ASEAN Regional Technical Consultation on Aquatic Emergency Preparedness and Response Systems for Effective Management of Transboundary Disease Outbreaks in Southeast Asia (Phase 2)

Duration: 2025–2026
Donor: Japanese ASEAN Integration Fund (JAIF)
Lead Department: SEAFDEC/AQD

Background

Aquaculture production in Southeast Asia has grown rapidly over the last two decades contributing approximately 10% of the annual world aquaculture production. However, irresponsible aquaculture practices including the irresponsible transfer of aquatic species, particularly farmed stocks carrying pathogens, have brought about the emergence of a number of infectious diseases thereby posing serious threats to the sustainability of aquaculture in the region. A consultative meeting back in 2016 that tackled the Acute Hepatopancreatic Necrosis Disease (AHPND) or Early Mortality Syndrome (EMS) affecting several ASEAN Member States (AMS) led to the focus on aquatic emergency preparedness response systems (AEPRS) in the region and the need to have a well-defined AEPRS that each member country could adapt. The project ASEAN Regional Technical Consultation (RTC) on Aquatic Emergency Preparedness and Response System for Effective Management of Transboundary Disease Outbreaks in Southeast Asia has already brought together representatives of ASEAN member states, technical experts, and farmers/industry practitioners back in 2018 to examine the status of each country’s AEPRS, to identify gaps in their systems as well as to get inputs from other member states and experts in order to develop a well-defined regional AEPRS that will yield more systematic management of aquatic animal disease outbreaks in the region. The main objective of the project was achieved; however, the other goals were just partially achieved. A draft of the Regional Technical Guidelines on Early Warning System for Aquatic Animal Health Emergencies that the member states of the region could follow was formulated. To ensure sustainability and continuity, the project warrants another assembly of the same people back in 2018 with the addition of more people from the private sector as well as from the academe to participate. Phase 2 of the project will prepare Contingency Plans for high-profile diseases, manuals, and other EPRS toolkits needed in the implementation of the Technical Guidelines on EPRS prepared in Phase 1 of the project.

Project Description

Aquaculture production in Southeast Asia has grown rapidly over the last two decades contributing approximately 10% of the annual world aquaculture production. However, irresponsible aquaculture practices including the irresponsible transfer of aquatic species, particularly farmed stocks carrying pathogens, has brought about the emergence of a number of infectious diseases thereby posing serious threats to the sustainability of aquaculture in the region. A consultative meeting back in 2016 which tackled the Acute Hepatopancreatic Necrosis Disease (AHPND) or Early Mortality Syndrome (EMS) affecting several ASEAN Member States (AMS’s) led to the focus on aquatic emergency preparedness response systems (AEPRS) in the region and the need to have a well-defined AEPRS that each member country could adapt. The project ASEAN Regional Technical Consultation (RTC) on Aquatic Emergency Preparedness and Response System for Effective Management of Transboundary Disease Outbreaks in Southeast Asia has already brought together representatives of ASEAN member states, technical experts, and farmers/industry practitioners back in 2018 to examine the status of each country’s AEPRS, to identify gaps in their systems as well as to get inputs from other member states and experts to develop a well-defined regional AEPRS that will yield more systematic management of aquatic animal disease outbreaks in the region. The main objective of the project was achieved; however, the other goals were just partially achieved. A draft of the Regional Technical Guidelines on Early Warning System for Aquatic Animal Health Emergencies that the member states of the region could follow was formulated. To ensure sustainability and continuity, the project warrants another assembly of the same people back in 2018, with more people from the private sector and academe participating. Phase 2 of the project will prepare Contingency Plans for high-profile diseases, manuals, and other EPRS toolkits needed to implement the Technical Guidelines on EPRS prepared in Phase 1.

This 3-day consultation/workshop will be conducted in 2025 in Manila, Philippines. The goal is to discuss and draft a contingency plan that the AMS’s could adopt in their own country for when threats to aquatic animal health arise. Representatives from each member state and Japan would present a report and discuss the existence or absence of contingency plans concerning aquatic animal health and diseases. The same farmers/industry practitioners from the last consultation will also be invited to share their experiences and insights regarding contingency plans related to aquatic animal disease emergencies. The invited experts will assess the current status of aquatic emergency preparedness and response systems currently being practiced by the different countries in the Southeast Asian region and the contingency plans that each member state has set in place. The workshop will review the existing contingency plans, laws, legislations, and standard operating procedures (SOPs), among others, pertinent to aquatic EPRS of each member country, identify gaps, policy recommendations, and priority areas for R&D collaboration, and enhance the cooperation among member countries, regional/international organizations and other relevant stakeholders on initiatives that support aquatic EPRS for effective management of aquatic animal disease outbreaks.

The proceedings of this meeting will be published and disseminated widely among AMS’s. For a more efficient information dissemination of the outputs of this meeting, an e-copy of the proceedings/ reports on the status of contingency plans regarding aquatic emergency preparedness and response systems for effective management of transboundary disease outbreaks in Southeast Asia will also be uploaded at the SEAFDEC/AQD website.

The above-mentioned project and knowledge outputs are expected to result in important policy recommendations and collaborations for an improved and effective aquatic EPRS in the region. These outputs will contribute to and highly support achieving strategic objectives and concrete actions for an integrated ASEAN community.

This proposed consultation/workshop was presented at the Forty-Sixth Program Committee Meeting on November 20-22, 2023, in Bali, Indonesia, and endorsed during the Fifty-Sixth Council Meeting on May 6-9, 2024, in Tagaytay City, Philippines.

Goal

Relevant to the ASEAN Community Blueprints of enhanced connectivity and sectoral cooperation and a Global ASEAN, the main objective of this proposed meeting is to bring together the representatives of ASEAN Member States and Technical experts again with the addition of people from the private sector and the academe to prepare Contingency Plans for high profile diseases, manuals, and other EPRS toolkits needed in the implementation of the Technical Guidelines on EPRS prepared in Phase 1 of the project.

Objectives/Outcomes

1. To contribute to systematically managing aquatic animal disease outbreaks in the region through well-defined aquatic emergency preparedness and response systems and
2. To enhance cooperation among ASEAN Member States, regional/international organizations, and other relevant stakeholders on initiatives supporting emergency preparedness and response systems for effectively managing aquatic animal disease outbreaks.

Outputs and Activities