A new strategy propels international community to improve aquatic animal health and

welfare worldwide

The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) launches an unprecedented global strategy
on aquatic animal health with the support of its 182 Members. Our goal: to protect the health
of life below water and ensure a sustainable future for all.

Paris, 26 May 2021 – Human consumption of seafood is greater than ever before. Today,
aquatic animals are the main source of protein for billions of people worldwide. Additionally,
demand is expected to increase as the global population approaches the 10 billion mark.
Yet, animal diseases continue to threaten the sustainable growth of the aquaculture sector
and, consequently, our food supply.

As the emergence of new diseases is likely to continue, driven by factors such as climate
change, unsustainable farming practices or unregulated trade, careful management of the
health of aquatic animals is crucial. Most of these diseases severely impact the fisheries and
aquaculture sectors, but also the open ecosystems in which these populations often live. For
instance, the spread of an amphibian disease known as chytridiomycosis has damaged
global biodiversity more than any other disease recorded, triggering an amphibian extinction
crisis.

The consequences do not end here. On a global scale, animal disease outbreaks cost the
aquaculture industry over US$6 billion per year. Furthermore, they threaten the source of
jobs and income for nearly 60 million people employed by the aquatic animal production
sector.

The World Organisation for Animal Health has been at the forefront of preserving the
significant contributions of aquatic animals, supported by its international network of experts.
With this, the 88th OIE General Session marks the launch of the first global strategy on
aquatic animal health: an ambitious call to action to improve the sustainability of aquatic
animal health systems.

In the upcoming five years, the OIE will bring together different actors from the international
community, such as OIE Members, experts, partners, decision-makers and the private
sector, to coordinate joint actions in response to the challenges met by the aquatic sector.
Guided by its new strategy, the OIE will continue to develop standards, build capacities,
coordinate disease prevention, detection and response, and provide leadership.

By working together, we can make our vision of improved aquatic animal health and welfare
worldwide a reality. Let’s make the OIE Aquatic Animal Health Strategy a cornerstone
towards more sustainable aquatic ecosystems.