MPEDA-NACA sustainable shrimp village demonstration programmelibrary.enaca.org/Newsletter/Newsletter-July-Sept-2006.pdf · MPEDA-NACA sustainable shrimp village demonstration programme

July-September 2006NACA Newsletter 1

NACA NewsletterPublished by the Network of Aquaculture Centresin Asia-Pacific, Bangkok, Thailand

ISSN 0115-8503

Volume XXI, No. 3July-September 2006

MPEDA-NACA sustainable shrimpvillage demonstration programme

MPEDA (the Marine Products ExportDevelopment Authority of India) andNACA continue to build upon theirsuccess with the village baseddemonstration of shrimp farming andAquaclub formation. During 2006 theprogramme has been extended andnow involves a total of 29 villages and29 Aquaclubs in five Indian states(Andhra Pradesh, Tamilnadu, Orissa,Gujarat, and Karnataka). This meansthat 690 farmers operating 1313 pondscovering 708 hectares now produceshrimp under MPEDA-NACA BetterManagement Practices (BMPs), and inthe first six months of 2006 more than500 metric tonnes of BMP shrimp wereproduced. MPEDA and NACAoriginally conducted villagedemonstration programmes from 2002to 2005 as a part of the technicalcollaboration between the twoorganizations on shrimp diseasecontrol in India. These demonstrationprogrammes involved organizing small-scale farmers into self-help groupsknown as “Aquaclubs”. The clubsprovide a structure to help farmersadopt BMPs and improve theircapacity to farm shrimp sustainably.

Other highlights of the programmeinclude:• In Andhra Pradesh, 82% of the

Aquaclub farmers reported thattheir harvests were successful,with the average size of the shrimpranging from 24 to 35 grams;

• In East Godavari, out of 84 ponds79 ponds have been successfullyharvested, whilst five underwentan emergency harvest due todisease. The average size of theshrimp in the harvested pondswas 30 grams;

• In Kundapur, Karnataka all 26ponds covering 18 hectaresrecorded a successful harvest;

• In Tamilnadu in the newlyestablished Aquaclub, 23 out of49 ponds have been successfullyharvested, with the average sizeof the shrimp ranging from 30 to35 grammes

• In Orissa shrimp is being farmedfollowing BMP approaches inAstarang in Puri District in 18ponds and in Silda in BalasurDistrict in seven ponds.

Meanwhile other villages are taking upbetter management practices in shrimpfarming. In two villages inMachilipatnam, Krishna District anarea characterized by thousands ofabandoned ponds, farmers arereturning to their ponds followingdemonstrations. Early indications nowsuggest that 50% of farmers who havetaken up the BMP shrimp farmingapproach will record a profit. It also isexpected that even better results willbe achieved as farmers learn moreabout better management practices forshrimp production, which increaseproductivity by reducing diseaselosses while improving environmentalperformance. See page 4 for a table ofthe performance of farms operatingunder the programme.

BMP shrimp farmers from Kundapur,Karnataka.

BMP shrimp farmer from Thalaynayar,Tamilnadu.

BMP shrimp farming family fromKrishna, Andhra Pradesh.


Inter-calibration of white spot syndrome virusPCR laboratories in India

White spotsyndrome virus in

IndiaThe elimination of infected seed priorto stocking is arguably the single mostimportant factor in reducing the risksof diseases in shrimp farming withinIndia and throughout the region. Thiscan be achieved by the proficient PCRtesting of broodstock and/or seed. Infact in many countries around theregion PCR is now used to screenshrimp seed for white spot syndromevirus or WSSV prior to stocking.However, white spot disease (WSD)continues to seriously impact shrimpproduction and it is suspected thatvariations in the reliability of screeningresults, compounded by on-farmfactors, may result in the outbreak ofdisease even when seed has beenproperly screened. One of the mainreasons for this has been a lack ofharmonization or an inter-calibration ofthe PCR testing capabilities ofdifferent service providinglaboratories. This variance in thequality of testing and accuracy ofresults has contributed towards anerosion of the confidence shrimpfarmers have in laboratory PCR testing.

