The ASEAN Regional Consultation on Aquatic Emergency Preparedness and Response Systems for Effective Management of Transboundary Disease Outbreaks in Southeast Asia was held in Bangkok, 20-22 August. The objective of the consultation was to bring together ASEAN member states and technical experts to discuss the current status of emergency animal disease preparedness and response systems, and to identify gaps and opportunities for regional cooperation in management of transboundary disease.

The EURASTiP Exchange Programme provides opportunities for industry, researchers and educators from Europe and south-east Asia to connect and gain new perspectives while sharing innvovative ideas to help develop long term partnerships. Bursaries of up to €3,000 per exchange are available (subject to eligibility criteria) to support international innovation and collaboration. The deadline for applications is 20 September 2018. For more information on how to apply please see the EURASTiP website.

The 76th edition of the Quarterly Aquatic Animal Disease Report contains information from 14 governments. The foreword discusses the outcomes of a Stakeholder Consultation on Progressive Management Pathway to Improve Aquaculture Biosecurity, organised by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Mississippi State University and the World Bank.

This report summarises the proceedings of the 16th meeting of the Advisory Group, held 26-27 August 2017 in Bali, Indonesia. The group's role includes reviewing disease trends and emerging threats in the region, identifying developments in global aquatic disease issues and standards, evaluating the Quarterly Aquatic Animal Disease Reporting Programme and providing guidance on regional strategies to improve aquatic animal health management. The meeting included discussion on Tilapia Lake Virus (TiLV) and developments in antimicrobial resistance.

The 75th edition of the Quarterly Aquatic Animal Disease Report contains information from 14 governments. The foreword discusses the 10th Symposium on Disease in Asian Aquaculture, and the 11th Technical Group Meeting and election of a new Executive Committee for the Fish Health Society (2018-2020).

The 74th edition of the Quarterly Aquatic Animal Disease Report contains information from 15 governments. The foreword describes an Emergency Regional Consultation for Prevention and Management of Tilapia Lake Virus (TiLV) in the Asia-Pacific region.

Since 2009, tilapia aquaculture has been threatened by mass die-offs in Israel and Ecuador, which have been caused by a novel Orthomyxo-like (RNA) virus named Tilapia lake virus. This has been reported as a newly emerging virus that causes syncytial hepatitis of tilapia. An emergency regional consultation was held in Guangzhou, China from 27-28 September 2017 to discuss and plan actions on the overall prevention and management of this disease.

IDRC and the National University of Singapore (NUS) are offering fellowships for Southeast Asian entrepreneurs, leaders in business, government, and civil society who want to better understand Southeast Asian value chains. The four-day program from 19-22 March 2018 will give participants a useful toolkit of ideas to take full advantage of a connected ASEAN Economic Community. Women leaders and participants from Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam are especially encouraged to apply.

A regional consultation on aquaculture feed production and use in Asia-Pacific was held from 7-9 March 2017. The consultation reviewed the current situation of aquaculture feed production and use, sourcing of ingredients, policy and research needs. This collection contains audio recordings of the technical presentations made by experts, international organisations, the private sector and governments in the region. The report of the consultation is in press and will be made available for download in due course.

WorldFish is seeking a Post Doctoral Fellow to coordinate and conduct research on emerging aquatic animal health challenges as a component of the Fish Health and Nutrition Research Cluster of the CGIAR Research Program on FISH. S/he will involve in epidemiological research on emerging fish diseases and engaging international and national research teams in Bangladesh, Egypt, Malaysia and other WorldFish focal and scaling countries and partners to deliver high quality research on aquatic animal health.

Recently, we released a warning of TiLV in Thailand and an improved RT-PCR detection methodology. The Fish Health Platform in Centex, BIOTEC/Mahidol University has also obtained positive test results for TiLV in other Asian countries where it has not yet been reported. Many countries have been translocating tilapia fry/fingerlings prior to and even after the description of TiLV. We have prepared a map listing countries with confirmed reports of TiLV infections and 43 other countries that we believe have imported infected fish.

The 73rd edition of the Quarterly Aquatic Animal Disease Report contains information from 14 governments. The foreword provides information about the implementation of a National Surveillance Programme for Aquatic Animal Diseases (NSPAAD) in India.

In this issue:

The 15th meeting of the Asia Regional Advisory Group on Aquatic Animal Health; a regional consultation on responsible production and use of feed in aquaculture; a report on the Giant Prawn 2017 conference; a preview of the new NACA website; and new initiatives on a very serious emerging issue - reducing the human and animal health risks from development of anti-microbial resistance in the aquaculture industry.

The development of resistant strains of disease-causing microorganisms is an important health issue of global concern. When microbes such as bacteria, fungi, parasites, and viruses become resistant to antimicrobial substances, the diseases they may cause become more difficult or impossible to treat. Resistance is developed by the indiscriminate use of antimicrobials and places human health at risk. The discovery of antibiotics revolutionised medicine, creating a belief that a 'magic bullet' had finally been found to control bacterial diseases. Antibiotics, a class of antimicrobial agents, kill or inhibit the growth of bacteria, but they have no significant effect on other types of microorganisms such as viruses.

More than 293,000 tonnes of aquaculture feed was produced locally or imported to Malaysia in 2015. By 2020, it is estimated that almost 1.1 million tonnes of aquaculture feed will need to be produced. Discussions have been held with industry to expand capacity. DOF Malaysia is supporting good feed management, forumlation and nutrition practices by providing training courses for stakeholders. Farms and feed mills are audited with regards to feed and feeding processes based on MyGAP and legislative requirements.

The 15th meeting was held from 21-23 November 2016, in Bangkok, Thailand. A special session was held on addressing the use of anti-microbial substances in aquaculture and the development of anti-microbial resistance. This is an issue of global concern for both human and animal health, and it had been addressed by a resolution at FAO’s Thirty-ninth Conference in June 2015. The meeting reviewed in detail the status of aquatic animal disease in the region.

Directory of research and development centres and other partners that participate in the Network of Aquaculture Centres in Asia-Pacific.

The 72nd edition of the Quarterly Aquatic Animal Disease Report contains information from 12 governments. The foreword provides information about the 15th Meeting of the Asia Regional Advisory Group on Aquatic Animal Health.

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 2015, global and regional disease reporting arrangements, global issues and standards, progress in implementation of the 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.

This report, the 71st in the series, contains information about the aquatic animal health status of sixteen states in the Asia-Pacific region. The foreword discusses changes to the Quarterly Aquatic Animal Disease Report, including a move to electronic-only distribution.