The 14th Asian Fisheries and Aquaculture Forum (14AFAF) will be held from 12-15 February 2025 in New Delhi, India. Submission of abstracts has been extended until 5 November, and early bird registration closes on 10 November, so get in quick!

The forum is a scientific meeting organised by the Asian Fisheries Society (AFS) once every three years to understand the global trends and address issues and challenges faced by the fisheries and aquaculture sector. The main purpose of this Forum is to provide an international platform for eminent scientists, young researchers, and other stakeholders across the globe to share their research experiences and innovative ideas. By facilitating the exchange of diverse range of knowledge and expertise, the Forum with the Theme ‘Greening the Blue Growth in Asia-Pacific’ aims to address key issues towards developing sustainable fisheries and aquaculture.

On 28-29 November FAO and NACA collaborated on a virtual workshop to develop a regional strategy for aquatic organism health, using a progressive management pathway for improving aquaculture biosecurity. The workshop was held under the auspices of the project “Responsible use of fisheries and aquaculture resources for sustainable development component 3: Biosecurity and health management”. The workshop involved 31 experts from 16 countries, including national focal points, FAO and NACA. The objectives of the workshop were to: Present and analyse country responses to a self-assessment survey on biosecurity and health management capacity and performance; to provide guuidance to country participants on conducting a SWOT analysis; and to prepare a detailed plan for Phase II of the initiative.

In this issue:

Sustainable livelihood model for coastal families through seabass fingerling production: A success story; A pilot of integrated mangrove-aquaculture as a nature-based solution to mitigate climate change in West Bengal, India; Recreational fisheries in Uttarakhand; Soft-shell mud crab production for export in Purba Medinipur, West Bengal, India; Conducting artificial fertilisation, hatching and spawn development of Indian shad, Tenualosa ilisha: Pathfinding hilsa domestication; NACA Newsletter.

Establishing recreational fisheries in Uttarakhand's highland lakes and river systems offers new opportunities to generate livelihoods and income for hill people. The development of catch-and-release sport fisheries can also contribute to conservation of aquatic biodiversity through development of captive breeding technologies, supportive breeding based stock enhancement, and community participation in management of both fishery and habitat. This article describes established and emerging sport fisheries in the highlands of Uttarakhand including for mahseer, goonch and brown trout. It also addresses as yet unrealised opportunities for establishment of recreational fisheries identified through geoinformatic approaches, and partnerships between local communities and government in natural resource management.