The Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Government of India is implementing Phase II of National Surveillance Programme for Aquatic Animal Diseases (NSPAAD) under Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) since 2022. This phase has pan-India coverage and involvement of State Fisheries Departments (SFDs). The programme, being coordinated by ICAR-National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources, Lucknow is in continuation of Phase I of NSPAAD funded by Department of Fisheries, Government of India through National Fisheries Development Board, Hyderabad from 2013 to June 2020 and under PMMSY from July 2020 to March 2022.

The main driver for the NSPAAD is the significant threat that diseases pose to growth of aquaculture resulting in huge losses. In a recent report, the economic losses due to diseases in shrimp culture were estimated to be about Rs. 7100 crores. Of these, the losses due to Infection with Enterocytozoon hepatopenaei (EHP) alone were approximately Rs. 3977 crores. Similarly, a number of diseases such as argulosis...