10-14 December 2018, FAO headquarters, Rome, Italy

Bringing together the wider community of scientists and experts working on fisheries and the marine environment in the Mediterranean and Black Sea in order to build a lasting network, discuss advancements in research, integrate scientific knowledge in support of decision-making and identify research priorities for the coming decade.

Over 500 participants are expected to fill FAO headquarters to attend, during the course of the week, 7 workshops, over 104 oral contributions from 3 different thematic sessions, 3 expert roundtables and 9 side events.

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More information on General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) website

26 Nov 2018 Top photo: AMR/RA/AAH experts debate on risk of AMR in aquaculture 29 Nov 2018: Bottom photo: Experts from candidate FAO Reference Laboratory for Aquaculture Biosecurity (inc AMR) from China, India and USA Dr Richard Arthur (Canada), Dr Iddya Karunasagar (India, Nitte University), Dr Peter Smith (Ireland), Dr Rohana Subasinghe (Sri Lanka), Dr Olafur Valsson (Iceland, OIE), Dr David Verner-Jeffreys (UK, CEFAS), Dr Carlos Zarza (Spain, Skretting), Dr Patricia Gaunt (USA, MSU), Dr Jiang Lan (China, Pearl River Fisheries Research Institute), Dr Wang Yingeng and Dr Zhang Zheng (China, Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute) and FAO HQ Officers (Dr Melba Reantaso, Dr Hao Bin, Ms Elena Irde)

A meeting of an Expert Group composed of the following experts, namely: Dr R. Arthur (Canada), Dr I. Karunasagar (India, Nitte University), Dr P. Smith (Ireland), Dr R. Subasinghe (Sri Lanka), Dr O. (Iceland, OIE), Dr D. (U.K., CEFAS), Dr C. Zarza (Spain, Skretting), Dr P. Gaunt (USA, MSU), Dr J. Lan (China, PRFRI), Dr W. Yingeng and Dr Z. Zheng (China, YSFRII) and FAO Officers (Dr M. Reantaso, Dr H. Bin, Ms E. Irde), engaged in a scoping exercise to increase the understanding of the risks of AMR in aquaculture. Setting the scene with technical presentations (e.g. Recent global and regional initiatives to reduce AMR, Overview and current status of knowledge on AMR, AMR risk analysis for human medicine: the WHO framework and guidance, AMR risk analysis for aquaculture: the OIE framework, Observations on the OIE RA framework and CODEX framework, Oral delivery of medicines through aqua feed: AMR risk factors), the Expert Group performed a risk profiling of two important bacterial pathogen groups (Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Streptococcus spp.). The Expert Group was of the opinion that risk profiling as outlined in Codex provides a useful guidance, but it would need to be reviewed and adapted as appropriate for aquatic AMR RA. The risk profiling exercise for the above two bacterial pathogens revealed that in both cases, the AMR risks posed by these pathogens were likely to be low and thus conducting a full risk assessment was not recommended. Strain differentiation and pathogenicity as outlined in Codex are essential in understanding the AMR risks posed by bacteria affecting aquaculture production. Discussions on potential development of a proposal to contribute to a multisectoral project "Towards reducing aquaculture-based AMR through a cross-sectoral approach" followed. A consensus was reached to develop a project concept that will include Streptococcus spp. and mesophilic aeromonads as the bacterial agents for investigation, as these pathogens are important to both animal and human health. These two bacterial agents are important pathogens of tilapia, the second largest species group produced in aquaculture globally, which contributes significantly to global food and nutrition security. A short meeting of the FAO Reference Centers for Aquaculture Biosecurity (including AMR), participated by China, India and the USA discussed a joint work program that included activities within the pillars of the FAO Action Plan on AMR (awareness, evidence, governance and practices) including joint resource mobilization. The next meeting of the expert group is planned to be in China in mid-2019.

