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Shrimp Culture
Data sharing for disease management in shrimp farming: More to gain Sharing data on disease outbreaks could add real value to the industry if all segments of the supply chain work together and if regulators use systems that provide real-time data to support swift action. By Pau Badia Grimalt and Anton Immink
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iseases and poor health management in shrimp farming are still key obstacles to sustainable growth of the shrimp industry and have a huge economic impact. Shinn et al. (2018) estimated economic losses in Thailand due to episodes of acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease (AHPND) throughout 2009 to 2016 at around USD7.38 billion. Data collection is not performed regularly by farmers or regulators and disease reporting is not obligatory in many countries. Diseases differ in how they infect and spread but early knowledge of the risks through data sharing amongst producers and regulators can help in ensuring early prevention measures and in reducing the impacts. Relevant data sharing for health management purposes has helped to reduce the negative impact of disease in salmon farming, for example with sea lice, and in livestock commodities such as the swine or cattle industry, for example with foot and mouth disease (FMD).
Understanding disease management through data sharing with the MyShrimp app in Thailand.
The global shrimp industry has been impacted by a succession of diseases such as white spot syndrome virus (WSSV), Taura syndrome virus (TSV), AHPND and more recently by the microsporidian parasite Enterocytozoon hepatopenaei (EHP). In Thailand, shrimp is the most important aquaculture species in terms of volume and revenue. In 2010, shrimp production in Thailand fell from 600,000 tonnes to 189,000 tonnes due to disease outbreaks. In 2020, the production was 275,000 tonnes.
Recording disease
Most shrimp farmers do not collect data in a systematic and digital way and therefore it is difficult to move towards an evidence-based approach to improve their businesses. In addition, in Thailand there is no mandatory reporting or record keeping of farmed shrimp disease outbreaks by farmers, although the Department of Fisheries reports to the OIE- World Organisation for Animal Health, notifiable diseases such as WSSV or AHPND. Nevertheless, numerous technology companies currently offer aquaculture farmers and other industry stakeholders a range of mobile applications, sensors, and other internet of things (IoT) devices to monitor farm performance and to conduct data analysis. Uptake of these technologies in the shrimp industry appears to be slow. Engaging shrimp farmers to use these technologies appears to be more challenging than in other commodity sectors such as salmon, poultry or swine. Disease control in shrimp farming (like most farming sectors) is complex, as the routes and mechanisms of infection are multifarious. Environment, culture conditions and management practices, all play a role in disease control. To understand disease outbreaks, it is important
March/April 2021 AQUA Culture Asia Pacific
to be aware of the dynamics within the culture systems, such as the potential source of each infection, their routes of infection, how they might spread or propagate, the conditions required or associated with infection events, and the relative susceptibility or resilience of groups within the population (age, developmental state, strain, etc.). The subsequent development of control strategies can then be based on this baseline information. Shrimp culture systems are not standardised, further adding to the complexities of developing management and control strategies. If the routes of infection can be identified and control measures implemented quickly, then it is possible to reduce the probability of a disease event occurring or, depending on the mechanism involved and pathogenicity, reduce the severity of the event.
Coping with disease
Farmers and the industry have adopted different strategies to cope with pathogens and reduce disease outbreaks. Biosecurity measures and prevention such as key control points at the hatchery are still among the most effective ways to minimise the probability of infection or reduce the spread and magnitude of an infection. Crab fences are common in shrimp farms and are one of the main effective barriers to avoid WSSV infections. Crabs are carriers and act as entry points of this virus into the ponds.
