This report, the 30th in the series, contains information about the aquatic animal health status of sixteen states in the Asia-Pacific region. The foreword discusses capacity building and harmonisation in aquatic animal health within ASEAN.

This is the report of the 3rd Regional Grouper Hatchery Production Training Course, which was conducted at the Brackishwater Aquaculture Development Center, Situbondo, East Java, Indonesia from April 18-May 8, 2005. There were a total of 17 participants coming from Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Singapore, and Vietnam. The training consisted of a  mixture of theory, practical and field trips for the participants.

This report, the 29th in the series, contains information about the aquatic animal health status of fourteen states in the Asia-Pacific region. The foreword discusses the outcomes of the fourth meeting of the Asia Regional Advisory Group on Aquatic Animal Health.

In this issue:

Asian Development Bank study on aquaculture and poverty. The consequences of converting to organic shrimp farming. Recycling water and making money with Artemia. Advances in the seed production of cobia Rachycentron canadum in Vietnam. Australian success with barramundi cod Cromileptes altivelis. Recent grouper breeding developments in Thailand. Application of probiotics in rotifer production systems. Contract hatchery systems. Rainbow trout culture in Iran. Spotted babylon Babylonia areolata growout in earthern ponds.

In Australia, strict Commonwealth and state environmental regulations have constrained development of shrimp farming. A high level of resources, relative to the size and value of the industry, has been devoted to collaborative research on the environmental management of shrimp farming in Australia. The research findings are being used to provide a scientific basis for discharge license requirements and are incorporated into an advanced geographic information and decision support system in order to improve site selection and aquaculture planning.