The Aquatic Animal Health Programme assists members to reduce the risks of aquatic animal disease impacting the livelihoods of farmers, national economies, trade, environment and human health by:
Improving regional cooperation in aquatic animal health and welfare.
Developing and implementing national strategies on aquatic animal health.
Improving surveillance, reporting and response to disease emergencies.
Promoting harmonisation of diagnostic procedures and risk assessment.
Widespread promotion of better aquatic animal health management practices at the farm level.
FAO and NACA have signed an agreement to convene a global conference on aquaculture in 2020. This will be the fourth conference in a series that began at the dawn of the industry in Kyoto, 1976. Aquaculture 2020 will be held late in the year in China. Arrangements, programme and partner details will be announced via the NACA website in due course.
The 78th edition of the Quarterly Aquatic Animal Disease Report contains information from twelve governments in the Asia-Pacific region. The foreword discusses three recent aquatic animal health consultations: The ASEAN Regional Technical Consultation on Aquatic Emergency Preparedness and Response Systems for Effective Management of Transboundary Disease Outbreaks in Southeast Asia; the Regional Consultation and Related Study on Antimicrobial Resistance Risk to Aquaculture in Asia; and the Preliminary Consultation on Monitoring of Antimicrobial Resistance in Bacterial Pathogens in Aquaculture.
The third resource level in the NACA regional resource base initiative is Regional Reference Laboratories (RRL) for diseases of regional concern, not listed by the OIE. These laboratories would (a) function as centres of expertise and standardisation for designated diseases (b) store and distribute biological reference products and any other reagents used in the diagnosis and control of the designated diseases (c) develop new procedures for diagnosis and control of the designated diseases and (d) gather, process, analyse and disseminate epidemiological data relevant to their speciality.
Listed below are the six Regional Resource Centres (RRC), approved by the 16th NACA Governing Council (21-23rd March 2005). The RRCs will support the regional aquatic animal health program through the provision of scientific and technical training for personnel from the region and diagnostic testing services to governments that are members of the regional aquatic animal health initiative and their personnel.
A contact list of aquatic animal health experts that have kindly agreed to support the regional health program by answering technical questions related to their field of expertise, assisting in development of disease cards, diagnostic manuals and supporting documents, and providing diagnostic assistance as far as possible during disease emergencies.
Consultations address antimicrobial resistance risk in aquaculture; ASEAN consultation on emergency aquatic animal disease preparedness and response; Applications for the position of Director General, NACA; Aqua 2018 - #WeRAquaculture; Asian Aquaculture 2018: Celebrating Asian Aquaculture, 3-6 December, Thailand; and Training and Deans' Forum organised in China.
The ASEAN Regional Consultation on Aquatic Emergency Preparedness and Response Systems for Effective Management of Transboundary Disease Outbreaks in Southeast Asia was held in Bangkok, 20-22 August. The objective of the consultation was to bring together ASEAN member states and technical experts to discuss the current status of emergency animal disease preparedness and response systems, and to identify gaps and opportunities for regional cooperation in management of transboundary disease.
Antimicrobial resistance is a growing issue with significant implications for both human and animal health. However, data on pathogen resistance in aquaculture and other livestock industries has not been routinely or systematically collected. The purpose of these regional consultations, held in Bangkok, was to initiate action on this issue, identifying interventions to assess antimicrobial usage in Asian aquaculture, monitor antimicrobial resistance and develop guidelines and a strategy to minimise the long term risks.
29th Governing Council Meeting held in Malé, Maldives; Proceedings of the Emergency Regional Consultation for Prevention and Management of Tilapia Lake Virus in the Asia-Pacific; NACA signs MOU on cooperation with the Bangladesh Shrimp and Fish Foundation; Aquaculture in China: Success Stories and Modern Trends; Quarterly Aquatic Animal Disease Report; Gender in Aquaculture and Fisheries 2018; International Training Course on the Biology and Pathology of Penaeid Shrimp; ASEAN-India Research Training Fellowships and more.
