Can digital technology predict aquaculture diseases?
Biosecurity is a fundamental concept to prevent and control the occurrence and spread of infectious diseases in aquaculture systems. Fish disease limits successful aquaculture production, with lasting effects on socio-economic development. It can lead, among the others, to food shortage, losses in income, reduced employment opportunities, restriction in market access, decrease of investment and consumer confidence, up to the closure of business.
Innovation, application of big data platform using smart digital technologies such as Internet of Things, machine learning, and artificial intelligence can be tools to enhance aquaculture production, improve efficiency and risk communication.
In this context, a Technical Working Group (TWG) with expertise ranging from smart technology, aquaculture, biosecurity, environment to socio-economics and policy, met on December 15 and set the ground for the first steps of the Smart Biosecurity Aquaculture (SAB) project.
The overall objective, said KwangSuk Oh, FAO senior fishery officer and SAB Project Management Team Leader, is to create and use a big data platform as decision-making and communication tools to support the early warning system, to disseminate good practices, and to enhance the skills of shrimp farmers.
The members of the TWG, divided into teams that will deal with project management and technical dimensions (biosecurity, food safety and environment, smart technology and socio-economic, policy and networking), will convene again in late January 2021, to present the team’s preliminary output in terms of stakeholder mapping and data sources, priority systems (and location), diseases, food safety hazards and the data parameters.
Dr. Yoon Duk Hyun, General Manager of Aqua-Int. Consultancy Ltd. and Lead member of Project Management Team, presenting the SAB project concept and the establishment of smart monitoring platform for shrimp aquaculture biosecurity in Viet Nam