Addressing health questions with both pro-active
and reactive programmes has become a primary
requirement for sustaining aquaculture production and
product trade. The current strategy in the Asia-Pacific
region emphasizes responsible health management to
minimize the risks of disease incursions brought about
by the movement of live aquatic animals and their
products. The regional Technical Guidelines provide
valuable guidance for national and regional efforts in
reducing these risks and a strong platform for mutualcooperation at the national, regional and international
levels. There is strong support at various levels to
implement the Technical Guidelines and National
Strategies. The aquaculture sector will continue to
intensify; trade in live aquatic animals will also persist
because it is a necessity for aquaculture development
at both the subsistence and commercial levels. The
risk of major disease incursions and newly emerging
diseases will keep on threatening the sector, and unless
appropriate health management measures are maintained
and effectively implemented, the government
and private sectors will be faced with more costs in
terms of production losses and the efforts needed to
contain and eradicate diseases, funds that would have
been better spent in preventing their entry into the
system. Focussing efforts on prevention, on better
management practices and on maintaining healthy fish
maybe more important than focussing on why fish get
sick. Health management is a shared responsibility,
and each stakeholder’s contribution is essential to the
health management process.