mercoledì 25 novembre 2015
Improving biosecurity through prudent and responsible use of veterinary medicines in aquatic food production
Aquaculture - an important food-producing sector that is an essential source of nutritious proteins, as well as a source of jobs and foreign export earnings - has undergone dramatic growth leading towards increased intensification and diversification of global aquaculture. Commercial aquaculture calls for the routine use of veterinary medicines to prevent and treat disease outbreaks owing to pathogens, assure healthy stocks and maximize production. However, the expanded
and occasionally irresponsible global movements of live aquatic animals have been accompanied by the transboundary spread of a wide variety of pathogens that have sometimes caused serious damage to aquatic food productivity and resulted in serious pathogens becoming endemic in culture systems
and the natural aquatic environment. As disease emergencies can happen even in well-managed aquaculture operations, careful planning on the use of antimicrobials is essential. A recent FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Technical Paper, Improving biosecurity through prudent and responsible use of veterinary medicines in aquatic food production, offers guidance to
aquaculture stakeholders on the responsible use of veterinary medicines.