Aquaculture & Fisheries

Biosecurity in Aquaculture

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Aquatic animal species are in constant interaction with potential pathogens that can strongly impair growth performance and result in significant economic losses for livestock production. Biosecurity encompasses all measures designed to prevent diseases from occurring and from spreading by isolating, as much as possible, animal farm populations from external contamination. Recurring or prolonged contact with external environments (water, sediment, wildlife) favours the development of new diseases. For this reason, non-recirculated aquaculture systems are more difficult to isolate than closed water circuits. Major Biosecurity goals are:

■ Animal management—obtaining healthy stocks and optimizing their health and immunity through good husbandry

■ Pathogen management—preventing, reducing or eliminating pathogens

■ people management—educating and managing staff and visitors.The ease with which a specific pathogen can enter a facility, spread from one system to another, and cause disease depends on the species, immune status, condition, life stage, and strain susceptibility of the cultured fish;

■ Major environmental factors such as water quality, water chemistry, and husbandry practices;

■ characteristics of the pathogen, such as biology and life cycle, potential reservoirs, survival on inanimate objects, options for legal treatment, regulatory status (exotic vs. endemic disease, report ability, and federal, state and local laws); and Workers’ understanding of biosecurity principles and compliance with biosecurity protocols.