This report, the nineteenth in the series, contains information about the aquatic animal health status of sixteen states in the Asia-Pacific region. The editorial discusses the role of the Quarterly Aquatic Animal Disease Reporting System.

In this issue:

Fertilisation, soil and water quality management. Commercialisation of giant freshwater prawn culture in India. Aquaculture in reservoir-fed canal systems. Production of black-lip pearl oyster Pinctada margaritifera. Hybridisation hassles. Breeding sea cucumber Holothuria scabra in Vietnam. Use of palm kernel meal in feeds. Getting the most out of your feed. Marine finfish aquaculture in Myanmar. Penaeus monodon culture in low-salinity areas. Fisheries and aquaculture in Nepal.

In this issue:

14th NACA Governing Council, Myanmar. Welcome to NACA's first Associate Member. NACA Alumni notes - U Minn Thame. Australian Youth Ambassador. Assisting in the Development of Recirculating Shrimp Farm Technologies. Nepal to join STREAM Initiative. NACA Joins Thai IT for Agriculture Forum. Indigenous Australian aquaculture group visits Thailand. Bangladesh Fisheries Training and Extension Project tour. Ugandan farmers train on catfish breeding and culture.

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 2002, global and regional disease reporting arrangements, global issues and standards, progress in implementation of 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 eighteenth in the series, contains information about the aquatic animal health status of fifteen states in the Asia-Pacific region. The foreword discusses changes to the list of diseases covered in the report by the Asia Regional Advisory Group on Aquatic Animal Health.

This paper examines farming practices in marine fish cage aquaculture in southeast Asia with reference to feed and feeding. It proposes a range of reforms to improve the economic performance of the sector, including selective breeding, use of hatchery-reared fingerings, modernisation of cage systems, improved feed management and use of dry pelleted feeds, relocation of cages to better quality sites and a greater degree of government and private sector co-operation in research and development.

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

The aim of this workshop was to formulate an approach which would enable participants to start detailed work on a process monitoring system, building on current activities and using already existing skills in Cambodia, Nepal, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. Objectives were to familiarise participants with recent developments in process monitoring and significant change, and to develop an action plan for each country and a set of guiding principles for a monitoring system to underpin work in all countries.

This is the report of the First Regional STREAM Regional Conference, held 19-21 June 2002 in Bangkok, Thailand. The conference was the first opportunity for participants in the STREAM Initiative, launched on 1 December 2001, to come together to discuss the programme. The conference discussed the main activities of STREAM, ways of working, communications strategies, feedback from participating countries and issues to follow up.

This report documents a training course that was held at the Research Institute for Mariculture, Bali, Indonesia in May 2003. The course covered both theoretical aspects of grouper husbandry via lectures and practical hands-on work in a grouper hatchery, including broodstock management, tank preparation egg collection, live feed production, health management, harvesting and transport and visits to commmercial grouper and milkfish hatcheries, grow-out facilities, markets and exporters.