Inter-calibration ofPCR

Under the framework of the ongoingACIAR funded regional projectApplication of PCR for improvedshrimp health management in theAsian region a voluntary PCRcalibration programme was developedand executed. In association withproject partners CIBA, CSIRO,MPEDA and NACA a WSSV inter-calibration exercise was implemented.The technique, which is also knownas ring testing aimed to provide anoverview of the current quality ofWSSV PCR testing in participating

laboratories in India. The approachwould identify which laboratoriesmight require more assistance inimproving their testing proceduresand offer individual laboratories theopportunity to compare their resultswith other laboratories undertaking thePCR testing of WSSV. In effect inter-calibration not only provided a steptowards accreditation but also gaveparticipants an opportunity to assesstheir performance.

100 sets of ten samples (1,000 samples)were prepared and coded by scientistsof CSIRO and CIBA. These included100 sets of five DNA samples and 100sets of five tissue samples. Thispreparation and coding of samplestook considerable planning andrequired two weeks of meticulous workby scientists from CSIRO, Australiaand CIBA, Chennai. The DNA sampleswere derived from WSSV experimentalinfection in adult Fenneropenaeusindicus, using infected material from ahatchery near Chennai. Batches weresent to forty-nine laboratoriesthroughout India with five batchessent to CSIRO in Australia and sixbatches in CIBA, India.

Confidentiality iskey

Participation in the inter-calibrationexercise was voluntary and the resultsof all testing remained strictlyconfidential, a fact that was key to thesuccess of the exercise. Participatinglaboratories were identified by a codenumber. Throughout the trials the codenumbers remained private withparticipating laboratories onlyinformed of their own identificationnumber. Once completed thelaboratories returned their resultswhich were collated into a summarytable, individual laboratories couldthen view their own results andcompare these with results from otherfacilities; however the confidentialnature of the test results meant thatthe names of the laboratories wouldnever be identified.

Lab performanceEarly findings reveal that somelaboratories encountered problems

Continued page 4...

PCR calibration samples packed and ready in CIBA, Chennai to be courieredto different labs in India.


Shrimp health management trainingcourse

Rotary International/NACA meetingfacility set up at Koh Yao Noi

The annual Shrimp HealthManagement Training Course has justfinished, in Bangkok, with 30participants attending from India,Indonesia, Malaysia, BruneiDarrussalam, the Philippines andThailand. A five-day practical courseaimed at producers, training isprovided in all aspects of healthmanagement with a strong emphasison prevention of disease through goodfarm management practices andhusbandry, from pond preparation andselection of seed through to harvest.The course is taught by recognizedexperts in the field and includes visitsto hatcheries and farms. This year’scourse was organized under acollaborative arrangement betweenALLTECH and NACA. The course was

initiated in 1998 by the Aquatic AnimalHealth Research Institute (AAHRI) of

Thailand’s Department of Fisheries,DFID/Stirling University and NACA.

Under the Special Programme inResponse to the Tsunami (SPIRIT),NACA has been working in partnershipwith other concerned organizations toprovide assistance to several affectedcommunities in Southern Thailand. Inparticular, NACA has supported therestoration and improvement of marinefinfish cage aquaculture on the islandof Koh Yao Noi in Phang Nga Province.Rotary International, working inpartnership with NACA, has alsoprovided handheld two-way radios forfishers to enable easy communicationof urgent matters including impendingdisasters.

With the cages back in the water andproducing fish and lobster again, theresidents of Koh Yao Noi have turnedtheir attention to other businessopportunities including thedevelopment of home stay tourism andother initiatives to attract business tothe island. Recently, one community

has constructed through their ownlabour a conference centre (which theyhave kindly named the RotaryInternational/NACA ConferenceCentre), a charming structure by thewater’s edge. The centre serves as anoffice of the Koh Yao Noi Ecotourism

Association whose members are alsofishers and fishfarmers and aconference facility. During our visit,they were preparing to host aconference of medical doctors fromvarious provinces in the south. Rentalof the facility will generate income for

ALLTECH’s Dan Fegan (recent President of the World Aquaculture Society)giving the initial lecture on opening day on 24 July.

The meeting house with a fine view of the bay where the fish cages are moored.


the association; meals are prepared forthe participants and nominal chargesare placed on the services.

In late August, the Chiba (Japan)Conference on Environment Educationand Protection, a civic group, will makea second visit to continue with thepractical seminars on environmentalissues that they had initiated inJanuary at the Koh Yao Noi districtschool, which has a student populationof 400.