More information: Melba.Reantaso@fao.org

ABSTRACT
This issue of FAN contains an editorial on Opportunities for aquaculture development in drylands, and four main sections on:

1. Global aquaculture updates with an article from statistician's desk providing an Overview of recently published global aquaculture statistics; one article from the fish health specialist's desk on FAO efforts to build capacity in dealing with Tilapia Lake Virus; one article providing information on the Thirty-third Session of Committee on Fisheries (COFI); one contribution on a special workshop on Advancing integrated agriculture-aquaculture through agroecology and one on FAO presence at AQUA 2018 Conference in Montpellier.
2. Aquaculture updates by region offers information on ongoing projects, activities and events by region particularly: three articles for Asia-Pacific; four articles for Europe; three articles for the Near East and North Africa; one articles for Latin America and the Caribbean; five articles for Sub-Saharan Africa.
3. There are three thematic articles on the following subjects:
   1. World aquaculture - the next 20 years;
   2. Preparation of the States of the Word Report on Aquatic Genetic Resources;
   3. Lessons to be learned from aquaculture development in China.
4. Miscellaneous section contains three contributions with the following titles:
   1. Conservation and Management of Aquatic Genetic Resources: technical exchange visit between Zambia and Hungary; and
   2. Approaching fifty years of the Aquatic science and Fisheries Abstracts (ASFA);
   3. Aquaculture production and marketing in the Roman empire. The three last sections focus on new staff profiles in the FAO Aquaculture Branch, new FAO aquaculture publications and Calendar of events.

PDF: http://www.fao.org/3/CA2325EN/ca2325en.pdf

Information: V. Crespi

Table of materials and presentations

23-24 October 2018, Nairobi, Kenya: Participants to the Project Inception Workshop of GCP/RAF/510/MUL: Enhancing capacity/risk reduction of emerging Tilapia Lake Virus (TiLV) to African tilapia aquaculture, consisting of about 34 four delegates representing Angola, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria and Uganda; government, academe and producer sector representatives from Kenya; officials of FAOR and FAOHQ and TiLV experts and aquatic animal health specialists.

Some 34 delegates from Angola, Ghana, Nigeria, Uganda; delegates and officials of Kenya's Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Irrigation, academe and producer sector representatives; officials of FAOR and FAOHQ and experts actively participated during the Project Inception Workshop (PIW) of GCP/RAF/510/MUL: Enhancing capacity/risk reduction of emerging Tilapia Lake Virus (TiLV) to African tilapia aquaculture funded by the Africa Solidarity Trust Fund.

Tilapias are the second-most important farmed finfish worldwide, with Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus), as the 6th among the top cultured species. Given the importance of farmed/wild-caught tilapia, especially as a widespread source of low-cost protein and micronutrients, its affordability, TiLV represents a potential threat to food security.

Ms Susan Imende, Ag. Director General, Kenya Fisheries Service, emphasized the need to urgently tackle the threat of TiLV since it is in the African continent already and can pose a serious pathogen risk to wild tilapia populations of African lakes and rivers.

"We are aware that the disease can cause high mortalities and since there is neither cure nor vaccine yet, it can cause a lot of socio-economic upheaval among the small-scale fish farmers who are the majority in our Countries" (Ms Susan Imende).

She concluded her remarks with a note on the need to create awareness, create strong monitoring and surveillance systems as a continent, build capacity for diagnosis and more research for better understanding in order to develop an affordable vaccine and diversification of culture species. She declared open the PIW with a final remark "We must work together and not in isolation".

The PIW introduced the backgrounder, objectives, scope, components and outputs, discussed project implementation mechanisms; identified potential bottlenecks and/or risk in project implementation & recommended ways in advance to avoid such risks.

Participants' knowledge of TiLV was enhanced on its emergence and current distribution, pathology and diagnostics, prevention, risks and risk management, aquatic animal disease surveillance and requirements. The participants also learned some aspects of socio-economic impact assessment methods and the FAO Emergency Management Tools.
By the end of the PIW, country delegates presented a detailed implementation plan including requirements, components, time-line, risks and responsibilities.

A 10-day intensive Training Course on TiLV is scheduled to be held from 4-13 December in Kisumu, Kenya in collaboration with the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute and the Kenya Fisheries Service.

More information: Melba.Reantaso@fao.org

A unique overview of the implications of climate change for fisheries and aquaculture, and for the millions of people who depend on these sectors for their livelihoods, this publication maps out solutions for climate change adaptation and mitigation around the globe.

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