Progress of Government of Japan trust-funded projects

On December 9 and 10, proponents and reviewers of Government of Japan Trust-funded projects gathered in Amigo Terrace Hotel, Iloilo City to review the work progress for 2008 and present plans for 2009.

The proponents attending the meeting include scientists and research staff from AQD, RIA-2 of Vietnam, Inland Aquatic Animal Health Research Institute of Thailand, and Research Institute for Freshwater Aquaculture of Indonesia.

The external reviewers were Dr. M Sano (Director of Fisheries Research Agency, Japan), Dr. EC Lacierda (Kagoshima University), Dr. LMB Garcia (University of the Philippines Diliman) and Dr. C Baylon (UP Visayas). They congratulated the study leaders for their “great efforts in implementing the studies as planned.” Since 2009 is the last year of the GOJ-TF 4, they also urged the proponents to construct an information network and share the results of the studies. The manual on viral nervous necrosis (VNN) is one of the awaited results. There would also be the revised textbook on aquatic animal health, revised manual on diseases of penaeid shrimps, new manual on fsh nursery, and new proceedings of the 2007 international workshop on fish disease. Already in press are two manuals: identification of commercially important freshwater prawns, and seed production & grow-out of mudcrab in Vietnam.

Dr. Hiroshi Ogata, AQD Deputy Chief and GOJ-TF manager of aquaculture projects, was also pleased with the progress of the three projects which cover: (1) development of fish surveillance system; (2) development of technologies and human capacity building for sustainable aquaculture; and (3) stock enhancement for threatened species of international concern. The GOJ-TF team is working on VNN and other viruses like WSSV, an “indigenous” probiotics, chemical residues in aquaculture; shrimps & prawns, freshwater prawn, mudcrab, sea cucumber, abalone, angelwing clam, giant clam, rice-fish culture, Kappaphycus, sea bass, seahorses, humpback wrasse; and socioeconomic analysis of stock enhancement and technology adoption.