State Villages Total ponds Total area (ha) Farmers % planned harvest achieved Andhra Pradesh 19 957 461 550 82 Tamilnadu 2 89 82 52 94 Orissa 2 25 15 19 -* Gujarat 2 210 127 45 93 Karnataka 4 32 23 24 84 Total 29 1313 708 690

with test contamination and testsensitivity, a general failure of PCRtesting capability and errors in samplehandling. The project is now offeringthese laboratories the option toimprove their techniques; these will beaddressed on a case by case basis viaassistance with resourcing, technicaladvice and training. Despite suchproblems the overall performance ofthe participating laboratories was ratedas good with over half of theparticipating laboratories returningeither excellent or acceptable results.It is hoped that this should help toboost the confidence of the farmersand hatcheries in the seed testingprocess implemented in India.

Future directionsA second PCR training workshopunder the regional ACIAR fundedshrimp health project is scheduled tobe held in Central Institute ofBrackishwater Aquaculture (CIBA)from 23-26 October 2006. This will beattended by the 25 nationalparticipants who participated in thefirst PCR training workshop. Three

Intercalibration...from page 2.

Table of BMP shrimp farming performance under the NACA-MPEDA programme by state.

participants, one each from Sri Lanka,Myanmar and Bangladesh will alsoattend the event. It is hoped that theworkshop will provide an opportunityto discuss the results of the PCR inter-calibration exercise and decide uponthe way forward in developing a PCR

laboratory accreditation programme inIndia. A two day ACIAR projectcoordination meeting is thenscheduled to be held at the College ofFisheries, Mangalore on 28-29October.

MPEDA-NACA sustainable shrimp village demonstration programme...from page 1.

Mangrove and seedlings for reforestation of tsunami-damaged areas.

Mud crabs caught in the Krabi mangroves by local artisanal fishers.


Tsunami-affected farmers train inmarine cage aquaculture

The Food and AgricultureOrganization of the United Nations(FAO) has generously providedfunding to train 200 tsunami-affectedfarmers in small-scale marine finfishcage aquaculture. FAO had previouslyassisted the farmers through provisionof materials to re-establish their fishcages and the training is a follow onto ensure that they also have a solidgrounding in the fundamentals of cageaquaculture. The training is entirelypractical, emphasizing bettermanagement practices that enablefarmers to reduce their costs through(for example) more efficient use of feedand reduce losses through improvedhealth management. This helpsfarmers achieve greater productionefficiency, yield and profitability. Thetraining, organized in a series of tencourses over a three-month period, isbeing provided by the Department ofFisheries Krabi Coastal Fisheries

Research and Development Centre,with cooperation from NACA. Thecourse is directed by Mr PaiboonBunliptanone, Director of the Krabicentre and internationally recognizedfor his expertise in marine finfishaquaculture, particularly in breedinggroupers such as Epinepheluscoioides and E. fuscoguttatus, amongothers. The centre has also been active

in the breeding of marine clownfish,with a numbr of species of thesepopular aquarium pets in production.Most of the juveniles are sold toaquarium dealers, while some arereleased into the Andaman Sea forresource enhancement.

The Krabi centre is undergoing anextensive renovation to upgrade its

Participants in a marine cage aquaculture course.

Farmers at Koh Yao Noi currently farm Asian seabass (Lates calcarifer) and fatten tropical lobsters. They wish todiversify into grouper culture.


Second training course inwebsite management

NACA’s second training course onwebsite management was run from 3-7April for two participants fromVietnam’s Can Tho University and onefrom the Coastal Habitat and ResourceManagement project (CHARM)project, a joint initiative of the ThaiDepartment of Fisheries and theEuropean Union. The purpose of thetraining course is to teach participantsto plan, construct and maintain theirown website using the free, opensource XOOPS Content ManagementSystem (www.xoops.org), which is thesame software used to maintain theNACA website. The course coversboth the technical issues and and oftenmore difficult project managementaspects of getting institutionalownership and staff involvement incontributing to a website. The Can ThoUniversity participants, Ms Tran ThiHong Hanh and Ms Su Kim Anh(below) are constructing a new websitefor the College of Aquaculture andFisheries. Mr Ton is working on a newwebsite for the CHARM project.

research facilities and improve localecotourism services, which hasrecently been integrated into thecentre’s development program. A pilotmesocosm hatchery, provided underthe NORADAQVAPLAN-NIVA gift toNACA and FAO as part of the tsunamirehabilitation efforts will also be setup in the Krabi centre. It is expected tobe scaled up and provide hatchery-reared grouper and other marine finfishseed to the small cage farmers in thearea.

