The conference was organised by FAO, the Thai Department of Fisheries and NACA and held in the Mövenpick Resort and Spa, Phuket, Thailand, 22-25 September. The conference was the third in a series of aquaculture development conferences, following on from the Conference on Aquaculture in the Third Millennium held in Bangkok 2000, and the FAO Technical Conference on Aquaculture, held in Kyoto 1976.

In this issue:

Recent developments and future prospects of inland aquaculture in Asia. Factors influencing success of Penaeus vannamei culture. Freshwater prawn farming in a carbon-nitrogen controlled periphyton-based system: A sustainable approach to increase stagnant pond productivity. Constraints to fish production in community ponds in Orissa, India. Continued confidence in inland fisheries developmentg of a Sri Lankan youth begins to pay off. The Asia-Pacific Quarterly Aquatic Animal Disease Report: 12 years and beyond.

Infectious myonecrosis is a viral disease caused by infectious myonecrosis virus. It affects Pacific white shrimp Penaeus vannamei, tiger shrimp P. monodon and blue shrimp P. stylirostris. IMN is associated with heavy losses in farmed shrimp of 40-70%. Originally reported from Brazil, outbreaks were first reported in Indonesia in May 2006. With the current spread of the disease there is a high threat of the disease spreading to neighbouring P. vannamei-producing countries.

The Phuket Consensus is a declaration on aquaculture development endorsed by participants of the Global Conference on Aquaculture 2010, held in Phuket, Thailand, 22-25 September. The consensus builds on the Bangkok Declaration, which was formulated at the International Conference on Aquaculture in the Third Millennium, held in Bangkok, 20-25 February 2000. The consensus and declaration provide strategic guidance on sustainable development of aquaculture considering social, environmental, technical and economic issues.

On 9-10 August 2012, an emergency regional consultation on Early Mortality Syndrome of shrimp and associated pathology described as acute hepatopancreatic necrosis syndrome  was held in Bangkok, Thailand. The consultation shared information on this emerging disease, its occurrence, pathology and diagnosis, and to develop a coordinated regional response to the issue. Audio recordings of 19 technical presentations made at the regional Consultation meeting are available on NACA website, and the presentation slides are also available.