17 The Coordinator presented his report for the period January to December 1988. The year, he noted, was marked by several significant events and developments in the implementation of the project, starting with the 1988 Conference of Plenipotentiaries for the Adoption of the NACA Agreement, the Second PGC Meeting and Tripartite Review Meetings of the NACA Phase III (RAS/86/047) and the Regional Seafarming Development and Demonstration Project (RAS/86/024). Among the highlights of the project's activities for the year included the preparation of the Five-Year Work Programme (1990–1994) for the forthcoming Intergovernmental NACA and the implementation of the fish disease programme.
18 The Conference of Plenipotentiaries was held in Bangkok on 5–8 January 1988 in which the NACA Agreement was adopted, thereby setting in motion the formal establishment of NACA as an intergovernmental organization.
19 The Second PGC Meeting was held on 12–15 January 1988 in Bangkok with the following major recommendations and decisions: additional funding was needed for the fish disease programme in view of the urgent need to contain the sporadic outbreaks of fish disease problem in the region; that the recruitment of national experts should refer to the Report on Employment Conditions for guidelines; that financial assistance from UNDP and other agencies was needed during the transition period; that a 3-man Working Group was appointed to develop a long-term strategy and Five-Year Work Programme along with the detailed budget for support of funding agencies.
20 In response to the recommendation of the Second PGC Meeting on the possibility of funding the fish disease programme, UNDP approved RAS/86/047 Project Revision B with a total budget of US$ 1.75 million, an increase of US$ 526,681 of which US$ 160,000 was derived from governments' cost-sharing contributions.
21 Two regular courses (the senior aquaculturists training course and the integrated fish farming training course) were implemented in 1988 along with three other training programmes (backyard shrimp hatchery on-the-job training, fish disease diagnostics course and the in-service training in research under the secondment programme for junior scientists). Under the Seafarming Project, four short-term demonstration and training courses and one training workshop were also organized during the year, making a total of 10 different types of training programmes implemented in 1988.
22 The Project continued to assist the regional lead centres as well as national aquaculture centres, in terms of technical assistance, and equipment and essential research supplies, according to requests received.
23 Publication of the technology series, newsletters, working papers, manuals and reports continued during the year. Considerable support was given to the Seafarming Project in which training manuals, technical reports, commodity status reports and slide sets were produced. Action has been taken to develop new application for AQUIS, particularly for the collection and analysis of farm performance data.
24 NACA continued to provide technical assistance and support services to various other projects, and maintained close linkage and collaboration with several organizations and institutions. It collaborated with IDRC and UPM in the implementation of the tropical fish health programme at UPM; and with the University of the Philippines in the Visayas and SEAFDEC-AQD on the one-year senior aquaculturists degree programme; and with Stirling University on the regional fish disease research programme.
25 The most significant impact of the project has been the increase in the importance given to aquaculture in national development planning. With the strengthening of the centres through staff development and improved facilities, several organizations and agencies have been attracted to collaborate with them. This has created a multiplier effect in terms of assistance provided by agencies and organizations collaborating with the various centres of the Network, thereby contributing further to the development of aquaculture in the region. The Coordinator's report appears as Annex IX.
26 The Director of the Regional Lead Centre in China reported on the progress of activities, the major highlights of which included capital construction and improvement of physical facilities, the implementation of the eighth session of the integrated fish farming course (which trained 38 participants from 11 countries), and the continuing conduct of research studies, as well as information exchange. Research projects included bio-economic modelling of integrated fish farming in China, the effect of stocking ratio of different species in the polyculture system, frequency of manure application with fish production, fresh and fermented pig manure applications with fish yield, bacterial diseases of fish and human health as a function of manuring, the effects of night aeration on the increase of fish yields, and the role of micro-organisms in nitrogen cycling in the pond.
27 The Centre has prepared the manuscript on Integrated Freshwater Fisheries in China. It is expected to be printed in early 1989. The RLCC Director's report is Annex X.
28 Research activities at the Regional Lead Centre in India continued to be conducted in nine major divisions: productions technology, fish breeding and genetics, soil and water environment, fish nutrition, pathology, fish physiology, aquaculture engineering, economics and statistics.
29 Among the important research developments were the production of inter-generic hybrids between Indian and exotic carps, determination of protein requirements of grass carp and catla fingerlings, as well as of silver carp fry. A new cell line has been developed from hepatoma of silver carp.
30 Other studies on disease, physiology, broodstock management, soil and water management in undrainable ponds, and catfish culture were also implemented. The RLCI Director's report is Annex XI.
31 As the Regional Lead Centre in the Philippines, SEAFDEC Aquaculture Department implemented the Seventh Training Course for Senior Aquaculturists in Asia and the Pacific in collaboration with the University of the Philippines in the Visayas. Eighteen participants from nine countries in the region are participating in the programme. The RLCP Director's report is Annex XII.
32 The Department of Fisheries, through the National Inland Fisheries Institute, continued to support NACA activities by organizing NACA meetings, training courses and study tour programmes, and undertaking research work on various disciplines.
33 It provided its expert services in the implementation of the regional research programme on fish disease and is hosting the Junior Scientists Secondment Programme involving three junior scientists from China and Indonesia, currently attached to fish nutrition and fish disease laboratories.
34 RLCT has undertaken several research work with the financial support from the Royal Thai Government and certain NACA inputs (chemicals and necessary equipment), including mass selection of Macrobrachium rosenbergii and Clarias macrocephalus, response of Tahi red tilapia to weight-specific selection of growth, seed production of Nile Tilapia, breeding and rearing of short-necked clam, essential fatty acid requirement of juvenile seabass, and vitamin requirement of seabass. The RLCT Director's report is Annex XIII.