Marine Finfish Aquaculture Network atthe APAN Meeting in Singapore

The Asia Pacific Advanced Network(APAN) met at the Singapore NationalUniversity on 17-21 July. The meetingpresented and discussed advancednetwork technology and applications,many of which were relevant tofisheries, agriculture and naturalresource management.

In the Agriculture Working Group, Mr.Koji Yamamoto of NACA gave apresentation on the “Asia-PacificMarine Finfish Aquaculture Networkand Grouper Aquaculture in theregion”. This presentation describedthe networking mechanism andstrategies used by the marine finfish

aquaculture network - which NACAanchors.

Also from NACA - which became amember of APAN in 1998 following thefirst APAN meeting in Tsukuba, Japan(attended by then InformationSpecialist Pedro Bueno), was apresentation on using the ContentManagement System for creating aDigital Library, by Mr. YoothanaSuansook, NACA’s ICT specialist.

Dr. Pisuth Paiboonrat from Hydro AgroInformatics Institute (HAII) inThailand presented an interesting

Continued page 8...

Above: Mr Paiboon Bunliptanone (right), Director of the Krabi CoastalFisheries Research and Development Station leads the training course. Below:Asian seabass produced by Koh Yao Noi farmers.


Aquatic animal health policyworkshops build consensus in

ASEAN nationsAs a part of the the two AusAid(AADCP-RPS) funded aquatic animalhealth projects Strengthening AquaticAnimal Health Capacity andBiosecurity in ASEAN andOperationalise Guidelines onResponsible Movement of Live FoodFinfish in ASEAN - two policyworkshops were held in Bangkok inApril 2006, coordinated by NACA andAusVet Animal Health Services, inpartnership with the ASEANSecretariat, the Thai Aquatic AnimalHealth Research Institute (AAHRI)and the Australian GovernmentDepartment of Agriculture, Fisheriesand Forestry (DAFF).

The first workshop, StrengtheningAquatic Animal Health Capacity andBiosecurity in ASEAN, was conductedfrom 3-6 April 2006 and the secondOperationalise Guidelines onResponsible Movement of Live FoodFinfish in ASEAN followed from 10-12April 2006. Both were attended byaround 40 delegates including bothhealth experts and policy makers fromthe ASEAN region. In addition, boththe workshops were attended byresource experts from partnerorganizations and regionalinstitutions.

The workshops gave ASEAN nationsa regional platform to address aquaticanimal health and biosecurity issuesand are expected to assist members tobuild consensus and supportpreparation of harmonized nationalstrategies for aquatic animal healthmanagement and for the movement oflive food finfish. The workshops arealso expected to contributesignificantly towards implementationof FAO/NACA Asia RegionalTechnical Guidelines for responsiblemovement of live aquatic animals inASEAN member countries.

The report of the workshop will bemade available on the NACA websitein due course. The ‘TechnicalGuidelines’, as they have come be be

known, may be downloaded from thepublications area of the NACAwebsite.

Aquaculturecompendium released

The long-awaited AquacultureCompendium has been released byCABI after two years of developmentwith contributions from the world’sleading experts in Aquaculture andAquatic Resource Management. Theaim of the compendium is to integrateexisting respected sources of material

and databases with newlycommissioned structured texts and‘datasheets’; to build a single resourcethat presents users with informationon Aquaculture in the broader context.The compendium is designed primarilyfor problem solving and as a referencetool for practical use. It is relevant for

NACA’s Dr C.V. Mohan (left) facilitating a working group.

www.cabi-publishing.org/ac


use in both developed and developingcountries and features extensive aswell as intensive production methods.

The Aquaculture Compendiumfocuses on all aspects of aquaculturein the broader context and providesinformation on the sustainable use offreshwater and saltwater aquaticresources worldwide. Thecompendium includes coverage ofseveral hundred topics in aquacultureproduction and technology. Featuresinclude:• Detailed analysis of issues that

affect aquaculture in the broadercontext, including environmentalmatters: regulations, wastemanagement, toxicology,biodiversity, introductions andtranslocations, ecotourism,coastal zone and watershedmanagement, environmentalimpact assessment,environmental remediation andrestoration.

• Comprehensive, illustrateddatasheets on aquatic diseases,each covering epidemiology,geographic and host range,economic impact, pathology,signs, diagnosis, prevention,treatment, zoonoses and foodsafety issues.

