The role of aquaculture farm biosecurity in global food security

The role of aquatic animals in global food and nutrition security is increasingly recognised. The global demand for fish is increasing, leading to a need to significantly increase its supply. Securing future fish supplies through sustainable production is a challenge as major resources such as fresh water and land are becoming limited worldwide. Aquaculture and capture fisheries face various threats from both human-mediated and natural environmental change, including climate change. Aquaculture systems and practices are vulnerable to such changes. Moreover, aquatic animal diseases are currently considered one of the most important constraints to sustainable global fish production. The need to increase global production, combined with climate change, may increase losses due to diseases. This paper examines key vulnerabilities, their impacts and management to achieve increased and sustainable global fish production. The authors focus on the need to apply international standards, and to develop biosecurity and capacity in aquatic animal health to improve global fish health. Research needed to underpin the development of improved detection and control of fish diseases is also discussed.

Section: Inherent Production and Management Risksmentioning

confidence: 99%

Vulnerabilities in aquatic animal production

Subasinghe¹,

Delamare-Deboutteville²,

Mohan³

et al. 2019

“…There are concerns about the types (some, such as chloramphenicol, are intended only for human use, while others are banned in the production of animals for human consumption) and quantities of antibiotics and metabolites released into the environment, where they may be taken up by wild fishes and promote microbial resistance. More effective methods of disease control, including improved husbandry and management, vaccines and disease-resistant strains of fishes, are gradually being developed and promoted through best management practices (BMPs) (25) and are increasingly being incorporated into more sustainable cost-effective pest management strategies.…”

Section: Pollutionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The changing nature of aquatic animal production

Brummet¹,

Hargreaves²

2019

Aquaculture will continue to grow, but environmental constraints will interact with changing consumer profiles and regulatory frameworks such that future growth will look somewhat different from the trajectories of the past 30 years. Availability and price of land, fresh water, feeds and energy, and concerns about pollution and the introduction of non-native species will be major constraints to expansion. New technology will evolve in response to these concerns. This new technology will be based on the principle of sustainable intensification so as to reduce the environmental footprint per unit of production and limit volatility in markets precipitated by disease and other production system problems. Markets and consumer demand will be reflected in the economics of the industry under more sophisticated regulatory regimes. More sustainable sources of the proteins and oils in fish diets, improved genetic management, and better health and production systems will continue to underpin the expansion of aquaculture into the 21st century and beyond.

“…Biosecurity is key to protecting a farm from diseases, and is discussed in two papers in this publication. The first of these by Osborn and Henry (19) argues that farm-level biosecurity needs to address identified pathways of pathogen introduction and take into account the farm' s inherent connection with the environment and, therefore, potential reservoirs of infection. The trend in the industry towards large, more intensive farms (Brummett and Hargreaves [10]) increases the potential consequences of disease outbreaks and thus the need for improved biosecurity.…”

Section: Improving Aquatic Animal Health Managementmentioning

confidence: 99%

Introduction: Improved aquatic animal health management is vital to aquaculture’s role in global food security

Peeler¹,

Ernst²

2019

Global food security and nutrition depend heavily on aquaculture, the continued growth of which is crucial as the world heads towards a human population of at least 9 billion by 2050, while harvests from wild capture will, at best, stabilise at current levels. Thus, a fundamental question is: how can we sustainably increase aquatic food production? It is clear that aquatic animal diseases present a substantial threat and, consequently, aquatic animal health management has a critical role in food security. An ecosystem approach to aquaculture will mitigate impacts on ecosystem services and biodiversity, and provide the necessary resilience to future disease threats, including those exacerbated by climate change. Due to the nature of aquatic production systems, this approach must encompass fisheries and other sectors that share the same resources. Improved aquatic animal health management must be a key component of aquaculture's future. At the national level, public-private partnerships are vital in achieving objectives of common benefit. Improved disease reporting and response is critical in the control of listed and emerging diseases and can only be achieved through government, industry and stakeholder collaboration. Great potential exists to improve biosecurity from the farm to national level, but this will only be achieved through collaboration. Industry cannot develop effective biosecurity without a clear government strategy and support, specifically legislation which provides an effective framework for safe trade. Governments have a key role in creating a regulatory environment that supports effective biosecurity and is attractive to investment; such as one that supports the development and regulatory approval of therapeutics. The improved control of transboundary diseases requires the wider and more consistent implementation of OIE standards, particularly on disease notification. This can only be achieved through improved collaboration between trading partners and by supporting low-and middle-income countries to strengthen their aquatic animal health services. There is incredible potential for aquaculture to continue its rapid growth and increase its contribution to global food security. However, sustainable growth of aquaculture is threatened by both known diseases, which we cannot effectively control, and new diseases, which may become pandemic. Recent pandemics have shown that global production systems are epidemiologically connected and, consequently, aquatic animal diseases present a shared global threat that demands global solidarity. The world now depends on a sustainable future for aquaculture and improved aquatic animal health management is critical to its continued and growing contribution to global food security.