Aquaculture

Aquaculture Biosecurity and Disease Prevention Welfare

Effective biosecurity in aquaculture prevents disease outbreaks that cause mass mortality and suffering in farmed fish.

Key Facts

Infectious salmon anaemia (ISA) caused mass mortalities of millions of fish in Chile in 2007-2009
Spring viraemia of carp (SVC) is a notifiable disease causing high mortality in cyprinids
Biosecurity failures cost the global aquaculture industry over $6 billion annually
Fallowing sea cage sites reduces pathogen buildup significantly in salmon farming
Health certificates and disease screening for imported stock are critical control points

Welfare Considerations

Disease outbreaks cause enormous suffering in farmed fish - mass casualties from viral haemorrhage, bacterial septicaemia and parasitic infestation. Prevention through robust biosecurity is the highest-welfare approach. When disease is detected, rapid culling to prevent spread, while itself a welfare concern, may reduce total suffering.

What You Can Do

Support aquaculture certification schemes with strong biosecurity requirements
Advocate for mandatory disease surveillance and reporting in national aquaculture legislation
Support research into vaccines and biological controls that reduce disease burden
Choose seafood from certified farms with transparent health reporting