THE DYNAMICS OF DISEASE IN AQUACULTURE FROM AN ECONOMIC PERSPECTIVE

As in all forms of biological production, disease is an integral part of aquaculture. However, due to it´s recent genesis as a large-scale crop, not much was known about disease on aquatic animals until quite recently. This lack of knowledge, together with the rapid growth in production has made aquaculture particularly vulnerable to disease. However, the situation is changing at least for some species in some regions, as increased veterinary knowledge leads to more prevention tools at farms and in the management system as well as more cures becomes available.

In this paper we will look at some typical disease patterns in aquaculture, and also compare them to agriculture. These will range from the typical unprepared industry were all firms go bankrupt when a significant disease outbreak kills most of their production to industries that manage diseases with a clear cost component and with occasional outbreaks. The importance of management systems will also be discussed, with a particular focus on how un-coordinated applications can and will lead cures becoming ineffective, while coordinated actions are both more effective and renders cures useful for longer periods.