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.

This handbook outlines the objectives, organisation and history behind the Global Conference on Aquaculture 2010. It also contains abstracts of the keynote addresses, plenary lectures, expert panel presentations and posters.

This guide provides short biographies of persons who made presentations at the Global Conference on Aquaculture 2010, to give participants an idea of the expertise that this conference attempted to bring together. The biographies are arranged sequentially in conformity with the conference programme.

Summary programme brochure for the Global Conference on Aquaculture 2010, Phuket, Thailand.

Various measures for resource enhancement, conservation and management have been tried in Bangladesh in order to prevent the decline of fisheries resources. The needs of Bangladesh’s poor fisher community to eat what they catch and lack of a legal legislative framework means this situation can only worsen. Hope is offered by new conservation initiatives including habitat restoration, enhancement of depleting fish stocks, transferral of fishing rights and establishment of fish sanctuaries at strategic points.

India produces 4.6 million tonnes of fish annually from its inland water bodies, of which 1 million tonnes originates from enhancement and capture fisheries of open waters. Reservoirs of all categories together produce 94,000 tonnes of fish against a potential of nearly 1 million tonnes. Ownership of inland water bodies vests with the government and the fishing rights of reservoirs and beels are given to individuals, groups and communities according to norms that vary across the states.

Fisheries resources conservation development in Indonesia is based on the protection of endangered and vulnerable freshwater species and maintaining biodiversity integrity, and has been developed with community participation. In order to increase the population and diversification of fish species in inland waters stock enhancement has been carried out since the Dutch occupation when more than 17 species were stocked in inland waters in Indonesia.

Early attempts of fisheries enhancement in Sri Lankan freshwaters were aimed at establishing commercial fisheries. A fisheries enhancement strategy was introduced to village reservoirs of the country in 1980s on a trial basis. Presently, inland fisheries enhancement strategies in Sri Lanka are practiced in seasonal reservoirs and minor perennial reservoirs. The annual CBF production from these reservoirs is about 6 600 tonnes, accounting for about 17 percent of the inland fisheries production.

This report, the 49th in the series, contains information about the aquatic animal health status of fifteen states in the Asia-Pacific region. The foreword discusses the outcomes of the ninth meeting of the Asia Regional Advisory Group on Aquatic Animal Health.