This final report of the project “Strengthening Aquatic Animal Health Capacity and Biosecurity in ASEAN” contains two parts: A. Recommended Minimum Operational Requirements for Implementing National Aquatic Animal Health Strategies within ASEAN and B. ASEAN progress in the implementation of National Aquatic Animal Health Strategies. The report provides guidance for countries in ASEAN to implement key elements of national aquatic animal health strategies, and for monitoring progress of national strategy implementation in ASEAN member countries.

This practical manual provides better management practices for the farming of shrimp in tambak systems in Aceh, Indonesia. The manual addresses the formation of farmer groups, crop planning, and specifies better management practices. These include: Location of tambaks, design and construction of tambaks, pond preparation practices, shrimp seed selection and stocking practices, feed management practices, water management practices, health management practices, harvest and post-harvest handling practices, keeping records and improved marketing practices.

This is the report of the project Application of PCR for improved shrimp health management in the Asian region. The training programme included two training workshops that were designed to provide a good understanding of PCR methodology, laboratory practices and trouble shooting in detection of both DNA and RNA viruses. The workshops were followed by by two rounds of an anonymous PCR inter-calibration or ring testing exercise to allow laboratories to gauge their own performance.

This training manual (in Thai language) provides guidance in marine finfish cage aquacutlure techniques. It is geared towards giving small-scale farmers a solid technical grounding that will enable them to improve their farm productivity and reduce losses through understanding of markets and economic factors, better farm siting. and improved feeding, handling and stock management practices. This knowledge will help the trainees and other fish farmers to improve their productivity and profitability while also reducing their risk profile.

In this issue:

Buffaloes in favour of culture-based fisheries in Sri Lanka. Aquafeeds in Myanmar: A change from farm-made to factory-made feeds. Challenging myths about seed quality and potential benfits to the rural poor. Catfish Clarius batrachus production using low cost hatcheries. Cage fish culture and livelihoods in the mid-hill lakes of Pokhara, Nepal. Marine fish hatchery training. Rabbitfish Siganus guttatus breeding and larval rearing. Vietnamese extension manual on culture-based fisheries.

In this issue:

18th NACA Governing Council held in Bali, Indonesia. Strengthening aquatic animal health capacity and biosecurity in ASEAN - final workshop. Aquatic animal pathology master class. Vietnamese extension manual on culture-based fisheries. New project: Culture-based fisheries development in Lao PDR. Guidelines on digital publishing: a practical approach for small organizations with limited resources. Workshop on understanding and applying risk analysis in aquaculture. GISFish: Remote sensing and mapping for aquaculture and inland fisheries. Online encyclopeadia to list 1.8 m known species. DELTA 2007. NACA/FAO partnership working to establish guidelines for certification of farmed fish. Asia-Pacific Aquaculture 2007, 5-8 August 2007, Vietnam. Skretting sponsorship & scholarships for the Marine Finfish Aquaculture Network. The eleventh regular session on genetic resources for food and agriculture.

These guidelines on digital publishing are targeted primarily at small organisations with limited resources in developing countries, in order to facilitate decision-making on how to publish and disseminate their information, with emphasis on the internet. The Guidelines are based on the years of experience of the Network of Aquaculture Centres in Asia-Pacific and its partners. The approach is practical in orientation, covering topics including planning, maintenance, making content accessible and suggested tools.

This report describes a training course on grouper hatchery protocols that was held in Indonesia in 2006. A total of 20 participants from 13 countries attended the training course which was hosted by the Brackishwater Aquaculture Development Centre, Situbondo. Participants came from Australia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, India, Malaysia, Maldives, Myanmar, Philippines, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

In this issue:

Cage aquaculture of tilapia in Lake Taal, Philippines. Development and adoption of BMPs by farmer groups. Lotus - an aquatic plant of versatile qualities. Integrated aquaculture-agriculture systems in Bangladesh: Potential for sustainable livelihoods and nutrititional security of the rural poor. Spreadsheet model of the market chain for the live reef food fish trade. Regional Grouper Hatchery Production Training Course. Replacing marine fish oil in aquafeeds with tropical palm oil products. NACA Newsletter.

Shrimp Health Management brochures provide better management practices in a reader friendly format. These brochures were prepared as extension materials through the village based demonstration programme by the Marine Products Export Development Authority of India and NACA. The programme continues building success and involved a total of 29 villages and 29 Aquaclubs in five Indian states (Andhra Pradesh, Tamilnadu, Orissa, Gujarat, and Karnataka) in 2006.