Farm-level plans and husbandry measures for aquatic animal disease emergencies.

摘要

Disease is one ot the gravest threats to the sustainability ot the aquaculture industry. A good understanding ot biosecurity and disease causation is essential for developing and implementing farm-level plans and husbandry measures to respond to disease emergencies. Using epidemiological approaches, it is possible to identify pond- and farm-Ievel risk factors for disease outbreaks and develop intervention strategies. Better management practices (BMPs) should be simple, science-based, cost-effectiveand appropriate to their context if farmers are to adopt and implement them. As part of a regional initiative by the Network of Aquaculture Centres in Asia-Pacitic (NACA) to control aquatic animal diseases, effective extension approaches to promote thewidespread adoption ot BMPs have been developed in India, Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand, and have proved their worth. A highly successtul programme, which addresses rising concerns about the effect ot disease on the sustainability ot shrimp farming inIndia, is now in its seventh year. In this paper, the authors present a briet insight into the details of the programme, its outcomes and impact, the lessons learned and the way torward.