Harnessing IT Tools for Health Management in Fisheries and Aquaculture
摘要
The sustainable growth of aquaculture depends on maintaining the optimal health of aquatic animals. Several challenges, including diseases, environmental stressors, and management practices, significantly impact the health and productivity of farmed animals. Among them, infectious diseases caused by bacterial, viral, fungal, and parasitic pathogens are highly significant and can cause mass mortality in aquaculture systems, severely affecting fish and shellfish production. To mitigate these challenges, aquatic animal health management practices aimed at promoting the health and sustainability of cultured organisms focusing on disease prevention, diagnosis, and treatment, overall health maintenance has to be developed. Recent advancements in information technology (IT) have revolutionized the aquaculture sector. In the field of health management, various IT tools, such as mobile applications, software, websites, GIS, artificial intelligence, and databases, are utilized for real-time disease surveillance, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention, thereby enhancing the overall health of aquatic species. This chapter explores the application of IT tools in aquatic animal health management, highlighting their role in improving productivity, sustainability, and welfare of aquatic species.