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.

In this issue:

Fertilisation, soil and water quality management. Commercialisation of giant freshwater prawn culture in India. Aquaculture in reservoir-fed canal systems. Production of black-lip pearl oyster Pinctada margaritifera. Hybridisation hassles. Breeding sea cucumber Holothuria scabra in Vietnam. Use of palm kernel meal in feeds. Getting the most out of your feed. Marine finfish aquaculture in Myanmar. Penaeus monodon culture in low-salinity areas. Fisheries and aquaculture in Nepal.

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.

In this issue:

Iran poised to become member. Indonesia Ministry endorses membership. NACA and FAO implements Phase II of the Asia-Pacific Regional Program on Molluscan Health Management. Message to NACA Alumni: Proposed Alumni Network. Research and Technology for Farmer and Environment Friendly Farming of Marine Fish in the Asia-Pacific. NACA Organises Four Training courses and Study Tours for Bangladesh in the third quarter.

In this issue:

Chemical residues. Live reef fish trade in Hong Kong. Barramundi farming in Australia. Freshwater pearl and prawn production in China. Status of common carp varieties under culture in China. Induced spawning of Pangasius sutchi. Cambodian farmers innovate cost-effective variations on Chinese hatcheries. Genes and fish. Improving rural livelihoods in Cambodia, Vietnam, Nepal and the Philippines through the STREAM Initiative. Marine finfish news, book reviews and more.

The Quarterly Aquatic Animal Disease report provides information about the status of aquatic animal disease in 21 participating states in the Asia-Pacific region. The diseases covered in the report are reviewed annually by the Asia Regional Advisory Group on Aquatic Animal Health. The report was first published in the second quarter of 1998. It is a joint activity between NACA, FAO and the OIE Regional Representation (Tokyo). 

The Asia Regional Advisory Group on Aquatic Animal Health meets annually to discuss regional disease issues including emerging disease threats. The group was established by the Governing Council of NACA to provide advice to member governments in the Asia-Pacific region. This collection comprises the reports of the annual meetings of the group. The reports are a rich source of information concerning the current disease status of the region and new or emerging diseases of aquatic animals.

This training manual on scallop and sea cucumber hatchery and aquaculture techniques was prepared for the Scallop and Sea Cucumber Breeding and Culture Training Course, conducted by the Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute in Qindao, People’s Republic of China and organised by the Regional Seafarming Development and Demonstration Project in May 1991.

Ths paper enumerates different carp integrated farming systems being prevalent in Asia along with successful case studies indicating potential and constraints of such systems. It recommends to integrate carp farming with agriculture and irrigation, livestock farming, sewage utilisation and water pollution control not only to increase the productivity of land and water and improve the economic conditions of poor farmers but also to maintain health and hygiene of the rural poor and city dwellers alike.

This document briefly describes the status of the aquaculture in the Regional Aquaculture Lead Centre for Thailand circa 1981, in terms of available species and research priorities. Work was conducted on air-breathing catfish Clarias batrachus, snakehead Channa striatus, giant freshwater prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii, silver barb Puntius gonionotus, snakeskin gourami Trichogaster pectoralis, mussels Perna viridis and oysters Crassostrea spp. Includes brief descriptions of culture methods prevalent for these species at the time.