In this issue:

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.

The EURASTiP Exchange Programme provides opportunities for industry, researchers and educators from Europe and south-east Asia to connect and gain new perspectives while sharing innvovative ideas to help develop long term partnerships. Bursaries of up to €3,000 per exchange are available (subject to eligibility criteria) to support international innovation and collaboration. The deadline for applications is 20 September 2018. For more information on how to apply please see the EURASTiP website.

NACA’s 29th Governing Council Meeting was held in the Maldives capital, Malé, from 26-27 June, with attendance by fifteen member governments. This was the first official NACA meeting in the Maldives, since it became a member in 2014, and also the first time that most of the delegates had visited the country, affording participants a fascinating glimpse of a very different lifestyle in the archipelago, and a very different development context.

The 7th Global Symposium jointly organised by Gender in Aquaculture and Fisheries Section of the Asian Fisheries Society and Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) will be held at AIT, Bangkok during 18-20 October 2018. GAF conferences endeavour to explore the expanding horizons of gender dimensions in aquaculture and fisheries, while highlighting the need for expanding gender inclusiveness and equity. Renowned researchers from around the world will present papers on various topics related to gender issues in aquaculture and fisheries policy and practice.

The Center for Excellence for Shrimp Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (Centex Shrimp) will organise this training course from 10-21 September, 2018. Tailored to those involved in shrimp research, you will learn from the very best in the field about major and emerging shrimp diseases, shrimp farm management, gross inspection and molecular diagnosis of shrimp infectious diseases. You will have opportunities to try your hand in a series of practical sessions, including anatomical inspection using digital slides, nucleic acid detection, and many more. 

Health and safety within the global aquaculture industry is widely overlooked – despite the sector posing a great risk to workers, according to University of Stirling-led research. The project found the world’s estimated 18 million aquaculture workers regularly contend with “highly hazardous” conditions and workplace injury and disease risks are high. While some aquaculture workers are highly trained and in secure jobs globally, most are from vulnerable populations in precarious work, including women, indigenous people, children, seasonal workers, migrant workers, rural and remote workers.

This symposium will focus on the function and form of fish gills in the face of a changing ocean environment with emphasis on ocean warming and acidification. The goal is to create small teams of discipline experts to co-author topic reviews to be submitted as part of a special research topic in Frontiers of Marine Science. Priority will be given to early and mid career researchers and developing country scientists. For more information please download the flyer below or visit the symposium website.

The 76th edition of the Quarterly Aquatic Animal Disease Report contains information from 14 governments. The foreword discusses the outcomes of a Stakeholder Consultation on Progressive Management Pathway to Improve Aquaculture Biosecurity, organised by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Mississippi State University and the World Bank.

This book, which will be released on 15 May 2018, attempts to capture some of the key elements and practices that have contributed to the success of Chinese aquaculture. The book entails contributions from over 100 leading experts in China, and provides insights into some aquaculture practices that are little known to the rest of the world. This book will be essential reading for aquaculturists, practitioners, researchers and students, and planners and developers. To order the book please use the attached form.

Since 2009, tilapia aquaculture has been threatened by mass die-offs in Israel and Ecuador, caused by a novel Orthomyxo-like (RNA) virus named Tilapia lake virus. An Emergency Regional Consultation for Prevention and Management of Tilapia Lake Virus in the Asia-Pacific was undertaken in September 2017, China, to discuss and plan actions on the overall prevention and management of the disease, and to prevent its further spread. These are the technical proceedings of the workshop.