Asia produces nearly 90% of world aquaculture output. However, growth of the industry is increasingly constrained by various factors, including poor broodstock quality and genetic deterioration of domesticated stock. This has arisen in part from a general lack of planning, knowledge and skills in broodstock management. Capacity building across the region is urgently required for hatchery operators at different scales through information exchange, experience sharing and training.

The research and development mandate of NACA is addressed through five thematic work programmes and three cross-cutting work programmes that support sustainable aquaculture and aquatic resource management in the region.

Enterocytozoon hepatopenaei (EHP) is a microsporidian parasite that was first characterized and named from the giant or black tiger shrimp Penaeus monodon from Thailand in 2009. EHP is confined to the shrimp hepatopancreas (HP) and morphologically resembles an unnamed microsporidian previously reported in the HP of Penaeus japonicas from Australia in 2001. Together, these studies suggest that EHP is not an exotic pathogen but that it is endemic to Australasia.

A regional consultation was held to discuss culture-based fisheries development in Asia from 21 to 23 October 2014 in Siem Reap, Cambodia. The consultation was funded by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research as part of the project Culture-based fisheries development in Lao PDR and Cambodia. The consultation provided the opportunity to discuss the outcomes of a series successful projects that have been implemented over the past decade in the Asian region.

The NACA/USAID MARKET Gender Project organised a Gender Assessment Synthesis Workshop in Bangkok, Thailand from 29 September to 1 October 2014, which was attended by the MARKET gender project teams from Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam. The objectives of the Synthesis Workshop were to assess the status of work on the in-country gender assessment reports and the case studies, including make a start on writing of case studies.