This report presents the results of a second multi-stakeholder consultation on the Progressive Management Pathway for Improving Aquaculture Biosecurity (PMP/AB), where 41 participants from government, the private sector, academe, and international agencies and donors took stock of the drivers of aquatic animal disease emergence and shared experiences in dealing with aquaculture biosecurity challenges. The four stages of the PMP/AB focus on building aquaculture biosecurity capacity through both bottom-up and top-down approaches with strong stakeholder engagement to promote application of risk management at the producer level as part of a national approach. The PMP/AB initiative is not intended to be prescriptive, and it will be possible to achieve the key outcomes through different combinations of activities. It is essential to address all key outcomes to fully complete a stage and progress to the subsequent stage.

The PMP/AB refers to a pathway aimed at enhancing aquaculture biosecurity by building on existing frameworks, capacity and appropriate tools using risk-based approaches and public-private sector partnerships. It is expected to result in sustainable (i) reduction in burden of diseases; (ii) improvement of aquatic health and welfare at farm, national and regional levels; (iii) minimization of global spread of diseases; (iv) optimization of socio-economic benefits from aquaculture; (v) attraction of investment opportunities into aquaculture; and (vi) achievement of One Health goals. In the context of the PMP/AB, biosecurity refers to the cost-effective management of risks posed by pathogens to aquaculture through a strategic approach at the enterprise, local-sector, national and international levels with shared public-private responsibilities. This guidance document for PMP/AB application contains the rationale, vision, mission, scope, goals and benefits of the PMP/AB. The four stages of the PMP/AB are described in detail, including the overall objectives and key outcomes to complete each stage. It also presents a general stepwise process and recommended activities for completing the different stages. The PMP/AB checklist is divided into four broad categories, namely: Sectors and Stakeholders; Aquatic Health Services; Surveillance, Monitoring and Diagnostics; and Management and Evaluation.

This report highlights the accomplishments of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) consultations and round-table discussions on the PMP/AB that were held during 2019. These include the following: (i) the Second Multi-Stakeholder Consultation on the Progressive Management Pathway for Improving Aquaculture Biosecurity (PMP/AB2) (29–31 January 2019); (ii) the Progressive Management Pathway for Improving Aquaculture Biosecurity (PMP/AB): First Technical Working Group Meeting (TWG1) (20–22 March 2019); and (iii) the Roundtable Discussions on Aquaculture Biosecurity (22–26 July 2019). It reports on the progress made towards formulating, planning and developing implementation mechanisms for the PMP/AB, based on the comments and recommendations provided by the wide range of stakeholders and experts who participated in these events. In August 2019, the Tenth Session of the Committee on Fisheries (COFI) Sub-Committee on Aquaculture, held in Trondheim, Norway endorsed the PMP/AB and the development of a multidonor-assisted, long-term aquaculture biosecurity component of an aquaculture programme, including its five pillars. Therefore, the FAO, through its Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture, now has a mandate for the further development and implementation of the PMP/AB. Future activities include the establishment of an official Technical Working Group (TWG) that will drive the further development of the technical aspects of the PMP/AB, wider consensus building, initial application (pilot testing) and refinement of the PMP/AB tools, and resource mobilization for the aquaculture biosecurity programme. Guidance documents and resources for advocacy and training on the PMP/AB are currently in development to facilitate adoption at the national level.

This report presents the results of a Technical Working Group (TWG) meeting, where experts from competent authorities, intergovernmental organizations, the aquaculture industry, academe, and research institutions examined the two previous consultations on the Progressive Management Pathway for Improving Aquaculture Biosecurity (PMP/AB) and clarified issues and concerns raised during these two consultations. A consensus was reached on the definition of the PMP/AB as a pathway that builds on existing frameworks, supported by appropriate tools (via the “PMP/AB toolkit”). The PMP/AB focuses on aquaculture biosecurity, which includes health management and reduction of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The PMP/AB will not directly focus on food safety; however, it will promote sustainable aquaculture production with good husbandry practices, environmental practices, and prudent treatment or antimicrobial use.

