Health and Biosecurity

The Health and Biosecurity Programme assists members to reduce the risks of aquatic animal disease impacting the livelihoods of farmers, national economies, trade, environment and human health by:

  • Improving regional cooperation in aquatic animal health and welfare.
  • Developing and implementing national strategies on aquatic animal health.
  • Improving surveillance, reporting and response to disease emergencies.
  • Promoting harmonisation of diagnostic procedures and risk assessment.
  • Widespread promotion of better aquatic animal health management practices at the farm level.

Key activities

Key activities of the programme include:

  • Convening the annual meeting of the Asia Regional Advisory Group on Aquatic Animal Health, coordinating the Quarterly Aquatic Animal Disease Report and bringing regional issues to the attention of global standard setting bodies such as the Office International des Epizooties.
  • Establishment and expansion of a three-tier shared resource in aquatic animal health.
  • Development of farm-level health management tools for key aquaculture commodities.
  • Supporting regional disease surveillance and reporting.
  • Strengthening aquatic animal health and biosecurity in the region.
  • Facilitating harmonisation in disease diagnostic techniques.
  • Developing resource material in support of diagnosis and surveillance.

Contacts

Creative Commons Attribution.

Related

Subject tags

A collection of subject tags relating to technical matters.

In this collection

Mixed shrimp farming-mangrove forestry models in the Mekong Delta: Termination report

The goal of this project was to optimise the economic yield from mixed shrimp aquaculture-mangrove forestry farming systems in Ca Mau Province, Vietnam, in a sustainable manner. Specific objectives were to investigate factors controlling the yields of shrimp and wood from shrimp farming-mangrove systems, experiment with shrimp pond and mangrove forest management to evaluate different culture options, identify improved practices and assist government to transfer the results of the project to the wider coastal farming community.

Trans-boundary aquatic animal pathogen transfer and the development of harmonized standards on aquaculture health management

This document provides the report of the joint APEC/FAO/NACA/SEMARNAP workshop on “Trans-boundary aquatic animal pathogen transfer and the development of harmonized standards on aquaculture health management,” held at Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, 2000. The workshop reviewed the impacts of trans-boundary pathogens, management strategies and harmonisation of of aquatic animal health management measures. Participants adopted the “Puerto Vallarta Plan of Action” incorporating recommendations for to control the spread of serious aquatic animal pathogens.

Lymphocystis disease: Disease card

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.

Withering syndrome of abalone: Disease card

This disease card provides information on the causative agent, transmission, host range, distribution and diagnosis of abalone withering syndrome. The disease is caused by an intracellular bacterium Candidatus Xenohaliotis californiensis of the family Rickettsiaceae. Information on diagnosistic methods and references are provided.

Mass mortality of koi and common carp: Disease card

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.

Manual of procedures for the implementation of the Asia Regional Technical Guidelines on Health Management for the Responsible Movement of Live Aquatic Animals

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.

Asia Regional Technical Guidelines on Health Management for the Responsible Movement of Live Aquatic Animals

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.

Economics and Management of Shrimp and Carp Farming in Asia

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).

Quarterly Aquatic Animal Disease Report, October-December 2003

This report, the 22nd in the series, contains information about the aquatic animal health status of seventeen states in the Asia-Pacific region. The foreword discusses the role of disease surveillance programmes and issues realted to the OIE Aquatic Animal Health Standards Commission.

Quarterly Aquatic Animal Disease Report, July-September 2003

This report, the 21st 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 second meeting of the Asia Regional Advisory Group on Aquatic Animal Health.