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A workshop to identify the highest-priority research areas for finfish diseases
The aquaculture scientific community and funders came together earlier this year to identify the highest-priority areas for research that will provide lasting benefits for the global management of aquatic animal diseases, particularly those that will impact international standards.
WOAH and STAR IDAZ International Research Consortium on Animal Health jointly convened the workshop ‘Advancing Aquaculture Health Research’ at WOAH Headquarters in Paris last February. As part of the WOAH Aquatic Animal Health Strategy 2021–2025, this event brought together more than forty international experts and funders to identify and prioritise key research areas for finfish health to improve aquatic disease management worldwide. WOAH Director General Dr Emmanuelle Soubeyran opened the workshop with a speech underscoring the significance of international collaboration in addressing aquatic animal health challenges.
Finfish Health Challenges and Research Synergies
The first sessions addressed critical challenges in finfish health, guided by insights from a global online pre-workshop consultation in which 184 responses were received from 89 countries.
This was followed by presentations from several members of the WOAH Reference and Collaborating Centres, Aquatic Animal Health Commission and additional international experts, who shared their technical perspectives on key challenges in aquaculture. These included data gaps, environmental drivers of disease emergence, fish welfare management, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and biosecurity from a One Health perspective.
In the second session, both global and regional research efforts in finfish health were showcased. Presentations highlighted funding priorities from international agencies, the International Development Research Centre’s InnoVet-AMR research programme, Worldfish projects, the European Partnership on Animal Health and Welfare and the Gates Foundation’s Aquaculture Programme, fostering awareness and potential synergies among participants.
Focus on Research Priorities
The workshop featured three interactive sessions using the World Café format to facilitate in-depth discussions on the following research needs:
Control Strategies: Participants identified impactful diseases affecting major finfish species in both freshwater and saltwater environments, emphasising short-term and long-term research needs for effective control measures.
Diagnostics: Discussions focused on advancing diagnostic tools and methodologies for the early detection and management of finfish diseases.
Vaccines and Therapeutics: Attendees explored innovative approaches to vaccine development and therapeutic interventions, aiming to enhance disease prevention and treatment in aquaculture settings while limiting AMR.
Collaborative Efforts and Future Directions
The final panel discussion highlighted the importance of collaboration among researchers, funders and industry stakeholders to translate identified research priorities into actionable projects to develop solutions to improve finfish health management.
Setting the Stage for Sustainable and Resilient Aquatic Animal Health
The ‘Advancing Aquaculture Health Research’ workshop in Paris, fostered international collaboration and identified priority research areas, setting the stage for impactful research efforts aimed at ensuring the sustainability and resilience of the aquaculture industry. The workshop report and related policy brief, including the highest priority research areas for finfish health, are available online for further consultation.
More information
WOAH Aquatic Animal Health Strategy 2021–2025
Advancing Aquaculture Health Research Workshop Report
Highest Priority Research Areas for Finfish Health Policy Brief
Contact: Dr Valeria Mariano ([email protected]), Research Coordinator, STAR IDAZ, WOAH Science Department
By spearheading international collaborations and promoting coordinated research, STAR-IDAZ is at the forefront of addressing animal health challenges, underscoring its dedication to global One Health objectives. This article takes a closer look at the global research initiatives through the STAR-IDAZ International Research Consortium on animal health.
As the world addresses complex animal health challenges, research and development (R&D) remain critical in providing the tools and knowledge necessary to mitigate disease impacts. STAR-IDAZ (the International Research Consortium on Animal Health) leads global efforts to accelerate impactful research by enhancing partnership of funders and research programme owners worldwide. The World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) is part of the Executive Committee of the Consortium and co-hosts the STAR-IDAZ Secretariat. This year, STAR-IDAZ expanded its network by welcoming new partners, such as International Development Research Centre (IDRC-Canada), Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation (KALRO – Kenya), National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO – Uganda), Office National for the Sanitary Safety of Food Products (ONSSA – Morocco), the Swiss Regional Consortium Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office (FSVO) and Institute of Virology and Immunology (IVI), each bringing unique expertise and advancing STAR-IDAZ’s mission to address pressing animal health issues.
Addressing High Pathogenicity Avian Influenza
One of STAR-IDAZ’s major focus areas in 2024 has been High Pathogenicity Avian Influenza (HPAI) in mammals, a zoonotic threat with serious implications for animal and human health. In response, STAR-IDAZ partners have conducted extensive research and surveillance to enhance prevention and management of the outbreaks. For more information, see the STAR-IDAZ summer newsletter 2024.
Tuberculosis Roadmaps
Bovine Tuberculosis (bTB) remains a significant economic burden in cattle populations worldwide and an important One Health challenge. In response to this challenge, STAR-IDAZ developed three strategic research roadmaps covering diagnostics, vaccines and control strategies to address this persistent disease. Created with input from bTB experts, these roadmaps focus on bridging research gaps to advance global bTB control. An executive summary of critical research gaps can be found here.
One Health Approach
Embracing the One Health framework, STAR-IDAZ collaborated with the Global Research Collaboration for Infectious Disease Preparedness (GloPID-R) to release ‘Mapping One Health: An Exploration of the Global Funding Landscape for One Health Research’. This report provides recommendations for research funding organisations to better align their funding strategies to integrate the One Health approach more widely. An international workshop is also foreseen in early 2025 to keep the discussion ongoing.
Alternatives to Antimicrobials
Recognising antimicrobial resistance (AMR) as a global health challenge, STAR-IDAZ focuses its AMR efforts on developing Alternatives to Antimicrobials (ATA). ATA are crucial in combating antimicrobial resistance for the benefit of both animal health and One Health and Research and Development (R&D) is critical to advance these alternatives. Research gaps were identified and partners continue to work on streamlining research on these priorities (see State of the Art Report 2023).
Coronavirus Research Initiatives
STAR-IDAZ recently hosted a series of three online workshops focused on coronavirus research, uniting around 40 international experts to develop research roadmaps for control strategies, diagnostic tools and vaccine development. The resulting workshop report and executive summary identify research gaps for addressing coronavirus-related challenges.
Aquaculture Workshop and Survey
WOAH and STAR-IDAZ will co-host an aquaculture workshop at WOAH Headquarters in Paris in February 2025. It will address research priorities for finfish health in the aquaculture sector. The workshop will unite experts, industry leaders and funders to discuss critical needs. In parallel, a global survey will be launched to gather input on aquaculture research priorities, ensuring broad engagement across different sectors in this growing field.
2024 State of the Art Report
For an in-depth overview of current research priorities, STAR-IDAZ released its 2024 State of the Art Report, which examines the latest advancements across ten focus areas. The report serves as a resource for researchers, policymakers and stakeholders, guiding strategic research efforts to advance STAR-IDAZ’s mission of safeguarding animal health globally.
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Through these efforts, STAR-IDAZ continues to drive international collaborations and foster coordinated research that is essential for tackling animal health challenges, thereby reinforcing its commitment to global One Health goals.