During May 5th – 7th, Prof. Xu Pao, Director of Freshwater Fisheries Research Center, invited by Network of Aquaculture Centers in Asia-Pacific (NACA) and commissioned by the International Cooperation Department of the Ministry of Agriculture, went to Indonesia for participating the 26th Governing Council (GCM26).
The Governing Council has commissioned a comprehensive review of NACA to evaluate its role, operations, staffing and funding levels in light of the contemporary operating environment and changing needs of member governments. The development landscape has changed considerably over the past 25 years of NACA’s existence as an independent inter-governmental organisation and it was considered timely to evaluate the status and direction of the organisation. Aquatic animal health (particularly the current state of acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease of shrimp) and aquaculture certification and benchmarking issues featured prominently in the discussions.
Xu Pao as a representative of China noted that for 25 years NACA had devoted itself to the regional development of aquaculture through collaboration and networking for mutual benefit of all member governments. The Government of China attached great importance to NACA’s mission and the Regional Lead Centre, China, was actively participating in the work programme. NACA had raised awareness of new issues such as climate change in aquaculture. The Chinese Government would continue to support NACA, and wished NACA success in strengthening its role as a regional platform for dialogue and collaboration. And as a regional leading center, FFRC will strive to make new contributions to the sustainable development of regional aquaculture industry through capacity building, technology transfer, cooperative research and so on.
The 27th NACA Governing Council meeting will be held in Thailand in 2016.
