21/07/2014: Mining the oceans - to - One Health

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They used to argue about fishing but that pales into total insignificance when you start authorising the blasting of the ocean floor with the controversial use of sonic cannons for seismic surveys.

Is One Health the solution?

In a new paper written jointly by a number of researchers at University of Chile and Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future, USA they raise the prospect of an integrative approach that brings veterinary and human health experts together to combat zoonotic disease (called One Health).

The paper comments that nearly half of all seafood consumed globally comes from aquaculture, a method of food production that has expanded rapidly in recent years. Increasing seafood consumption has been proposed as part of a strategy to combat the current non-communicable disease (NCD) pandemic, but public health, environmental, social, and production challenges related to certain types of aquaculture production must be addressed. 

Resolving these complicated human health and ecologic trade-offs requires systems thinking and collaboration across many fields; the One Health concept is an integrative approach that brings veterinary and human health experts together to combat zoonotic disease. 

The paper proposes applying and expanding the One Health approach to facilitate collaboration among stakeholders focused on increasing consumption of seafood and expanding aquaculture production, using methods that minimize risks to public health, animal health, and ecology. This expanded application of One Health may also have relevance to other complex systems with similar trade-offs.

Read more HERE.

The Aquaculturists
This blog is maintained by The Aquaculturists staff and is supported by the magazine International Aquafeed which is published by Perendale Publishers Ltd.