Aquaculture: Facing an Array of Pathogens

Abstract

Increasing demand for aquatic products for human consumption leads to intensive and super-intensive cultures of finfish, shrimp, mollusks, and other aquatic species. Unless strictly governed by the norms of biosecurity, the practice naturally favors the rapid spread of pathogens, both as primary and secondary causes of diseases. Installing effective biosecurity requires a level of investment not possibly afforded by the majority of farmers. Judging from the ecological balance of aquatic life in the vast ocean throughout the past millions of years, without major outbreaks of diseases or catastrophes of oceanic life, we are coming to the era of mimicking nature in aquacultural technology. In this section, we would like to explore new ways of producing aquatic life in land-based aquaculture, with balanced ecology among micro-and macroorganisms, but not necessarily being accompanied by the limited production of aquatic food. Hopefully, this “back-to-nature” approach would pick up an interest of researchers to pay more attention to other approaches of aquaculture, which may be more sustainable than the current practices.