Cefas designated by the OIE as the collaborating centre for EAAD

The Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquatic Science (Cefas) has been designated by the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) as the collaborating centre for Emerging Aquatic Animal Disease (EAAD), in recognition of Cefas’ expertise in disease detection and diagnosis, and its links and partnerships with other international expert centres.

The centre will play a central role in aquatic animal disease control in developing countries, where aquaculture is one of the fastest growing food sectors and where it is a significant component of food and income for those nations.

Global aquaculture production has increased rapidly in recent decades, with aquaculture now exceeding wild capture fisheries as a source of aquatic animal protein and is estimated to double production by 2050.

A network of associate laboratories, based in China, Thailand, India, South Africa, North and South America, Denmark and France, will focus on emerging disease surveillance, with a view  to mitigate the negative effects of disease in this rapidly expanding sector.

Source: UK Government, 4 June 2019