DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY

Early intervention systems for sustainable aquaculture health in Viet Nam and Thailand

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Description

Early prediction, detection and management of changes in the health of aquaculture are important entry points to increasing production through reduced disease and mortality, resulting in greater resilience and sustainability. This in turn can facilitate food security and poverty reduction across SE Asia where aquaculture makes a significant GDP contribution. Rapid identification of changes in pathogen load, water quality, animal behaviour and feeding can be used as early warnings of adverse health outcomes, with these parameters also influenced by wider climatic fluctuations. However, the level of technologies available for monitoring is highly variable across SE Asian aquaculture systems, with existing methods often focusing on factors in isolation, rather than applying a holistic approach. Additionally, accessibility of monitoring tools to end-users, particularly in poorer regions, can be limited if systems are technologically complex or require significant financial investment. The aim of this project is to support and work alongside farmers in Viet Nam and Thailand to co-develop low-cost, sustainable, early warning monitoring systems of aquaculture health. This will facilitate sustainable resilience to environmental fluctuation, reducing production losses through disease. Systems will be developed around shrimp aquaculture, but with a focus on technologies transferable across species and SE Asia. The long-term impact will provide in-country capacity to predict adverse changes to aquatic animal health and welfare. This will better inform aquaculture practices, reduce disease outbreaks and mortality, improve food security, and therefore enhance economic development. The project will be delivered through the following four objectives: (1) Co-develop novel strategies to monitor and identify physiology and behaviour changes in aquaculture animal health with SE Asia stakeholders. (2) Co-develop low-cost point-of-need sensors for known aquaculture pathogens and nitrogenous waste parameters. (3) Create predictive climate models to identify the scale and impact of weather events, leveraging existing data and new data provided through objectives 1 and 2. (4) Continuously engage with end-users to ensure an understanding of needs and priorities. In working with local fish farming communities, the expected outcomes include a deep understanding of working practices and priorities for the aquaculture farming community, resulting in a fit-for-purpose, easy to use low-cost, sustainable monitoring tool in water quality and potential disease detection. This will be modelled in the context of wider pond and environmental conditions, such that farmers can predict potential problems and react in a timely fashion. As the tool kit includes the development of on-site methods for detecting aquatic pathogens, the link between environmental conditions and disease will also be elucidated. The direct beneficiaries are small aquaculture farming communities, particularly those from low-income households with little access to modern technologies. Through end-user workshops we will promote gender equity and inclusivity across protected characteristics and communities; end-users will be involved in development of monitoring systems and provided with key tools to monitor and predict pond conditions. Greater predictive ability will benefit policy makers and governments through increased resilience and planning in the context of climate change. Technologies developed, while targeted at shrimp aquaculture in Viet Nam and Thailand, have a high transfer potential across species farmed under similar conditions (i.e. many fish species in SE Asia) broadening end-user beneficiaries in the long-term.

Objectives

ISPF aims to foster prosperity by solving shared global research and innovation challenges. This will be done through working closely with international partners to: support research excellence and build the knowledge and technology of tomorrow strengthen ties with international partners that share our values; enable researchers and innovators to cultivate connections, follow their curiosity and pioneer transformations internationally, for the good of the planet. Activities under ISPF ODA aim to deliver research and innovation partnerships with low- and middle-income countries.

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Location

The country, countries or regions that benefit from this Programme.

Far East Asia, regional

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