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How to Vaccinate a Fish: Merck, the Pharmaceutical Industry and Developing Surveillance Capitalism within the Blue Revolution

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  • Anthony Pahnke

Abstract

This article discusses the strategic evolution of the transnational pharmaceutical firm Merck in the animal agriculture sector, focusing especially on aquaculture. This evolution began in 2019 with Merck's development of ‘big data’ technologies (for example, cloud computing, mobile data and artificial intelligence) to control supply chains through real‐time interventions in fish monitoring and tracking, disease treatment and operation maintenance. It argues that Merck's adoption of such technologies is consistent with the capitalist accumulation strategies of the Blue Revolution, which started to promote offshore and inland aquaculture operations to meet the growing global demand for fish in the mid‐1980s. Integral to this technological evolution is surveillance capitalism, which requires individuals — in this case, fishers — to collect and share data with corporations that then control them. This study contributes to debates on the concept of surveillance capitalism, noting how Merck's version features an ideology that apparently offers solutions to problems faced by fishers but actually contributes to corporate consolidation.

Suggested Citation

  • Anthony Pahnke, 2026. "How to Vaccinate a Fish: Merck, the Pharmaceutical Industry and Developing Surveillance Capitalism within the Blue Revolution," Development and Change, International Institute of Social Studies, vol. 57(1), pages 79-102, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:devchg:v:57:y:2026:i:1:p:79-102
    DOI: 10.1111/dech.70040
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    References listed on IDEAS

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