The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry provides national leadership in international aquatic animal health activities. These contribute to:
- the development of the international standards of the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH)
- the activities of the Network of Aquaculture Centres in the Asia-Pacific (NACA)
- regional capacity building projects.
The World Organisation for Animal Health
The World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) is the global authority on animal health. Australia is a strong contributor to WOAH processes. This helps protect our animal health status and trade in animals and animal products. The Australian Chief Veterinary Officer (ACVO) is Australia’s Delegate to WOAH.
Aquatic Animal Health Standards Commission
WOAH’s Aquatic Animal Health Standards Commission ensures that the Aquatic Animal Health Code (Aquatic Code) and the Manual of Diagnostic Tests for Aquatic Animals (Aquatic Manual) reflect current scientific information.
Australia’s reporting requirements for aquatic animal diseases
Australia reports on our aquatic animal disease status to the WOAH. Australia’s reporting obligations to the WOAH are described in the Aquatic Animal Health Code (the Aquatic Code).
International reporting data to the WOAH can be found on the WOAH’s World Animal Health Information System (WAHIS). The latest WAHIS reports can be viewed via the ‘Reports’ tab.
The Network of Aquaculture Centres in the Asia-Pacific
The Network of Aquaculture Centres in the Asia-Pacific (NACA) is an intergovernmental organisation. It promotes rural development through sustainable aquaculture and aquatic resources management and seeks to:
- improve the livelihoods of rural people
- reduce poverty
- increase food security.
The Australian Government is a member of NACA.
Aquatic animal health program
We partner with NACA to support a range of activities that aim to improve the management of aquatic animal health in the region. For information on NACA’s Aquatic Animal Health Program see the Health and Welfare theme on their website.
Australia is a member of the NACA Asia Regional Advisory Group on Aquatic Animal Health. The group meets annually to discuss regional disease issues, including emerging disease threats.
Australia’s reporting requirements for aquatic animal diseases
Australia reports quarterly to NACA and WOAH Regional Representation for Asia and the Pacific (RRAP) on our aquatic animal disease status. This report is for specific diseases of concern to the Asia-Pacific region. The NACA Asia Regional Advisory Group on Aquatic Animal Health determines the diseases covered in the Quarterly Aquatic Animal Disease Report (QAAD report).
The QAAD report is available to view and download on the NACA website and WOAH (Regional Aquatic Animal Disease Reports - WOAH - Asia).
Regional Capacity Building Projects
Asia-Pacific laboratory proficiency testing programs
We work with the CSIRO Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness, to carry out laboratory proficiency testing programs for the Asia-Pacific region.
Visit the NACA website for program and workshop reports:
Vietnam on-farm aquaculture biosecurity project
Vietnam is a prominent seafood producer and one of Australia’s major trading partners. We work closely with the Department of Animal Health in Vietnam, have successfully concluded a technical capacity building project to improve on-farm biosecurity practices of small-scale aquaculture farms in Vietnam.
The project recognises Vietnam’s increasing market influence and Australia’s leadership in the management of aquatic animal health.
For further details see the project summary below.
Download
The on-farm aquaculture biosecurity project in Vietnam – final report summary (PDF 350 KB)
The on-farm aquaculture biosecurity project in Vietnam – final report summary (DOCX 710 KB)
If you have difficulty accessing these files, visit web accessibility for assistance.
For further information contact Aquatic Pest and Health Policy.