Aquaculture and Antimicrobial Resistance

Antibiotic use in aquaculture contributes to antimicrobial resistance, with welfare improvements that reduce disease pressure offering co-benefits for global health.

Key Facts

Global aquaculture antibiotic use is estimated at 10,000 tonnes annually, with hotspots in Asia
Antibiotic residues in aquaculture products and effluent drive resistance in environmental bacteria
Norway dramatically reduced aquaculture antibiotic use by 99% through vaccination programs
Salmon vaccination against bacterial diseases eliminates the major drivers of antibiotic use in Norwegian salmon farming
Prophylactic antibiotic use - preventing disease before it occurs - is common in Asian aquaculture but promotes resistance
WHO classifies several antibiotics used in aquaculture as critically important antimicrobials for human medicine

Welfare Considerations

Antibiotic overuse in aquaculture reflects poor disease prevention driven by suboptimal welfare conditions. High stocking density, poor water quality, and inadequate nutrition increase disease susceptibility and antibiotic demand. Improving aquaculture welfare - through lower density, better water quality, and vaccination - directly reduces antibiotic use. This welfare-antimicrobial resistance connection means that aquaculture welfare improvement is also a global health contribution, making the case for welfare investment more compelling.

What You Can Do

Choose salmon and other fish products from countries and farms with low antibiotic use
Support aquaculture certification schemes that include antibiotic use monitoring and limits
Advocate for global standards limiting antibiotic use in aquaculture to treatment only
Back vaccination research for aquaculture species to reduce antibiotic dependency
Raise awareness that sustainable aquaculture requires both environmental and welfare standards