Presentation of the summary, conclusions and recommendations of Thematic Session 6 (Enhancing the contribution of aquaculture to poverty alleviation, food security and rural development).

A presentation on the draft Phuket Consensus document as circulated with the conference papers a summary of comments that had been provided by conference participants. The presentation followed by a plenary discussion as the conference participants view the document on screen.

The Phuket Consensus is a declaration on aquaculture development endorsed by participants of the Global Conference on Aquaculture 2010, held in Phuket, Thailand, 22-25 September. The consensus builds on the Bangkok Declaration, which was formulated at the International Conference on Aquaculture in the Third Millennium, held in Bangkok, 20-25 February 2000. The consensus and declaration provide strategic guidance on sustainable development of aquaculture considering social, environmental, technical and economic issues.

This is the manual for the "train the trainers" course aiming to increase the capacity of small-scale farmers in ASEAN countries. The manual focusses on five countries and commodities: Snakehead (Cambodia), Tilapia (Thailand), seaweed (Philippines), marine fish (Indonesia) and shrimp (Vietnam). In this volume, lectures presented by experts are included. The training program included technical aspects related to the culture of commodities, marketing, access to information, organization of farmer groups, gender and good culture practices.

An overview of the current scientific knowledge available on climate change implications for fisheries and aquaculture is provided through three technical papers that were presented and discussed during the Expert Workshop on Climate Change Implications for Fisheries and Aquaculture (Rome, 7-9 April 2008). A summary of the workshop outcomes as well as key messages on impacts of climate change on aquatic ecosystems and on fisheries- and aquaculture-based livelihoods are provided in the introduction of this technical paper.

In this issue:

Mussel farming initiatives in North Kerala, India. Selective study on availability of indigenous fish with ornamental value in West Bengal. Aquaculture livelihoods centre in Aceh, Indonesia. e-Sagu Aqua - an innovative information and communication technology model for transfer of technology for aquaculture. Freshwater pearl crop: An emerging enterprise in the Indian subcontinent. Preliminary risk assessment of Pacific white shrimp (P. vannamei) introduced to Thailand for aquaculture. Black gill disease of lobster and more.

This brief reports on a catfish farming stakeholder workshop and focus group meeting on vulnerability and adaption to climate change held in Can Tho, Vietnam. Stakeholders including catfish farmers in general expressed that climate change is a serious threat, having observed shifts in climatic patterns, saline water intrusion and frequent typhoons. Suggestions to reduce on-farm risks included producing quality fry, developing new culture systems, elevating dykes, livelihood diversification, awareness workshops and financial support to farmers.

Climate change impacts such as more frequent and severe floods and droughts will affect the food and water security of many people. The impact of climate change on aquatic ecosystems, fisheries and aquaculture, however, is not as well known. This policy brief, a joint partnership between several agencies, highlights this issue to ensure that decision makers and climate change negotiators consider aquatic ecosystems, fisheries and aquaculture at the UNFCCC COP-15 in Copenhagen, December 2009.

In this issue:

An increasingly secure future for wastewater-fed aquaculture in Kolkata, India? First culture-based fisheries growth cycle in Lao PDR is overhwelmingly encouraging. Revival of abandoned shrimp farms in Andhra Pradesh. Growth of industries linked with aquaculture in Kolleru Lake area, India. Applications of nutritional biotechnology in aquaculture. Technical and management aspects of catfish hatcheries in Vietnam. Asian seabass farming. Mariculture development opportunities in southeast Sulawesi, and much more.

This publication contains the proceedings and major recommendations of the expert workshop which tackled three major themes: Seed quality, genetics, technology and certification; seed networking, distribution, entrepreneurship and certification; and how rural fish farmers can benefit from the seed sector. It also contains the outcomes of a desk study consisting of three regional syntheses, twenty-one country case studies and five thematic reviews (seed quality, genetics and breeding, seed networks, role of seed supply, farmer innovations and womens' involvement).