Recognized as the fastest growing food-producing sector in the world, and rapidly developing in Africa, disease is a major limiting factor for successful aquaculture production, with lasting effects on socio-economic development in many countries. Country-level impacts of a significant disease can be estimated indirectly through the level of income, production losses, employment, international trade, investments and consumer confidence.
Aquatic disease situation is changing rapidly and very difficult to predict due to the current period of accelerated change in the international trading environment– affected by globalization, increasing aquaculture production, microbial adaptation and climate change.
The Progressive Management Pathway for Aquaculture Biosecurity (PMP/AB), an initiative developed by the FAO and its partners, uses risk-based approaches, public–private sector partnerships and progressive implementation. The PMP/AB is expected to result in the sustainable (i) reduction of burden of aquatic diseases; (ii) improvement of aquatic health and welfare at farm, national and regional levels; (iii) minimization of global spread of diseases; (iv) optimization of socioeconomic benefits from aquaculture; (v) attraction of investment opportunities into aquaculture; and (vi) achievement of One Health goals.