A Regional Proficiency Testing Program for Aquatic Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratories in Asia-Pacific was developed to strengthen diagnostic capability across Asia. This capability was identified as a requirement to facilitate the sanitary safety of trade in aquatic animal products. The program provided 41 laboratories across the Asia-Pacific with the opportunity to assess their diagnostic performance for 10 regionally significant aquatic animal pathogens, and to adapt or modify practices where necessary to improve.

Due to the world’s rapidly growing population, which is expected to peak somewhere around 9.5 billion, food production will need to be massively increased over the next few decades. This increase must be achieved without further degrading the environment. The unit environmental footprint of food production must be significantly reduced from where it is today. This concept, termed sustainable intensification, applies as much to aquaculture as it does to other agricultural sectors.

This report, the 69th in the series, contains information about the aquatic animal health status of nine states in the Asia-Pacific region. The foreword discusses the outcomes of the 14th meeting on the Asia Regional Advisory Group on Aquatic Animal Health.

In this issue:

Changes to the magazine and website. Status of alien fish species farming and it's implications for Andhra Pradesh, India. Bridging the research-extension-farmer-input and market linkage gap in coastal aquaculture through application of ICT. Bio-remediation of domestic sewerage recycled in aquaculture: A Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture model. Role of family farming in marine and coastal ecosystem management in India. Conservation of fish genetic resources: An introduction to the state fishes of India.

In this issue:

26th NACA Governing Council Meeting, Bali, Indonesia. Regional Workshop on the Status of Aquatic Genetic Resources. Developing an environmental monitoring system to strengthen fisheries and aquaculture in the Lower Mekong basin. Regional workshop documents sustainable intensification practices in aquaculture. Perspectives on culture-based fisheries developments in Asia. SUPERSEAS PhD opportunities.