Toward integrated pest management in bivalve aquaculture

• Published in: Pest management science Vol. 78; no. 11; pp. 4427 - 4437
• Main Authors: Cahill, Patrick L, Davidson, Ian C, Atalah, Javier A, Cornelisen, Chris, Hopkins, Grant A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chichester, UK John Wiley & Sons, Ltd 01-11-2022; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: Agricultural economics; Agricultural practices; Aquaculture; biofouling; bivalve; Bivalvia; Chemical control; Chemical pest control; Economics; Farm management; Farms; Integrated pest management; Mollusks; New technology; pest; Pest control; Pesticide application; Pesticides; Pests; Principles; Profitability; Selective breeding; Shrimps; Sustainability
• ISSN: 1526-498X; 1526-4998
• DOI: 10.1002/ps.7057

Pests of bivalve aquaculture are a challenging problem that can reduce productivity, profitability and sustainability. A range of pest management approaches have been developed for bivalve aquaculture, but a general absence of guiding frameworks has limited the scale and permanency of implementation. Applying principles of ‘integrated pest management’ (IPM) could change this paradigm to improve economic and environmental outcomes. We reviewed existing research and tools for pest management in bivalve aquaculture, with studies grouped under five pillars of IPM: pest ecology (25 studies), bioeconomic cost–benefits (4 studies), continual monitoring (17 studies), proactive prevention (32 studies) and reactive control (65 studies). This body of knowledge, along with insights from terrestrial agriculture, provide a strong foundation for developing and implementing IPM in bivalve aquaculture. For example, IPM principles have been applied by a regional collective of oyster farmers in the US Pacific Northwest to optimize pesticide application and search for other options to control problematic burrowing shrimps. However, IPM has not yet been broadly applied in aquaculture, and data gaps and barriers to implementation need to be addressed. Priorities include establishing meaningful pest–crop bioeconomic relationships for various bivalve farming systems and improving the efficacy and operational scale of treatment approaches. An IPM framework also could guide potential step‐change improvements through directing selective breeding for resistance to pests, development of bespoke chemical control agents, applying emerging technologies for remote surveillance and farm management, and regional alignment of management interventions. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.
Five pillars of integrated pest management being applied to optimize productivity and sustainability of long‐line mussel aquaculture.