• Illustrated datasheets on all themajor cultivated species of finfish,crustaceans, molluscs andseaweeds, providing worldwidecoverage, each coveringtaxonomy, life cycle,reproduction, nutrition andfeeding, environmentalrequirements, health, genetics,behaviour, native and cultureddistribution.

• Context-rich case studies,including examples that cover themajor aquaculture issues inextension, research and industry.

• Feed information detailing feedcomposition and nutritionrequirements.

• International veterinary drugs andproducts database, includingvaccines: a compilation ofdatabases from diverse sources.

• Geographic Information System todisplay global and regional mapsfrom underlying geographicdatabases, especially useful in

international trade andquarantine.

• Images allowing easyidentification and useful forteaching, extension, publicawareness, and many otherpurposes.

• Bibliographic database, manywith abstracts, all linked fromcitations within the text.

• Background information onthousands of cultured speciesand their diseases, providing acomplete archive.

The compendium is available bysubscription on CD-ROM or viainternet, with special discounted ratesfor developing countries, and a freetrial period is available. To obtain moreinformation about the compendium,visit it online at http://www.cabi.org/compendia/ac/index.asp.

The initial development of theAquaculture Consortium wassponsored by an internationalconsortium including the AustralianGovernment Department ofAgriculture, Fisheries and Forestry(DAFF), Australian Centre forInternational Agricultural Research(ACIAR), Bangladesh AgriculturalUniversity, CAB International,Canadian Food Inspection Agency(CFIA), Canadian InternationalDevelopment Agency (CIDA),Department for InternationalDevelopment (DFID), UK, IntervetInternational BV, Netherlands, NewZealand Agency for InternationalDevelopment (NZAID), Nha TrangUniversity of Fisheries, Vietnam,Norwegian Agency for DevelopmentCooperation (NORAD), United StatesAgency for International Development(USAID), and the United StatesDepartment of Agriculture: Animal andPlant Health Inspection Service(USDA-APHIS).

Technical partners included the AsianInstitute of Technology (AIT), Foodand Agriculture Organization of theUnited Nations (FAO), Institute ofAquaculture - University of Stirling,Leibniz Institute of Marine Sciencesat the University of Kiel (IFM-GEOMAR), NACA, the WorldAquaculture Society (WAS) and the

World Organization for Animal Health(OIE).

Contributors needed

CABI is now planning updates to thecompendium. Can you help contributeto this process? The types ofinformation they are seeking to useinclude texts, images, databases andproblem-solving tools. These may beweb resources, lists of links or usefuladdresses, disease reports, casestudies, teaching or extensionmaterials, articles, reviews orprotocols. Material is encouraged forsubmission in any language, but wherepossible should also exist in Englishtranslation. CAB International willoffer selected experts a payment fortheir contribution. For moreinformation, see the compendiumwebsite link listed above.

project called the “Digital Pabsainitiative”. The aim of the project is toproduce a digital archive of traditionalknowledge regarding plants andanimals (including fish) and theirmedicinal and other uses, and relatedstudies into biodiversity. Ancientrecords, written on traditional ‘sa’paper, are being digitallyphotographed and then translated intomodern Thai language to preservetheir information content past thelifespan of the paper medium. As muchof the information relates to traditionalmedicinal properties of the native floraand fauna, it is also being used totarget bioprospecting research foruseful medical compounds, with plantsidentified from the records sent forpharmaceutical testing, modernknowledge building on the old. Theproject is also producing a GISdatabase on the distribution of speciesidentified in the records.

APAN...from page 6.


Developments in establishing aconservation plan for the

Mekong giant catfishIn the latest developments in NACA’sGenetics and Biodiversity programmea third meeting of the Mekong GiantCatfish working group was held from9-11 August 2006 at the Living AquaticResources Research Center(LARReC), Vientiane, Lao PDR. Themeeting was part of the project“Development of ConservationStrategies for the CriticallyEndangered Mekong Giant Catfish,(Pangasianodon gigas)” and took theform of a Quantitative Assessment andStrategy Evaluation workshop. Theevent follows previous Mekong GiantCatfish working groups held inBangkok, Thailand and Phnom Penh,Cambodia in August and Decemberlast year respectively.

