Medidas de Gestao das Pescarias Marinhas e Aquicultura 2019 The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2018 | Page 164

PART 3 HIGHLIGHTS OF ONGOING STUDIES Climate-smart aquaculture pathogens with other microorganisms may inf luence or drive disease causation) offer novel ways forward (Stentiford et al., 2017). Genetics and nutrition also play important roles in producing healthy, nutritious and resilient hosts. FAO designed the concept of climate-smart agriculture (CSA) – which includes aquaculture – to help develop the technical, policy and investment conditions needed to achieve sustainable agricultural development for food securit y under climate change (FAO, 2017r, 2017s). CSA addresses the triple challenges of increasing productivit y and adapting to climate change while reducing or removing greenhouse gas emissions (mitigation), where possible. CSA differs from other approaches such as sustainable intensification of aquaculture in its explicit focus on addressing climate change and in its aim to maximize synergies and trade-offs among productivit y, adaptation and mitigation while ensuring accessible and nutritious food for all. While linking competing priorities such as productivit y and social and environmental sustainabilit y remains a challenge, some researchers and fish farmers are already looking at CSA as an alternative and innovative adaptation practice for increasing aquaculture production while avoiding adverse impact on sustainabilit y. For example, integrated multi- trophic aquaculture (IMTA) works at the ecosystem level, uses a combination of fish and other aquatic animals and plants to remove particulate and dissolved wastes from fish farming, and thereby provides a self-sustaining source of food (Troell et al., 2009). Cooperative learning and innovative research programmes (e.g. for more efficacious vaccines, more sensitive and rapid diagnostic tools, and biosecurit y strategies using specific pathogen free [SPF], specific pathogen tolerant [SPT] and specific pathogen resistant [SPR] stocks) are needed for long-term biosecurit y management and sustainable development of aquaculture. While the number of commercially available fish vaccines has grown in recent years, there are still numerous diseases for which vaccines are unavailable or do not perform well. Shrimp, for example, cannot be vaccinated as they lack an adaptive immune system. An integrated sur veillance programme within the One Health Platform, which includes study of antimicrobial usage and antimicrobial genes in different sectors (human, agriculture, veterinar y, aquaculture), can improve understanding of the drivers leading to selection and spread of antimicrobial resistance in the aquatic environment. Safer trade and safer practices should be promoted. The four pillars of the FAO Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance (2016 – 2020) – awareness, evidence, governance and best practice – are good starting points (FAO, 2016i). Managing aquaculture operations to achieve the goals of CSA will require a new, more holistic view of aquaculture, combining reduction of food losses and optimization of land, labour, energ y and other resources with reduction in the v ulnerabilit y of the sector to climate change and mitigation of greenhouse gases. Targeted assistance will be needed to ensure that the most v ulnerable countries, production systems, communities and stakeholders have the potential to develop and apply CSA approaches in aquaculture. Achieving universal food securit y in the face of climate change will also require a transformation of production and consumption patterns, as called for in the Paris Agreement. The new target of limiting global warming to under 2 °C, and aiming for the 1.5 °C mark, will place greater attention on the carbon footprint of food systems, which may encourage the use of Other essential actions include enhancement of emergency preparedness and provision of emergency contingency funds; private–public sector partnership (e.g. for co-financing of projects, product development, early warning and disease reporting); and socio-economic assessments of disease impacts and cost–benefit analysis of existing biosecurit y programmes and other alternatives. A national aquatic animal health strateg y includes all of the above, the building blocks for biosecurit y capacit y that is relevant to national needs at ever y stage. Special attention to the needs and empowerment of small-scale producers should be accorded priorit y, as they often lack the means to undertake the measures needed in any biosecurit y system. | 148 |