This report, the 54th in the series, contains information about the aquatic animal health status of fourteen states in the Asia-Pacific region. The foreword discusses emerging aquatic animal diseases in the region, including acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease and scale-drop syndrome.

The Colombo Declaration is a commitment to regional cooperation in aquaculture development for food security, nutrition and economic development in Asia. It was developed and agreed on by delegations from 18 states at a ministerial-level meeting held in Colombo, Sri Lanka, 28-29 July 2011.

This report, the 5rnd in the series, contains information about the aquatic animal health status of thirteen states in the Asia-Pacific region. The foreword discusses the 8th Symposium on Diseases in Asian Aquaculture.

This project was conducted to demonstrate small scale shrimp farmer group access to international markets through certification schemes. This project proved that small-scale farmers organised into groups, can improve their technical capacities, and achieve access to markets. This achievement was the result of strong partnerships with producers, private sector and government agencies assisting to develop a sustainable business model for small scale aquaculture. Cost of compliance was found to be a significant barrier to entry.

Sontipan Pasugdee presents research and development progress at the NACA Regional Lead Centre, Thailand.

The recordings in this collection are the annual progress reports of NACA’s regional lead centres in India, Thailand, China and the Philippines, plus a summary of NACA’s progress over the past five years and a special address by Professor E.G. Silas. The presentations were made at the 22nd NACA Governing Council Meeting in Cochi, Kerala, from 9-11 May 2011, India.

Michael Phillips presents on Thailand's Good Aquaculture Practices certification scheme, and compares it to global standards.

Small-scale farmers face many challenges in the face of globalisation. Ever-increasingly competition, increasingly strict food safety and evironmental standards, and a growing regulatory burden can make it difficult for small farmers to survive. A cluster or cooperative approach can help farmers achieve economies of scale to remain competitive.

A comparison of the variance between Thailand GAP and the global standard, and it's application to the aquaculture industry.

Cost and logistical constraints can be barriers to the inclusion of small-scale farmers in aquaculture certification schemes. Adopting a cluster-based approach, where groups of adjacent farms are certified together, can facilitate the participation of small-scale producers maintain their access to markets. Group-based certification can also assist with extension and implementation of better management practices required to achieve certification and compliance monitoring.