The role of selective breeding and biosecurity in the prevention of disease in penaeid shrimp aquaculture

Disease will limit future food supply from the global crustacean fishery and aquaculture sectors

“…In addition, they have potential to affect non-farmed populations of susceptible crustaceans (OIE, 2009;Stentiford et al, 2009Stentiford et al, , 2010aLightner, 2012). It is also noteworthy that since 1993, due to domestication and genetic stock selection of Pacific white leg shrimp (P. vannamei), that large-scale production has shifted away from the formerly dominant black tiger shrimp (P. monodon) (Flegel, 2012;Moss et al, 2012). Whilst domestication of stock is clearly a major step forward in terms of yield improvement and disease control at the farm and country level, it may also be argued that the concentration of the majority of global effort into production of a single species of penaeid shrimp has certainly aided the translocation of important pathogens to distant regions (e.g.…”

“…Domestication and the production of SPF stocks have undoubtedly led to significant improvements in survival and yield, particularly when their 'high health' offspring are stocked into biosecure facilities (Moss et al, 2012). The systematic appearance of commercially damaging viral epidemics in the years preceding such initiatives is testimony to the potential for intensive stocking to convert cryptic viral infections to emerging disease problems in captive penaeid shrimp.…”

“…The systematic appearance of commercially damaging viral epidemics in the years preceding such initiatives is testimony to the potential for intensive stocking to convert cryptic viral infections to emerging disease problems in captive penaeid shrimp. Maturation of the penaeid shrimp farming industry over coming years will likely lead to greater emphasis on the siting of farms in increasingly biosecure environments where physical barriers protect farmed stock from wild reservoirs, and vice versa (Moss et al, 2012). In this context, it is perhaps feasible that the emergence rate of novel infectious agents of penaeid shrimp will decrease to a level significantly less than that observed during the major expansive phase of the industry.…”

“…Early operations with penaeids utilised wild captured broodstock to produce offspring, or even direct stocking of ponds with larvae collected from nursery habitats in coastal margins of tropical zones. Whilst important in gaining early ground in the movement of penaeid shrimp to a globally traded commodity, this practice was almost certainly responsible for significant losses due to disease during this initial period (see Moss et al, 2012). The use of wild stocks has now generally been superseded by a reliance on domesticated penaeid shrimp lines, often possessing beneficial traits for commercial rearing (such as SPF classification for key viral pathogens).…”

“…The use of wild stocks has now generally been superseded by a reliance on domesticated penaeid shrimp lines, often possessing beneficial traits for commercial rearing (such as SPF classification for key viral pathogens). It is without doubt that this transition has been largely responsible for the massive growth in global yield from this sector in recent decades (Moss et al, 2012; Lightner et al, 2012). In his review, Moss et al (2012) lists the use of SPF shrimp, improvements in selective breeding, and the adoption of strict on-farm biosecurity practices as key requirements for future expansion and long term sustainability of the global shrimp industry.…”