A Guide To Integrated Fish Health Management In The Great Lakes Basin

Health Maintenance and Principal Microbial Diseases of Cultured Fishes, Third Edition is a thoroughly revised and updated version of the classic text. Building on the wealth of information presented in the previous edition, this new edition offers a major revision of the valuable health maintenance section, with new pathogens added throughout the book. Health Maintenance and Principal Microbial Diseases of Cultured Fishes, Third Edition focuses on maintaining fish health, illustrating how management can reduce the effects of disease. The text is divided into sections on health maintenance, viral diseases, and bacterial diseases, and covers a wide variety of commercially important species, including catfish, salmon, trout, sturgeon, and tilapia. This book is a valuable resource for professionals and students in the areas of aquaculture, aquatic health maintenance, pathobiology, and aquatic farm management.

In 1994, world aquaculture production reached 25.5 million mt, valued at US$ 39.83 billion. Asia contributed 89.9% of this total, and has since continued to dominate global production. The drive to produce more fish and shellfish to meet the growing demand has lead many aquaculturists in Asia to intensify their operations. In many instances, the complex balance between the fish/shellfish and the environment is not well understood, the organism under culture subsequently becoming stressed and prone to infections. As we have already witnessed, disease has been and will continue to be a major constraint to the development of the aquaculture industry. Considering the FAO's priority on developing sustainable aquaculture, the large Asian contribution to global aquaculture production and the seemingly high losses of revenue due to diseases and health-related problems, FAO, in consultation with the Network of Aquaculture Centres in the Asia-Pacific (NACA), the Aquatic Animal Health Research Institute (AAHRI), the South East Asian Fisheries Development Centre (SEAFDEC) and the Universiti Pertanian Malaysia (UPM), and in collaboration with the Fish Health Section of the Asian Fisheries Society (FHS/AFS), organized a Regional Expert Consultation on Aquaculture Health Management in Asia and the Pacific, which was held at the Universiti Pertanian Malaysia in Serdang, Malaysia in May 1995. This document comprises the technical papers presented at the Consultation, and is a supplement to the report of the consultation, FAO Fisheries Report No. 529.

The text concentrates on the infectious viral and bacterial diseases that are most prevalent in aquaculture. Although much information has been derived from North American studies, important diseaase problems from other parts of the world are included. Also, where applicable, the influence of the various diseases on wild populations has been included. This book is intended for students and scientists who are interested in health maintenance of aquatic animals, aquatic pathobiology, and infectious diseases of fin fish. Hopefully, it will be used as a text for beginning fish pathologists and as a reference source for those of broader experience.