The Advisory Group (AG) is a body of technical experts that meets annually to provide advice to NACA member governments on aquatic animal health management. The group is drawn from academia, the private sector and government. The role of the AG is to review disease trends in the region, identify emerging threats and developments in global aquatic disease issues and standards, evaluate the Quarterly Aquatic Animal Disease Reporting Programme operated by NACA/FAO/OIE and regional governments, and to provide guidance on strategies to improve aquatic animal health management. This year’s meeting took place from 18-19 November at the Amari Don Muang Airport Hotel in Bangkok.

Shrimp 2019 was held in Bangkok, Thailand from 12-14 November at the JW Marriot Hotel, jointly organised by INFOFISH, the Thai Department of Fisheries, NACA and the Thai Shrimp Association. The conference provided a forum for publicising shrimp farming technology, production standards, harvesting, and processing products, as well as related trade and investment. Over 200 participants attended from all regions of the world. The theme of the conference was “Modelling for Sustainability”.

In this issue:

Cooperation with the Bangladesh Shrimp and Fish Foundation; Global Conference on Aquaculture 2020 update; Quarterly Aquatic Animal Disease Report, January-March 2019; A fresh look at inland fisheries and their role in food security and livelihoods; Tuskfish 2 Beta: Testers wanted; APAARI Regional Workshop on Underutilized Fish and Marine Genetic Resources and Their Amelioration; Joint Research Project on Utilization of Thailand Local Genetic Resources to Develop Novel Farmed Fish for Global Market; Impacts of climate change on fisheries and aquaculture.

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.

NACA and the Bangladesh Shrimp and Fish Foundation collaborated to organise a study tour programme focused on shrimp operations in Thailand for fourteen Bangladesh officers during 29 April to 2 May 2019. The study tour was supported by the Winrock Foundation and coordinated by Dr Cherdsak, the outgoing Director General of NACA. The group met with CP Executives, DOF-Thailand and Banjong Farm in Chachoengsao Province.