Algae, including seaweeds and microalgae, contribute nearly 30 percent of world aquaculture production (measured in wet weight), primarily from seaweeds. Seaweeds and cmicroalgae generate socio-economic benefits to tens of thousands of households, primarily in coastal communities, including numerous women empowered by seaweed cultivation. Various human health contributions, environmental benefits and ecosystem services of seaweeds and microalgae have drawn increasing attention to untapped potential of seaweed and microalgae cultivation. Highly imbalanced production and consumption across geographic regions implies a great potential in the development of seaweed and microalgae cultivation. Yet joint efforts of governments, the industry, the scientific community, international organizations, civil societies, and other stakeholders or experts are needed to realize the potential. This document examines the status and trends of global algae production with a focus on algae cultivation, recognizes the algae sector’s existing and potential contributions and benefits, highlights a variety of constraints and challenges over the sector’s sustainable development, and discusses lessons learned and way forward to unlock full potential in algae cultivation and FAO’s roles in the process. From a balanced perspective that recognizes not only the potential of algae but also constraints and challenges upon the realization of the potential, information and knowledge provided by this document can facilitate evidence-based policymaking and sector management in algae development at the global, regional and national levels.

This Shrimp infectious myonecrosis strategy manual provides key information for national policy-makers relevant to the development of contingency plans for countries, producers and other stakeholders with regard to outbreaks of infectious myonecrosis (IMN), a viral disease of farmed marine penaeid shrimp that is listed by the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE). IMN is a viral disease, discovered in 2002, that has caused substantial mortalities in populations of cultured Pacific whiteleg shrimp (Penaeus vannamei) initially reported in Brazil (2002) and Indonesia (2006) and recently in India (2016) and Malaysia (2018). The purpose of this manual is to provide support for the various components of a national contingency plan. The information provided includes: (1) the nature of IMN: providing a brief review of disease etiology, susceptible species and global distribution; (2) diagnosis of infection: describing the gross clinical signs of disease, field diagnostic methods, differential and laboratory methods for diagnosis; (3) prevention and treatment: providing information on vaccination, and resistance and immunity of the hosts; (4) epidemiology: providing information on IMNV’s geographic distribution, persistence in the environment, modes of transmission, vectors and reservoir hosts, factors influencing disease transmission and expression, and impact of the disease; (5) principles of control and eradication: describing the methods and (6) policy development and implementation: summarizing the overall policy, IMN-specific objectives, problems, overview of response options, strategies for eradication and control, capacity building and funding and compensation.

This report documents the accomplishments of the FAO Project TCP/MIC/3603/C2 – “National Aquatic Animal Health and Biosecurity Strategy” that was implemented in 2019 for the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM). These include the following: (i) Round-table discussions on aquaculture development, biosecurity legislation, aquatic animal health and aquaculture biosecurity (21–22 May 2019); (ii) Technical Seminar on Basic Aquatic Animal Health and Aquaculture Biosecurity (23 May 2019); (iii) National Consultation on Aquaculture Development, Biosecurity Legislation, Aquatic Animal Health (24 May 2019); and (iv) Introductory training course on risk analysis within the Progressive Management Pathway for Improving Aquaculture Biosecurity (PMP/AB) (27–28 May 2019). The various activities undertaken during the field mission provided the basis for drafting the National Strategy on Aquatic Animal Health (NSAAH) and the National Aquatic Pathogen List (NAPL) for FSM. There is a need to conduct another round of national consultations in order to generate feedback prior to finalizing the documents and approval. The next step will be to incorporate them into the government’s policy documents and work with partners for joint resource mobilization to support implementation. The report also contains a list of recommendations that the Government of FSM should consider to improve capacities in aquatic animal health and aquaculture biosecurity.