Mediterranean aquaculture, diagnostic laboratories (Options méditerranéennes série B: Etudes et recherches N° 49/2004)

Aquaculture production in the Mediterranean has rapidly expanded over the last twenty years. Production techniques have progressed as a result of efforts by the private sector and the scientific community but at the same time important problems have also been faced. Regional cooperation was therefore required to deal with the emerging issues and to maintain the momentum. Four international networks involving partnerships between UN organisations (FAO), Mediterranean regional (CIHEAM) and national institutions are now operational under the aegis of the Committee on Aquaculture of the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM). These networks are TECAM (Technology of Aquaculture in the Mediterranean), SELAM (Socio-economic and Legal Aspects of Aquaculture in the Mediterranean), EAM (Environment and Aquaculture in the Mediterranean) and SIPAM (System of Information for the Promotion of Aquaculture in the Mediterranean). At present, subjects in the TECAM network include nutrition, genetics and breeding, production technology, health management and species diversification. The activities of the SELAM network include marketing, production economics and aquaculture planning. It is highlighted that since 1999 the activities related to environmental aspects, previously under the EAM network, are now included in the TECAM and SELAM networks. TECAM and SELAM networks are coordinated by the International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies (CIHEAM) which, since 1995, has been organising and implementing the activities through the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Zaragoza (IAMZ), in close collaboration with FAO Fisheries Department and other Mediterranean institutions. The present publication presents the results of the "TECAM Survey on Mediterranean Aquaculture Diagnostic Laboratories", which has been implemented by the IAMZ in collaboration with the FAO Fisheries Department. The aim of the survey was to acquire greater knowledge on the Mediterranean laboratories working on the diagnosis of fish and shellfïsh diseases, their work, characteristics and constraints. This publication, after including an introductory paper about Mediterranean aquaculture, presents an introduction to this TECAM survey and a report about general aspects of Mediterranean aquaculture diagnostic laboratories, based on one of the three questionnaires used in the study. The publication includes four reports, one for each group of diseases (mollusc, fish virus, fish bacteria and fish parasites), describing the existing diseases and pathogens and their incidence and distribution in Mediterranean aquaculture. The publication also contains a directory of Mediterranean laboratories working on diagnosis of fish and shellfish diseases, with 57 laboratory records from 14 countries (Croatia, Cyprus, Egypt, France, Greece, lsrael, Italy, Malta, Morocco, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Tunisia and Turkey).