This project is a collaborative effortbetween the Imperial College ofLondon, NACA, FAO, the Departmentof Fisheries Thailand, and the MRCFisheries Programme, with fundingprovided by the Darwin Initiative.Discussion groups also includemembers of WWF, KasetsartUniversity, and colleagues fromfisheries related institutions from theMekong riparian countries.

Thailand’s successin catfish breeding

Since 2001 the Department of Fisheries(DoF), Thailand has been successfulin breeding wild caught Mekong giantcatfish, with broodstock caught as partof an annual cultural ceremony, thenstripped and spawned. The resultingjuveniles have then been cultured forfurther breeding. Currently up to20,000 offspring from at least 10 year-classes are cultured in government andprivate farms and could be a valuableresource in efforts to rehabilitate

natural populations of the Mekonggiant catfish in the wild.

The need forgenetic information

& recentdevelopments

In any breeding programme geneticinformation on how individuals arerelated to each is required, as suchinformation can be used to preventinbreeding. For the giant catfish suchinformation will also optimize thegenetic resources of the stocks so thattheir use in rehabilitation efforts willnot further deteriorate the wild stocks.

The application of molecular geneticstherefore is a vital tool in developing ameaningful and an effective overallconservation strategy for the Mekonggiant catfish and in programmes to useof hatchery-bred fish to rehabilitatenatural populations.

Recently, in addition to 20microsatellite markers developed forPangasiid catfish by Hogan and May(2002), 11 polymorphic microsatelliteDNA markers were developed fromfinclip tissue of the Mekong giantcatfish (Ngamsiri et al. 2006). It isbelieved that these markers will bevaluable for both population geneticstudies as well as pedigree analysisfor the Mekong giant catfish and otherclosely related species, such asPangasius bocourti, P. conchophilus,P. larnaudii and P. sanitwongei.

Another study using sequences of themitochondrial DNA to compare levelsof genetic diversity between thecritically endangered Mekong giantcatfish and other closely related

species has also recently completed.The work is lead by Prof. Uthairat Na-Nakorn of Kasetsart University, and isaccepted for publication in AnimalConservation. An important finding isthat although Mekong giant catfish ishighly endangered, its level of geneticvariation of the wild population (16individuals collected over the periodof four years from 2002-2005) was verymuch commensurate to that observedin other related and abundant species.It is believed that this level of geneticvariation could be a signature ofhistorically large population of giantcatfish, and doesn’t reflect its currentstatus.

Ongoing work is underway togenotype individuals of hatchery-produced giant catfish using bothmicrosatellite and mitochondrial DNAmarkers. Results of this work areexpected to be useful in designing abreeding programme that ensuregenetic diversity of the species ismaintained, hence minimising thegenetic impacts upon wildpopulations.

Third meeting ofthe project working

groupThe third project meeting group aimedto provide an opportunity for projectpartners to review research activitiessince December 2005 and provideupdates on the biotelemetry study andthe genetic inventory of the captivegiant catfish population. It is hopedthat workshop discussions will resultin revisions to the quantitativeassessment reports and the first draftof a long-term conservation strategyfor the species.


References

Hogan, Z. & May, B. P. (2002). Twenty-seven new microsatellites for themigratory Asian catfish family

ROUNDTABLE: Exploring south-south cooperationopportunities in sustainable shrimp farming in West Africa,

Conakry (Guinea)

Pangasiidae. Mol. Ecol. Notes 2: 38-41.

Ngamsiri, T., Ohashi, Y., Sukumasavin,N., Nakajima, M., Na-Nakorn, U. &

Taniguchi N. (2006). Characterisationof microsatellite DNA markers in acritically endangered species, Mekonggiant catfish, Pangasianodon gigas.Mol. Ecol. Notes, In press.

The first steps towards cooperationbetween NACA and West Africancountries were taken with theRoundtable organised by the Saheland West Africa Club of the OECD on“Exploring South-South CooperationOpportunities in Sustainable ShrimpFarming in West Africa”, held inConakry, Guinea 6-8 June 2006.

The Roundable was a uniqueopportunity to discuss and debatewithin a small group of targeted WestAfrican and Asian experts and partnersabout the region’s shrimp farmingpotential through South-SouthCooperation opportunities. The eventsuccessfully contributed to increasingthe level of shared information onshrimp farming among keystakeholders involved, and developedshort-term as well as medium-termactions on investment and technicalpartnerships in shrimp farming, and inaquaculture in general, in the region.

