There is a need for alternatives to pharmaceutical treatments: antimicrobials and antiparasitic drugs are limited and expensive, environmentally impacting and raise consumers concerns on the safety of seafood. The Strategic Working Group on Fisheries and Aquaculture (SCAR-Fish) and the Collaborative Working Group on Animal Health and Welfare (SCAR-AHW) in the frame of the Standing Committee on Agricultural Research (SCAR), highlighted in a recent study several fish pathology issues that need urgently to be explored by research and addressed by innovation, such as rapid tests for diagnosis and DNA vaccines at the level of hatchery, bloodstock, cage, pond, etc. Research in this topic should consider the priorities of the SCAR-Fish study. A similar SCAR-Fish and SCAR-AHW study revealed major gaps related to fish welfare, such as a striking lack of welfare indicators, and a strong interest from the industry to improve fish welfare for more and better production. Main gaps presented by this study should be included in the research under this topic.

Research under this topic should develop innovative aquaculture approaches to achieve the highest possible health standard in production, including breeding, nutrition, alternative disease control methods or increased biosecurity. A holistic approach should be applied, considering the interaction with the environment, the reservoirs, wild and farmed fish interaction or the importance of co-existing pathogens simultaneously infecting the same hosts. Modelling of aquaculture health economics should be covered in the study.

Strong and active involvement of stakeholders and end-users, including industry and NGOs, in a co-creation approach, is key for the success of the projects that will be selected. International co-operation with partners from non-associated third countries is strongly encouraged as a win-win scenario, while contributing to the European competitiveness and resilience.