In recent years, the Division of Maricultural Organism Disease Control and Molecular Pathology (MODC) of YSFRI has carried out extensive international academic activities. Besides being a research division, MODC also functions as two OIE reference laboratories for white spot disease (WSD) and infectious hypodermal and haematopoietic necrosis (IHHN), respectively. MODC has outstanding performance in international academic exchanges in 2016, through its cooperation with OIE, FAO, and the East Asia Marine cooperation platform. These activities were supported by the 948 project "Joint research on mariculture and diseases prevention and control in Southeast Asian countries" and project of “Joint research and extension center on mariculture technology in China - ASEAN - shrimp disease prevention”. They have hosted several international conferences and workshops, including the International Workshop on Aquaculture Health, a training workshop on shrimp disease diagnosis technology among China-Southeast Asia and co-hosted a FAO TCP/INT/3501 workshop on Emergency Preparedness and Response and Contingency Planning with the National Fisheries Technology Extension Center (NFTEC). In total, MODC has received 3 groups (34 people) of scholars and delegations from the United States, Thailand, India, etc. and have arranged 4 delegations (8 people) to visit France, Thailand, Malaysia and South Korea.
    In May, a delegation of 3 persons led by Professor Jie Huang, a senior researcher of YSFRI, visited BIOTEC in Thailand and UMT in Malaysia. They shared research progress on the occurrence and prevalence of shrimp diseases, and discussed the establishment of International Network of Aquatic Animal Health (INAAH), and the other issues of mutual interest. They achieved agreement on signing a letter of intent (LOI) between YSFRI and UMT and a Memorandum of understanding (MOU) between YSFRI and BIOTEC. During their stay in Thailand, they also visited the Asia Pacific Aquaculture Network Center (NACA). The delegation and NACA exchanged views on the establishment of the China-SEA Collaborative Network on Aquatic animal disease control, and the promotion measures for the training course on shrimp disease diagnosis technology and testing capacity.

Professor Jie Huang and director-general of NACA Cherdsak Virapat (NACA, Thailand)

Visiting Mahidol University, Thailand, Professor Tim Flegel was the first on the right,
Professor Kallaya Sritunyalucksana was in the middle (BIOTEC, Thailand)

Visiting Professor Najiah Musa’s lab in Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT, Malaysia)

In the same month, a training course on shrimp disease diagnosis technology was hosted by MODC, 28 trainees from 5 countries (Thailand, Cambodia, Iraq, Sri Lanka and Vietnam) took part in this training course. Dr. Qingli Zhang and several staffs from MODC were the training directors. The courses included lectures on the principle of the rapid and high sensitivity test kits, which is developed by YSFRI, and hands on practice of shrimp disease detection by using the kit.

China - Southeast Asia shrimp disease diagnosis technology training workshop 2016 (Qingdao, China)

From June 22th to 28 th, Professor Jie Huang and Dr. Yan Liang from MODC, as the delegates of China, attended the first session of FAO TCP workshop on Emergency Preparedness and Response and Contingency Planning (FAO TCP/INT/3501) in Bangkok, Thailand. This Technical Cooperation Project organized by FAO, is a joint initiative among six countries from Asia (China, Thailand, Indonesia) and Latin America (Brazil, Ecuador, Mexico) for capacity-building activities on shrimp disease control, and to gain a better understanding of emergency preparedness and contingency planning as an important element of an aquatic animal health and biosecurity strategy.

FAO TCP (INT3501) First Workshop (Bangkok, Thailand)

On July 28th, International Symposium on aquatic health sponsored by YSFRI was successfully held in Qingdao. The purpose of this symposium is to exchange views on the research progress of international aquatic animal diseases, and to promote the health, ecology and sustainable development of aquaculture. More than 80 experts, academics and administrators from 10 countries, including China, the United States, Canada, Brunei, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Iraq, Sri Lanka and Vietnam attended the workshop. The workshop was co-hosted by Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences (CAFS) and the Freshwater Fisheries Research Center.

International Workshop on Aquaculture Health 2016 (Qingdao, China)

From November 10th to 12th, the second session of FAO TCP Workshop was successfully held in Beijing, which was hosted by NFTEC and YSFRI. Representatives from the 5 project countries (Brasil, China, Indonesia, Mexico and Thailand), invited resource experts and FAO officers participated this workshop. Dr. Melba Reantaso from FAO headquarters is the project director. Officers from NFTEC, Bureau Fisheries of MOA, China, and CAFS, around 20 experts and scholars from China were invited and joined the workshop. This workshop contributed to achieve 2 outputs of regional response strategy for IMNV outbreaks and national emergency and contingency plans for IMNV. The workshop has effectively promoted the academic exchanges and discussions among countries on the prevention and control of aquatic animal disease, and laid a solid foundation for further international cooperation carried out in YSFRI in the future.

FAO/NFTEC /YSFRI Workshop on Emergency Preparedness and Response
and Contingency Planning (Beijing, China)