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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The workshop on the use of innovative technologies to prevent and control finfish disease was held in hybrid modality on 19–20 September 2023 in Tunis, Tunisia. It was organized within the context of the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Technical Advisory Group (TAG) on Animal Health and Welfare. Recognizing the importance of fish disease diagnosis in promoting the durability of aquaculture, the workshop covered four sessions that highlighted the most recent technologies in use for surveillance, early detection, vaccination, artificial intelligence applied to the prediction of the health status and latest trends to correctly estimate the direct and indirect impact of fish pathologies in terms of economic models. Through the contribution of invited experts, panelists and the active participation of attendees, the workshop promoted collaboration among member countries towards the sustainability of the sector and highlighted the possibility to further cooperate and enhance capacity building on disease diagnosis through visit exchanges, technology transfer, as well as to gradually establish the concept of responsible application of biosecurity measures in aquaculture.