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 2012, 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 59th in the series, contains information about the aquatic animal health status of sixteen states in the Asia-Pacific region. The foreword contains an update on acute hepatopancreatic necrosis syndrome (AHPNS) of cultured shrimp.

This is the report of the first workshop of the Regional proficiency testing program for aquatic animal disease diagnostic laboratories in Asia-Pacific, held from 25-26 July 2012 in Bangkok, Thailand. The objectives of the programme were to strengthen Asia’s regional capability to diagnose important aquatic animal diseases that impact on trade, train participating laboratory personnel in diagnostic standards and proficiency testing procedures, and to provide technical assistance to improve laboratory performance. 

This brief summarises the results from the interdisciplinary study conducted within the Aquaclimate project in Iloilo province in the Philippines looking at the impacts of climate change on small scale milkfish farming. The brief provides guidelines for adaptation and policy development to address the climate change impacts on small scale milkfish farming in the Philippines and how adaptation measures should be implemented in the region.

This case study examines the impacts of climate change on milkfish farmers in Iloilo. Farmer perceptions of climate change, attitudes and adaptation strategies were mapped via focus group discussion, stakeholder workshops and questionnaires. Measures that could be achieved to reduce vulnerability to climate change include sustainable aquaculture practices; diversification of farmers’ income sources; diversification of culture species; utilising natural resources to increase productivity; and building farmer capacities through access to information and knowledge.

This technical brief summarises the results from an interdisciplinary study in two municipalities in Panay Island, Philippines, looking at vulnerability to climate change, impacts and adaptation measures for milkfish farmers. The brief provides guidelines for adaptation measure that can be undertaken by the farmers together with institutional, policy, science and technology support required to improve their adaptive capacity to cope with future climate change.

This brief summarises the results from the interdisciplinary study conducted within the AQUACLIMATE project in Iloilo province in the Philippines, looking at the impacts of climate change on small scale milkfish farming. The brief provides guidelines for academics, researchers and technologists to support farmers for adaptation measures to address the climate change impacts on small scale milkfish farming.

This report, the 58th in the series, contains information about the aquatic animal health status of fifteen states in the Asia-Pacific region. The foreword contains a disease advisory notice on acute hepatopancreatic necrosis syndrome (AHPNS) of cultured shrimp.

In this issue:

Outcomes of emergency consultation on shrimp early mortality syndrome / AHPNS. Workshop on Aquaculture Planning and Management Tools. Workshop on Proficiency Testing Programme for Aquatic Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratories in Asia-Pacific. AFSPAN Project gets underway.

This report, the 57th in the series, contains information about the aquatic animal health status of thirteen states in the Asia-Pacific region. The foreword discusses the outcomes of the 11th meeting of the Asia Regional Advisory Group on Aquatic Animal Health.