| Sumario: | More than 4.5 billion people receive at least 15% of their average per capita intake of animal protein from
fish. Fish is therefore a key element in food security and human nutrition. Analysis of future fish supplydemand
scenarios suggest that farming of fish and other aquatic products will need to double production by
2030 to meet growing demand. About half of the demand for these foods is now met by aquaculture and Asia
accounts for the bulk (90%) of the global aquaculture production of 66 million tonnes. However, aquaculture
operations in the tropics experience higher cumulative mortalities and faster progression of diseases and this
could be exacerbated by climate change leading to selection of virulent pathogens that have the potential to
spread. This can result in the introduction and spread of more virulent pathogens to natural fisheries and
aquaculture landscapes, threatening a significant part of the global supply of nutritious animal foods.
Understanding the interaction between climate sensitive aquaculture landscapes along with their aquatic hosts
and climate sensitive aquatic animal diseases, mapping of potential risks, and identification of suitable
adaptation/mitigation intervention strategies should be the focus of research and development, if we are to
meet the future seafood demand for 9 billion people by 2050. There is paucity of information as to how
aquatic animal disease outbreak dynamics are mediated by climate driven changes and what impact this will
have on the future of aquaculture growth in the world, especially in Asia and Africa. We propose the
following policy and research related recommendations for consideration:
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