{"id":8922,"date":"2024-08-15T12:06:23","date_gmt":"2024-08-15T16:06:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/edfish\/?p=8922"},"modified":"2026-04-28T10:29:27","modified_gmt":"2026-04-28T14:29:27","slug":"sustainability-starts-with-health-disease-prevention-and-management-in-aquaculture","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/edfish\/2024\/08\/15\/sustainability-starts-with-health-disease-prevention-and-management-in-aquaculture\/","title":{"rendered":"Sustainability starts with health: Disease prevention and management in aquaculture"},"content":{"rendered":"

Let\u2019s continue the conversation on sustainable aquaculture. This is the third blog in our series exploring the sustainability of aquaculture\u2014what we currently know, emerging advancements, and areas for growth. In our previous, we covered <\/span>escapes in aquaculture<\/span><\/a>, and before that, we discussed <\/span>aquaculture feed<\/span><\/a>. \u00a0 <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In this blog, we are focusing on diseases in aquaculture. Much like terrestrial crop and livestock production systems, aquaculture\u2014the practice of farming seafood\u2014contends with the risk of disease. More so than on land, the aquatic environment facilitates the spread of pathogens within farms and out to the surrounding environment. This is a serious concern for the aquaculture industry, with disease burden being recognized as the most significant constraint to the global growth of aquaculture. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It is not fully understood how expanding U.S. aquaculture into federal waters (3-200 nautical miles), will impact disease prevalence and treatment. On one hand, the open ocean environment provides space for healthier stocking densities and pen spacing, with reduced contact with wild animals. On the other hand, it is more challenging to access open ocean pens for health inspections and treatments. So, what do we know so far? Let\u2019s dive into the details. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This is also the subject of our recently published white paper, \u201c<\/span>Sustainability Considerations for the Expansion of US Aquaculture: Preventing and Managing Disease<\/span><\/a>,\u201d which we invite you to read for a more in-depth look at the issue.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

What are the\u00a0risks?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Containing, treating, and, worst of all, losing animals to disease is tremendously costly to the aquaculture industry. Globally, lost revenue due to aquaculture parasites has been estimated at up to 10 billion USD annually, and disease accounted for 20% of total insurance losses in the salmon farming industry from 1992-2012. Additionally, diseases may spread to wild populations, although the population-level impacts on wild stocks are unclear. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Excessive use of antibiotics to treat or prevent disease in aquaculture poses significant health and sustainability challenges. Overuse of antibiotics contributes to antimicrobial resistance, a serious global health threat. Moreover, people can suffer adverse health impacts when coming into contact with antibiotics or residues while administering medicines on farms or consuming treated fish.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Researchers estimate that over 70% of antibiotics administered via fish feed diffuse into the surrounding environment, where they can harm microbial biodiversity and be consumed by wild fish, with food safety implications for wild-capture fisheries.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Best practices to prevent, manage, and treat disease \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Best practices for disease management involve a three-tiered approach, ideally using a combination of strategies tailored to the specific cultivated species and site.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n