In 2023, FAO and NACA initiated a consultation process on aquaculture effluent management in Asia and the Pacific in collaboration with NACA member governments. Experts across the region gathered information to assess the state of governance, advancements in technology and innovation in aquaculture effluent management. The consultative process culminated in an expert workshop, convened from 14 to 15 November, funded by FAO, to share views and national experiences on aquaculture effluent management.

Risk analysis is an essential component of a national aquatic organism health strategy. Now widely applied in many fields, risk analysis provides a science-based framework for evaluating hazards, determining the likelihood and extent of potential harms, mitigating risks and guiding policy decisions. Combining risk and value chain analysis provides a risk-based and people-centred approach to managing disease risks and planning control measures for aquaculture systems. FAO organised a training course on Risk Analysis in the Value Chain from 3-5 September in Bangkok, Thailand, in partnership with NACA, INFOFISH, Thailand Department of Fisheries and the ASEAN Network of Aquatic Animal Health Centres. Financial support was provided by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation and Thailand Department of Fisheries.

A Seminar on Artemia research and production was held on 28 July 2023 in Putrajaya, Malaysia, in conjunction with the first meeting of the International Artemia Aquaculture Consortium Steering Committee. Video recordings of the technical presentations are available below. The programme included: NACA's role with the International Artemia Aquaculture Consortium; Brine shrimp Artemia culture and research in Malaysia; Production and use of Artemia in Iran; UGent Laboratory of Aquaculture and Artemia Reference Center; AR-ARC actions towards sustainable utilization of Artemia resources; Artemia pond production: Pros and cons; and Feeding 9 billion by 2050: Embracing Artemia in nourishing a growing world

This report summaries the proceedings of the 21st meeting of the Regional Advisory Group on Aquatic Animal Health, held 17-18 November 2022. The role of the group is to review trends in disease and emerging threats in the region, identify developments in global disease issues and standards, to evaluate the Quarterly Aquatic Animal Disease Reporting Program and to provide guidance on regional strategies to improve aquatic animal health management.

Ocean University of China and partners will convene the forum from 20 to 22 November 2022. The forum will cover the following: Topic 1: International talent cultivation and training;Topic 2: Science and technology innovation; Topic 3: Industrial synergy. The forum will host discussions about the implementation of the “Blue Transformation” strategy, further expansion of the space for fisheries and aquaculture, and ways of improving the production capacity of aquatic products, with the purpose of facilitating the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Participation is free but registration is required. Registration closes on 22 October.

This report summaries the proceedings of the 20th meeting of the Regional Advisory Group on Aquatic Animal Health, held 4-5 November 2021. The meeting discussed: Progress on NACA’s Asia Regional Aquatic Animal Health Program; updates from the OIE Aquatic Animal Health Standards Commission; aquaculture biosecurity; Progressive Management Pathway for Improving Aquaculture Biosecurity activities relevant to Asia; a systematic approach for quantifying biosecurity measures in aquaculture; aquatic animal health strategy; updates on the OIE Regional Collaboration Framework on Aquatic Animal Health; and updates on the QAAD Reporting and Disease List.

In this issue:

Counting down to Aquaculture Millennium +20; Free webinar - Fish Vaccination: Theory, Innovations and Application; Quarterly Aquatic Animal Disease Report, October-December 2020; Invasive disease linked to raw freshwater fish: Group B Streptococcus; International Crustacean Symposium 2021.

The Fish Health Section of the Asian Fisheries Society will convene a webinar via Zoom on 21 April, from 12:00 to 15:00 Bangkok time (GMT +7). Topics include: Stress-related non-infectious disorders in fish (Prof. George Iwama, Quest University, Canada); Nutritional diseases of aquatic animals (Prof. Orapint Jintasataporn, Kasetsart University, Thailand); Harmful algal blooms and fish kills (Prof. Lim Po Teen, University of Malaya); and Aquaculture ecotoxicology (Dr Roger Chong, CSIRO Australia). Participation is free, but registration is required.

This report summarises the proceedings of the 19th meeting of the Advisory Group, held 26-27 November 2020 via video conference. The group's role includes reviewing disease trends and emerging threats in the region, identifying developments in global aquatic disease issues and standards, evaluating the Quarterly Aquatic Animal Disease Reporting Programme and providing guidance on regional strategies to improve aquatic animal health management.