The participants included staff fromthe NACA secretariat and governmentand private sector participants fromThailand and India. The discussionsduring the Roundtable andconclusions identified considerableopportunities for strengthening ofcooperation in sustainable shrimpfarming between West Africa and Asia,including development national andregional policy frameworks needed toencourage shrimp farm investmentand sustainability (financial,environmental and social), capacitybuilding and institutional linkages andexchanges of people from both regionsto strengthen South-Southcooperation. The report of the

Roundtable will be available during2006, providing a wealth of valuableinsights for NACA members into WestAfrica, the region’s potential foraquaculture and opportunities forcooperation.

Free publicationswww.enaca.org

Sorting wild shrimp from a fishery in southern Senegal: Wild stocks aredwindling leading to increasing interest in farming.


Technical missions to Cambodia and Lao PDR

In the latest activities under theAusAid funded project StrengtheningAquatic Animal Health Capacity andBiosecurity in ASEAN (370-021) twoof the four planned technical missionsto four ASEAN countries (Lao PDR,Cambodia, Vietnam and Myanmar)have recently been completed. Thesemissions follow on from project policyworkshops and training programmesheld earlier this year

Projects 370-021 together with apartner project “OperationaliseGuidelines on Responsible Movementof Live Food Finfish in ASEAN (370-018)” comprise the ASEAN-AustraliaDevelopment Cooperation ProgramRegional Partnership Scheme(AADCP-RPS). Both projects are beingimplemented by NACA and AusVetAnimal Health in partnership with theASEAN Secretariat; ASEAN SectoralWorking Group on Fisheries; NACANational Coordinators; AustralianDepartment of Agriculture, Fisheriesand Forestry (DAFF); Aquatic AnimalHealth Research Institute (AAHRI)Department of Fisheries, Thailand; andthe ASEAN governments.

Strengthening Aquatic AnimalHealth Capacity andBiosecurity in ASEAN

Cambodia and Lao PDR along withother ASEAN countries currently facesignificant challenges in the practicalimplementation of health managementstrategies, specifically in the areas of:• Disease diagnosis;• Surveillance and reporting;• Quarantine and certification;• Emergency preparedness;• Risk analysis; and• Resources (trained manpower,

infrastructure).

Developing simple and practicalnational aquatic animal healthmanagement strategies that suit theneeds of the country and at the sametime utilize the existing resources (e.g.department of livestock) effectively,should be the way forward. Such anapproach should focus on:• Awareness and capacity building;

• Networking;• Sharing of resources;• Promoting cooperation; and• Giving ownership to all

stakeholders concerned.

Technical missions

The technical missions took place inCambodia from 2-9 July and Lao PDRfrom 11-18 July 2006. Conducted by asmall team of experts, these missionsaimed to support the development andimplementation of national strategieson aquatic animal health, provideassistance to the project policyworkshop and training participants,and follow up on the identified countryspecific action plans.

Objectives of the technicalmissions

The objectives of the technicalmissions were to work closely withnational authorities in both countries,project participants and other relevantstakeholders to support thedevelopment of a framework fornational strategies on aquatic animalhealth management and to identifygaps and develop short and long termplans.

The terms of reference of the missionsincluded:• Identification of key national

issues concerning aquatic animalhealth.

• Identifying national priorities foraquatic animal healthmanagement.

• Identifying institutions and theirresponsibilities.

• Drafting a framework for nationalaquatic animal health advisorycommittee.

• Drafting a framework for nationalstrategies on aquatic animalhealth.

• Developing a national list ofdiseases.

• Evaluating capacity for nationallist of diseases.

• Developing a framework forpassive surveillance andreporting.

• Developing a framework forcontingency planning, and

• Supporting participants of theworkshops and trainingprogramme to follow up on someof the identified country actionplans.

An informal approach

The missions were composed ofmeetings comprised of a mix ofpresentations by national delegatesand technical mission team membersfollowed by facilitated discussionsand the development of outputs. Thisinformal meeting structure wasintended to encourage activeparticipation of national delegates andto assist this process throughout thesessions, translations were providedwhere necessary.

Throughout the mission the need todevelop national strategies for aquaticanimal health remained the key focus.

The outputs developed took intoaccount existing national frameworksand facilities enabling the nationalaquatic animal health strategiesdeveloped to be both practical andeasily implemented within existingresources and structures. All theoutputs developed during the missionwere based on the inputs received fromnational delegates and on the last dayof the mission, a wrap-up sessionprovided feedback to the participantson the significant outcomes andidentified timelines for each of theplanned activities.

