Fish Diseases and Management

1.1.1 Significance of fish diseases in relation to aquaculture

Aquaculture has developed into a science and an industry following the declining trend of capture fisheries sector in the last two decades. In order to increase profitability, the culture practices has turned from semi-intensive to intensive systems, leading to indiscriminate increase of stocking density resulting in increased stress to the animals and consequent incidence of diseases. Disease has now become a primary constraint to aquaculture growth and addressing health questions has therefore become an urgent requirement for sustaining the growth of aquatic animal food production.