Aquaculture is the farming of aquatic organisms ranging from microbes to shellfish and finfish. Fisheries production from the capture of wild fish has remained fairly constant since the late 1980s and it is the increase in production from aquaculture that has led to substantial growth in fish production for human consumption, with aquaculture contributing more than wildcaught fisheries for the first time in 2014 and this trend is likely to continue. Global aquaculture production accounted for 44.1 percent of total global fish production, including production for non-food uses, in 2014. The share of fish produced by aquaculture for human consumption increased from 26 percent in 1994 to about 50 percent in 2014, with 73.8 million tonnes of fish valued at USD 160 billion being harvested from aquaculture in 2014. In facing the challenge of providing food to a growing human population predicted to reach 9.7 billion by 2050, fish consumption, especially produced from aquaculture, has an important role to play. The Second International Conference on Nutrition (ICN2) held in 2014 adopted the Rome Declaration on Nutrition that highlighted the key role of fish in meeting the nutritional needs of this growing population. Global per capita fish consumption has increased from under 10 kg in the 1960s to approach 20 kg in 2014 and 2015 and now provides over 3.1 billion people with approaching 20 percent of their animal protein intake, enhancing people’s diets around the world. Microbes play a critically important role in the cycling of nutrients in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems globally. Marine microbes are responsible for approximately half of global primary production and play a huge role in the cycling of carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus and other nutrients. Microbes have a central role in sustaining life on earth and lie at the centre of such as sustainability and climate change. Microbes also have a direct, central and critically important role in fisheries and aquaculture. Microbes in natural marine and freshwater ecosystems are key components of food webs, primary and secondary production and nutrient cycling. A wide range of microbes are used directly in aquaculture as live feeds, probiotics, and in filtration systems. Aquatic microorganisms are therefore indispensable resources for growth of shellfish and finfish in natural aquatic ecosystems and in aquaculture.

The conservation, sustainable use and development of aquatic genetic resources (AqGR) is critical to the future supply of fish. The State of the World’s Aquatic Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture is the first ever global assessment of these resources, with the scope of this first Report being limited to cultured AqGR and their wild relatives, within national jurisdiction. The Report draws on 92 reports from FAO member countries and five specially commissioned thematic background studies. The reporting countries are responsible for 96 percent of global aquaculture production. The Report sets the context with a review of the state of world’s aquaculture and fisheries and includes overviews of the uses and exchanges of AqGR, the drivers and trends impacting AqGR and the extent of ex situ and in situ conservation efforts. The Report also investigates the roles of stakeholders in AqGR and the levels of activity in research, education, training and extension, and reviews national policies and the levels of regional and international cooperation on AqGR. Finally, needs and challenges are assessed in the context of the findings from the data collected from the countries. The Report represents a snapshot of the present status of AqGR and forms a valuable technical reference document, particularly where it presents standardized key terminology and concepts.

Genomics in Aquaculture is a concise, must-have reference that describes current advances within the field of genomics and their applications to aquaculture. Written in an accessible manner for anyone—non-specialists to experts alike—this book provides in-depth coverage of genomics spanning from genome sequencing, to transcriptomics and proteomics. It provides, for ease of learning, examples from key species most relevant to current intensive aquaculture practice. Its coverage of minority species that have a specific biological interest (e.g., Pleuronectiformes) makes this book useful for countries that are developing such species. It is a robust, practical resource that covers foundational, functional, and applied aspects of genomics in aquaculture, presenting the most current information in a field of research that is rapidly growing. - Provides the latest scientific methods and technologies to maximize efficiencies for healthy fish production, with summary tables for quick reference - Offers an extended glossary of technical and methodological terms to help readers better understand key biological concepts - Describes state-of-the-art technologies, such as transcriptomics and epigenomics, currently under development for future perspective of the field - Covers minority species that have a specific biological interest (e.g., Pleuronectiformes), making the book useful to countries developing such species

The foundation of quantitative genetics theory was developed during the last century and facilitated many successful breeding programs for cultivated plants and t- restrial livestock. The results have been almost universally impressive, and today nearly all agricultural production utilises genetically improved seed and animals. The aquaculture industry can learn a great deal from these experiences, because the basic theory behind selective breeding is the same for all species. The ?rst published selection experiments in aquaculture started in 1920 s to improve disease resistance in ?sh, but it was not before the 1970 s that the ?rst family based breeding program was initiated for Atlantic salmon in Norway by AKVAFORSK. Unfortunately, the subsequent implementation of selective breeding on a wider scale in aquaculture has been slow, and despite the dramatic gains that have been demonstrated in a number of species, less than 10% of world aquaculture production is currently based on improved stocks. For the long-term sustainability of aquaculture production, there is an urgent need to develop and implement e- cient breeding programs for all species under commercial production. The ability for aquaculture to successfully meet the demands of an ever increasing human p- ulation, will rely on genetically improved stocks that utilise feed, water and land resources in an ef?cient way. Technological advances like genome sequences of aquaculture species, and advanced molecular methods means that there are new and exciting prospects for building on these well-established methods into the future.

The importance of copepods in aquaculture has long been recognized, especially in the larval rearing of many marine fishes. This timely publication provides a single source of information on copepod biology, culture methods and practical use in marine finfish hatcheries. Originating out of a workshop held on copepods by the Oceanic Institute in Hawaii, this proceedings includes review articles and papers presented by leading international experts in copepod biology and aquaculture. It is a seminal work that integrates the most up-to-date information on selecting copepod species, effects of algal species on reproduction, ways to increase production, the nutritional value of copepods, behavioral characteristics of copepods, potential use of copepod nauplii and eggs, and their application to larval rearing of various marine finfish species.

WHO has launched new guidelines on use of medically important antimicrobials in food-producing animals, recommending that farmers and the food industry stop using antibiotics routinely to promote growth and prevent disease in healthy animals. These guidelines aim to help preserve the effectiveness of antibiotics that are important for human medicine by reducing their use in animals.

This paper reports on the main discussion points of the meeting, including the implementation of genetic improvement programmes and the setup of an information system to assess and monitor the status of aquatic genetic resources.