The event, a 4-day workshop, which started on May 3, 2017 in Natal Brazil, was carried out through the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Project "FAO – TCP/INT/3501: Strengthening biosecurity governance and capacities" for dealing with the serious shrimp infectious myonecrosis virus (IMNV) disease. The workshop aimed at sharing information on Emergency Preparedness and Response Systems in the 6 participating countries and developing a Disease Strategy Plan for IMNV. During the workshop, an active surveillance design for IMNV and a framework for developing a National Strategy on Aquatic Animal Health were discussed and prepared. The workshop also deliberated on appropriate export/import sanitary measures/actions for live shrimp and shrimp products from countries that are free and countries that are not free from IMNV, as well as practical application of biosecurity zoning and maintenance of disease free status. Some 25 delegates representing China (Dr. Jie Huang and Dr. Yan Liang from Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences), Ecuador (National Fisheries Institute), Indonesia (Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries), Mexico (National Health Service, Food Safety and Quality), Thailand (Department of Fisheries), FAO experts from Canada, Chile and the USA and local Brazilians representing the government, producer and academic sectors participated in this important event. A half-day Technical Seminar for Aquaculture Stakeholders was also held in the last day to share country and expert experiences on important shrimp diseases and other emerging issues affecting aquaculture.

This event was the second interregional workshop of FAO project ” FAO – TCP/INT/3501”. FAO in cooperation with the Brazil's Ministry of Industry, Foreign Trade and Services/MDIC, The Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply/MAPA and the Brazilian Association of Shrimp Growers/ABCC, is tackling infectious myonecrosis virus (IMNV), one of the most serious pathogens, affecting cultured whiteleg shrimp (Penaeus vannamei). As we know, Penaeus vannamei is a very important aquaculture commodity with a global production worth almost USD 19 billion. The present FAO TCP project is extremely important for better understanding of the challenges in facing shrimp diseases and closer cooperation amongst the main world shrimp producers in order provide more efficient and systematic response to future disease outbreaks through improved sector governance.

Group photo of all the delegates and experts in the workshop

Field trip in shrimp farm of Natal, Brazil