The Guidelines for Sustainable Aquaculture (GSA) were adopted by the FAO Committee on Fisheries (COFI) in July 2024. They provide a shared vision and a set of principles, practices and recommendations that countries can implement to transform their aquaculture sectors in line with the 2030 Agenda, the FAO Blue Transformation Roadmap 2022–2030 and the 2021 COFI Declaration. The GSA serve as a roadmap to foster good governance, science-based decision making, effective management and inclusive, environmentally responsible value chains based on respect for human rights. Their ultimate goal is to ensure that sustainable aquaculture delivers food security and nutrition, equitable livelihoods, restored ecosystems and climate resilience.

NACA's Director General, Dr. Eduardo Leano, recently met with Dr. Thitiporn Laoprasert, the newly appointed Director General of Thailand's Department of Fisheries (DOF), to discuss opportunities for closer regional cooperation. Dr. Laoprasert, a familiar face in NACA activities, takes the helm of an agency that has hosted the NACA Secretariat for over 35 years, a partnership that has made Thailand central to aquaculture development across the Asia-Pacific.

The meeting identified four priority areas for collaboration: building climate resilience, promoting gender equity, advancing nature-based solutions, and expanding the Aquaculture Innovation and Investment Hub to connect new technologies with local farmers. Dr. Laoprasert also emphasised the need for joint research and development to reduce production costs and strengthen regional food security. Thailand's DOF is already contributing by documenting local innovations for the AquaHub, a new regional innovation and investment platform.

The Freshwater Fisheries Research Center in China is offering fully funded two-year Master's degrees in aquaculture and fisheries to students from developing countries. The Chinese Government Scholarship covers all tuition, accommodation, living expenses, and international travel, allowing students to focus entirely on their studies at Wuxi Fisheries College, Nanjing Agricultural University.                                                                                                                              
The program targets young professionals who need advanced training in aquaculture and fisheries to support their work in the region. Successful applicants will benefit from comprehensive support including a living stipend throughout their stay and round-trip airfare for enrolment, graduation, and home leave.

Applications close on 6 June 2026.

In this issue:

• Improved larval rearing of Heteropneustes fossilis with live fish food organism - a method practised in the farmer’s field
• From scarcity to supply: The Nalbari magur (Clarias batrachus) seed hub in north-eastern India
• Fish dressing facilities in inland areas of India: Challenges and opportunities
• Entrepreneurship development through brackish water ornamental fish farming in Indian Sundarbans
• Farm brief: Medicinal leech farming, China 
• NACA Newsletter  

Medicinal leeches represent a niche but valuable aquaculture opportunity in China. A commercial farm in Anhui Province produces 36 tonnes annually of Whitmania pigra, a predatory leech species used in traditional medicine and pharmaceutical products. The dried leeches command prices around US$100 per kilogram. Unlike blood-feeding leeches, this species feeds naturally on aquatic snails throughout its life cycle, simplifying feed management. The farm rears leeches in large above-ground tanks holding up to 10,000 individuals each, with adults reaching 50 g in weight. The operation produces its own seed, with each adult producing around 90 eggs across three cocoons. This brief farm report provides insight into the production system for this unusual but commercially viable aquaculture species.