Roberto Cascione
Key Account Manager Asia & Middle East
Virbac Asia Pacific
Thailand
Roberto is a fish vet pathologist with expertise and knowledge in multiple aquaculture species, from temperate to tropical environments. Based in Asia since 2016, he has been working in all major aquaculture realities of Southeast Asia, mostly with the tilapia, barramundi and shrimp. He is Aquaculture Key Account Manager – Southeast Asia and Middle East at Virbac Asia Pacific, since 2020. Previously, he was Technical Director APAC at Ictyo group where he was involved in vaccine development, husbandry and fish health technical consultancy and customer support as well as country epidemiological analysis and disease diagnostic expertise for the tilapia and barramundi. He also worked as the fish veterinarian at UVAXX, part of the Barramundi group in Singapore.
With roots in the Mediterranean area, after his MSc in Aquatic Veterinary Studies at the Institute of Aquaculture (IoA), University of Stirling, Scotland, Roberto has built up an international and multidisciplinary professional background, gaining most of his knowledge from practical experience. The skills are imbued with knowledge of diagnostic, histopathology and bacteriology.
| Speaker | Disease Mitigation: Management and Innovations |
| Presentation | Tilapia Disease Pathogen Mapping: Challenges, Trigger Points and Possible Solutions |
Abstract
The disease scenario with the tilapia is becoming more and more multifactorial, with co-infections and multiple Infections often affecting crops. Mortality is, therefore, the sum of more pathogens, with disease patterns changing and adapting to the disruption provided by climate change. Rainy and dry seasons, are now alternating with a more arbitrary pattern, providing new challenging conditions at fish farms. Likewise, the weather, as well as diseases are changing and expressing with more or less virulence, according to the different scenarios.
Possible solutions to these new situations can be found in a new way of farming (RAS, Bio-floc) or through fish health practices to mitigate the loss. Of course, there is no one solution for everyone and tilapia farming needs to see in the future what direction should it take to cope with new challenges and disease pressure.