This book examines how the adaptability and innovation of small-scale aquaculture farmers have been crucial to success in the region. It describes the relationship between aquaculture development in Asia to natural systems, social conditions and economics.

In 1994, world aquaculture production reached 25.5 million mt, valued at US$ 39.83 billion. Asia contributed 89.9% of this total, and has since continued to dominate global production. The drive to produce more fish and shellfish to meet the growing demand has lead many aquaculturists in Asia to intensify their operations. In many instances, the complex balance between the fish/shellfish and the environment is not well understood, the organism under culture subsequently becoming stressed and prone to infections. As we have already witnessed, disease has been and will continue to be a major constraint to the development of the aquaculture industry. Considering the FAO's priority on developing sustainable aquaculture, the large Asian contribution to global aquaculture production and the seemingly high losses of revenue due to diseases and health-related problems, FAO, in consultation with the Network of Aquaculture Centres in the Asia-Pacific (NACA), the Aquatic Animal Health Research Institute (AAHRI), the South East Asian Fisheries Development Centre (SEAFDEC) and the Universiti Pertanian Malaysia (UPM), and in collaboration with the Fish Health Section of the Asian Fisheries Society (FHS/AFS), organized a Regional Expert Consultation on Aquaculture Health Management in Asia and the Pacific, which was held at the Universiti Pertanian Malaysia in Serdang, Malaysia in May 1995. This document comprises the technical papers presented at the Consultation, and is a supplement to the report of the consultation, FAO Fisheries Report No. 529.

FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Circulars While many countries in the Asia-Pacific region have made commendable efforts to set up policies, as well as administrative, legal and regulatory frameworks to properly develop and manage aquaculture, some countries are still lagging behind. And in some of the countries that have made conducive policies, implementation is delayed by a lack of financial and skilled human resources. This issue must be addressed as a priority if the Asia-Pacific aquaculture sector is to continue to develop sustainably.

The Asia-Pacific region is remarkably diverse and wide ranging, geographically, in its flora and fauna, culturally, institutionally and economically. The region includes the two most populous countries in the world, China and India, a greater part of the Asian continent, the Australian continent, and many small islands, mostly in the Pacific Ocean, which are some of the smallest island nations in the world. Fisheries and aquaculture are socio-economically important sectors to most nations in the Asia-Pacific region and most nations in the region have high rates of fish consumption, mostly sourced from aquaculture although the small island nations depend to a greater extent on capture fisheries. This review entails analyses of the aquaculture sector in Asia-Pacific including the status and trends, progress made in achieving sustainable development, salient challenges, issues and anticipated future development. Status and trends are based on data extracted from the FAO Fishery and Aquaculture Statistics (FAO, 2020a; FAO, 2020b), unless stated otherwise, and are mostly for the period from 2008 to 2018 and occasionally for the period from 1990 to 2018 for relevant historical comparison and longer-term contextual analyses.

Fish have been a major component of our diet and it has been suggested that fish/seafood consumption contributed to the development of the human brain, and this together with the acquisition of bipedalism, perhaps made us what we are. In the modern context global fish consumption is increasing. However, unlike our other staples, until a few years back the greater proportion of our fish supplies were of a hunted origin. This scenario is changing and a greater proportion of fish we consume now is of farmed origin. Aquaculture, the farming of waters, is thought to have originated in China, many millennia ago. Nevertheless, it transformed into a major food sector only since the second half of the last century, and continues to forge ahead, primarily in the developing world. China leads the global aquaculture production in volume, in the number of species that are farmed, and have contributed immensely to transforming the practices from an art to a science. This book attempts to capture some of the key elements and practices that have contributed to the success of Chinese aquaculture. The book entails contributions from over 100 leading experts in China, and provides insights into some aquaculture practices that are little known to the rest of the world. This book will be essential reading for aquaculturists, practitioners, researchers and students, and planners and developers.