One Health as a Strategic Approach to the Sustainability of Aquaculture and Fisheries in Latin America and the Caribbean

Broadcast

Background

Aquatic food systems, which include marine and inland fisheries, artisanal and small-scale fisheries, as well as aquaculture, constitute an essential source of nutritious food, employment and income for millions of people in Latin America and the Caribbean. In addition, they play a strategic role in food and nutrition security, rural poverty reduction and sustainable development in the region.

During the XIX Regular Meeting of the Commission on Small-Scale, Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture for Latin America and the Caribbean (COPPESAALC), member countries reaffirmed the need to strengthen the sustainability, resilience and governance of aquatic food systems, highlighting the importance of integrating the One Health approach as a strategic framework for fisheries and aquaculture management.

This approach promotes integrated and preventive solutions to address challenges such as emerging diseases, antimicrobial resistance (AMR), environmental degradation, pollution, and the effects of climate change.

In response to this regional priority, this webinar seeks to strengthen cooperation, institutional coordination, and knowledge exchange among Latin American and Caribbean countries to promote the application of the One Health approach in aquatic food systems.

The initiative will provide an information space to disseminate relevant regulatory frameworks, tools, guidelines and experiences, contributing to a greater understanding of regional priorities and capacity-building and harmonized regulatory approaches. It will also promote the implementation of the Guidelines for Sustainable Aquaculture, the Guidelines for Small-Scale Fisheries and the Roadmap for the Blue Transformation.

One Health is an integrated approach that recognizes the interconnection between human health, aquatic animal health, and ecosystem health.

In the fisheries and aquaculture sector, FAO promotes this approach as a strategic tool to strengthen the sustainability of aquatic food systems through the prevention and mitigation of disease outbreaks, the control of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), the assurance of seafood safety, and the protection of marine and freshwater ecosystems.

In this way, One Health contributes to the sustainable production of aquatic foods, public health, and environmental conservation.