Development of a frameworkfor a national strategy

In both countries the purpose of anational strategy on aquatic animalhealth was agreed upon as “to reducerisks of aquatic animal diseaseimpacting on livelihoods ofaquaculture farmers, nationaleconomy, trade and human health.”The essential components of such astrategy were also identified asfollows:


Network ofAquacultureCentres in

Asia-Pacific

Mailing Address:P.O. Box 1040,

Kasetsart UniversityPost Office

Ladyao, Jatujak,Bangkok 10903

Thailand

Phone +66 (2) 561 1728Fax +66 (2) 561 1727

Email: [email protected]: www.enaca.org

NACA is a networkcomposed of 17

member governments in theAsia-Pacific Region.

This newsletter is sent freeto governments, libraries,

development agencies andother interested parties

on request.

Copyright NACA 2006.You may copy and distribute

this publication withattribution of NACA as the

original source.

• Identification of key issues inrelation to aquatic animal healthmanagement;

• Identification of national prioritiesconcerning aquatic animal health;

• Identification of key institutionsand responsibilities;

• Formation of a national committeeon aquatic animal health;

• Developing a national list ofaquatic animal diseases;

• Developing disease diagnosissupport;

• Capacity building and resources;• Surveillance and reporting;• Quarantine and health

certification;• Emergency preparedness and

contingency planning; and• Risk analysis.

The advantages of the developmentand implementation of nationalstrategies were also identifiedincluding:• It identifies the action plans of a

country to implement the variouselements contained in the nationalstrategy;

• It will ensure responsible healthmanagement; and

• It provides the road map forphased implementation based onnational priorities and availableresources.

In considering the individualcomponents of this framework themeetings also identified several issuesconcerning the aquatic animal healthmanagement in both countries. Forinstance in Cambodia over 200 millionfish seed are being introduced into thecountry every year to meet theincreasing demands from fish farmers.These introductions are being carriedout without proper checks and healthcertificates and present a significantdisease risk. In addition it is widelyperceived that importing seed fromneighboring countries and nursingthem is a much cheaper optioncompared to sourcing seed fromgovernment and private hatcheriesoperating in Cambodia. In Lao PDR itis estimated that the annual fish-seedrequirement is around 500 million.About 300 million (Tilapia, Silver barb,Chinese carp, Common carp, Indiancarp, Hybrid catfish, Pangasius, frogs)

are produced in Lao PDR, with the restimported from other countries. Despitesuch large production Lao PDR onlyhas two laboratories dedicated toaquatic animal health related work andthere are limited numbers of staffspecifically trained in aquatic animalhealth.

Simple observation anddiagnostics

Another important output was thedevelopment of a framework forpassive surveillance using simpleLevel I diagnosis or observation.Practical and effective surveillancesystems coupled with early warningand early response, are critical to theeffective management of diseaseemergencies. Disease surveillanceshould be an integral and keycomponent of all national/stateaquatic animal health services. This isimportant in providing early warningof diseases, planning and monitoringof disease control programs, provisionof sound aquatic animal health adviceto farmers, certification of exports,international reporting and verificationof freedom from diseases. It isparticularly vital for animal diseaseemergency preparedness.Implementation of practicalsurveillance and early responsesystems will directly and indirectlycontribute to improved diseasediagnosis, better researchcollaboration, reliable advice toprimary producers, capacity buildingat the level of extension workers andprimary producers and development ofan early warning and emergencypreparedness system. A goodsurveillance system was identified ashaving several benefits:• Forms the basis for all national

disease control programs.• Helps to meet regional and

international reportingrequirements.

• Helps to meet trade requirements(e.g. health certificates).

• Helps to initiate development ofcapacity, infrastructure andresource material.

This simple yet effective surveillancesystem and the easy to collect datarequired to monitor any disease event

or outbreak will be described in aforthcoming issue of Aquaculture Asia.

Future directions

Building on the success and outputsof these two activities the projectplans further missions in Myanmar andVietnam in the near future. It is hopedthat these will contribute to theformulation of individual frameworksfor national strategies in aquatichealth management.

Documents

MPEDA-NACA sustainable shrimp village demonstration programmelibrary.enaca.org/Newsletter/Newsletter-July-Sept-2006.pdf · MPEDA-NACA sustainable shrimp village demonstration programme