculture Practices. Study tour on aquaculture and wetland management for delegation from Assam, India. Koh Yao Noi Tree Bank and mangrove replanting continues. Consistent fish names key to consumer confidence. We are hiring! Request for contributions: Global Advances in Ecology and Management of Golden Apple Snails (2nd edition).