Meaden, G.J., Aguilar-Manjarrez, J., Corner, R.A., O'Hagan, A.M. & Cardia, F. 2016. Marine spatial planning for enhanced fisheries and aquaculture sustainability - its application in the Near East. FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Technical Paper No. 604. Rome, FAO.

This document provides a clear and comprehensive account for the application of marine spatial planning (MSP) within the Regional Commission for Fisheries (RECOFI) region. It builds on regional technical workshops, held under the auspices of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), aimed principally at improving the prospects for fisheries and aquaculture in the Near East.

Marine spatial planning provides a step-by-step process that allows for the cooperative integration of the major marine uses and users within a defined marine area. These ordered procedures  allow all stakeholders to work towards ensuring the long-term sustainability of identified marine activities. The principles of the ecosystem approach to both fisheries and aquaculture can readily be incorporated into the process. The output of MSP is the development of a plan that addresses any potentially conflicting uses of the sea, thus enabling the strategic, forward-looking planning for the regulation, zoning, management, protection and sustainability of the marine environment. MSP can best function if it includes continuing reinforcement and adjustments of learned experiences over a long time period.

The document includes three important annexes. The first includes the main recommendations concerning the adoption of marine spatial planning taken from the RECOFI (FAO) Cairo workshop in 2012. The second exemplifies how MSP might best be adopted in Saudi Arabia, with emphasis being placed on the types of marine activities that must be considered and the range of data and their sources that should be procured. The third annex provides a comprehensive listing of additional information about MSP, including worldwide examples where MSP has been applied under varied local conditions at highly variable geographic scales.

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First row: L-R seated: Dr Iddya Karunasagar (India, FAO retiree), Dr Rohana Subasinghe (Sri Lanka, FAO retiree), Dr Olga Haenen (Netherlands, Wageningen Bioveterinary Research), Dr Indrani Karunasagar (India, Nitte University), Dr Larry Hanson (USA, Mississippi State University), Ms Elena Irde (FAO-Rome), Dr Mark Lawrence (USA, Mississippi State University), Dr Andrea Dallocco (Italy). Second row: L-R standing: Dr Melba Reantaso (FAO-Rome), Dr Snježana Zrncic' (Croatia, Croatian Veterinary Institute)

A group of aquatic microbiology and aquatic animal health experts from Croatia, India, Sri Lanka, the Netherlands, and the United States of America gathered for a 3-day book write-shop organized by the FAO Aquaculture Branch, Fisheries and Aquaculture Department in Frascati, Italy from 12-14 December 2016. This publication "Responsible Management of Bacterial Diseases in Aquaculture" contains 10 bacterial disease groups belonging to six gram-negative bacteria (e.g. vibriosis, aeromonasiasis, edwardsiellosis, pseudomonasiasis, flavobacteriosis, infection with intracellular bacteria) and four gram-positive bacteria (e.g. mycobacteriosis, streptococcosis, renibacteriosis and infection with anaerobic bacteria) consisting of some 40 pathogens considered as major bacterial diseases (based on a set criteria) of cultured finfish, crustaceans and molluscs in fresh and marine waters, some of which have zoonotic potential.

This publication covering four chapters (1. Introduction; 2. Bacterial diseases: general considerations; 3. Bacterial diseases: pathogen-specific considerations; and 4. Issues and challenges in managing bacterial diseases in aquaculture) and intended to a wide range of users, is being developed in recognition of the need to responsibly manage bacterial diseases in aquaculture, to reduce the use of antibiotics and thus avoid resistance, as well to find alternatives to antibiotics. It is expected that the book will be released in 2017.

Further information can be obtained by writing to Melba.Reantaso@fao.org