International collaboration

Australia collaborates with other aquaculture centres in the Asia Pacific region, which enables the sharing of resources, expertise and experiences.

The Network of Aquaculture Centres in Asia-Pacific

The Network of Aquaculture Centres in Asia-Pacific (NACA) is a regional aquaculture research and development network. In 2011 NACA consisted of 18 member governments:

• Australia, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Hong Kong SAR, India, Indonesia, Iran, Korea (DPR), Lao DPR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam.
• NACA's partners include organisations such as Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, United Nations Development Programme, the Asian Development Bank, World Bank, OIE (World Animal Health Organization), the Mekong River Commission, Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, European Union,  Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research, Australian Government’s Overseas Aid Program (AusAID),  the Asian Institute of Technology, World Wide Fund for Nature, MacArthur Foundation and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund.

Australia has had a long association with NACA. Australia's membership was formalised when the Instrument of Accession was lodged in the Australian Parliament on 1 July 1998.

Through membership to this network, we can greatly enhance aquaculture research and development in Australia. NACA operates on a principle of collaboration between member economies, allowing research costs to be minimised through collaborative projects and the sharing of training capacity.

The Asia-Pacific region has a long history in aquaculture, and Australia stands to benefit from this contribution to the development of aquaculture through developing closer links with aquaculture producers and researchers in the region.