Draft national strategy on aquatic animal health and biosecurity for the Federated States of Micronesia (2021– 2024)

Book excerpt: The Federated States of Micronesia’s National Strategy on Aquatic Animal Health 2021–2024, a broad and comprehensive strategy to build and enhance capacity for the management of national aquaculture biosecurity and aquatic animal health, was developed under FAO’s Project TCP/MIC/3603/C2: “National Aquatic Animal Health and Biosecurity Strategy”. The FSM’s NSAAH has taken into consideration a new initiative that FAO and partners have developed – the Progressive Management Pathway for Improving Aquaculture Biosecurity (PMP/AB). The application of the NSAAH has now expanded to fit as an important element of the PMP/AB.This initial strategy document outlines 15 major Programmes that will assist in developing a national approach to overall management of national aquaculture biosecurity and aquatic animal health. To complete this draft document, the Competent Authority (the Department of Resources and Development, R&D) should review the brief summaries of key projects suggested to be of immediate high priority to be accomplished under each of the 15 Programmes, modifying or adding to these as appropriate. The R&D will also need to develop an associated Implementation Plan for the National Strategy on Aquatic Animal Health (NSAAH) that identifies the activities that must be accomplished, the responsible sector(s) (government, private sector, and/or academia), the key staff, details of each project, the time-frame and an associated budget and source of funding (government, private sector, or other source). It is expected that progress toward completion of the various Projects will be reviewed on a regular basis and, beginning in 2023, the NSAAH and its Implementation Plan will be revised and renewed on a 5-year basis. At these intervals, and as national aquaculture development and aquatic biosecurity progresses through completion of Projects, new Programmes and Projects will be added. As an evolving and living document, the NSAAH will contain the national action plans for short-, medium- and long-term phased implementation based on national priorities.The 15 Programmes included in this NSAAH for 2021–2024 are: Programme 1: Policy, Legislation and Enforcement; Programme 2: Risk Analysis; Programme 3: National Aquatic Pathogen List; Programme 4: Border Inspection and Quarantine; Programme 5: Diagnostics; Programme 6: Farm-level Biosecurity and Health Management; Programme 7: Veterinary Drugs and Avoidance of Antimicrobial Resistance; Programme 8: Surveillance, Monitoring and Reporting; Programme 9: Communication and Information System; Programme 10: Emergency Preparedness and Contingency Planning; Programme 11: Research and Development; Programme 12: Institutional Structure (including Infrastructure); Programme 13: Human Resources and Institutional Capacity Development; Programme 14: Regional and International Cooperation; and Programme 15: Ecosystem Health.