Asian-Pacific Aquaculture 2019

June 19 - 21, 2019

Chennai Tamil Nadu - India

THE PROGRESSIVE MANAGEMENT FOR IMPROVING AQUACULTURE BIOSECURITY: A NEW INITIATIVE

Melba B. Reantaso*
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Via delle Terme di Caracalla
Rome 00153 Italy
Melba.Reantaso@fao.org
 

Approximately every 3-5 years, there is a new disease emerging and there is a long time lapse from the time that a disease or mortality event is first observed in the field, until the causative agent is confirmed, communicated nationally or through OIE, up to the time when a vaccine or cost-effective  containment measures are put in place. While these events are happening, significant production and market losses are incurred affecting livelihoods, export earnings and food supply. The cost would have been much less if efforts were focused on prevention compared to the costs for biosecurity measures, compensation and other alternatives.

The Progressive Management Pathway for improving aquaculture biosecurity (PMP/AB), a new initiative,  refers to a pathway aimed at enhancing aquaculture biosecurity by building on existing frameworks, capacity and appropriate tools using risk-based approaches  and public-private partnerships. It is an  extension of the Progressive Control Pathway (PCP). The PMP/AB is expected to result in sustainable:

  1. reduction of burden of disease
  2. improvement of health at farm and national levels
  3. minimization of global spread of diseases
  4. optimization of socio-economic benefits from aquaculture
  5. attraction of investment opportunities into aquaculture and
  6. achievement of One Health goals

The presentation provides information on: (i)  the processes taken in the development of the PMP/AB that included an understanding and analysis of the factors, drivers and pathways to aquatic animal disease emergence; (ii) the four stages of the PMP/AB and key considerations at each stage; (iii) the benefits of PMP/AB; (iv) the entry points for countries; and (v) and the way forward for PMP/AB.