Fish Health

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Fish Health Welfare Plan

• Hamish Rodger,
• Vet-Aqua International
• BTA Meeting Lechlade
• 19th February 2008

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Introduction Fish health welfare plan

• What, why, who, how when

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Fish Health Management

• Decide what you want to do (write down
  objectives)
• Develop plan
• Select/decide on techniques personnel
• Implement

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Infectious disease outbreaks
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What, Why, Who, How When?

• Written plan with goals to
• a) prevent control disease
• b) have high levels of fish welfare
• Encompasses all aspects of farming processes
  which have an influence on fish health welfare

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Why?

• Good for the fish
• Sets goals
• Clarifies legal requirements
• Focus
• Information available to all
• Good for clients, customers, etc.
• Each part of plan has fish farm and nationwide
  benefits

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Who How?

• Can be developed with farm vet/fish health person
  input (boiler plate)
• Responsibilities clarified
• Site species specific
• Regular review (annual)

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What?

• Two main parts
• Part 1 those parts you must have
• Part 2 those parts you can have

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What? Part 1

• Records (mortalities per tank/pond, movements of
  livestock in and out, disposal movement of
  mortalities, sample weights, feed, treatments)
• Biosecurity measures hygiene/disinfection
  procedures
• Reporting of suspect disease
• Provision of vet services who is responsible
• Welfare standards

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Why record compute?

• Can predict when problems will occur
• Detect trends earlier and
• When you need to treat
• Increased accuracy and reduced waste
• Ease of information retrieval for future and
  assessing economic impacts and justifications
• Important to know impact of specific conditions
  (performance as well as mortality)

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Mortality data
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Mortality data
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Data for records

• Accurate data regular sample weights/biomass
• Accurate mortality figures (frequency important)
• Assessment of mortalities (cause of death)
• Measurements of tanks/ponds/pens/volumes
• Factor in growth for treatment period
• Feed data, feed rates retain samples
• Environment (T, DO)

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• Appendix 5 Daily Mortality Record Sheet (to form
  part of a log)

1. Observations on the mortalities for each
tank/pen should be recorded. Attempts should be
made to classify the mortalities as described in
the table above. 2. Unusual findings should be
reported to the Fish Health Manager. 3. Any
increase in mortality over time should be
investigated accordingly.
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What? Part 2

• Contingency plans what to do in case of disease
  outbreak
• Training (fish health)
• Methods to monitor fish health (apart from
  mortalities) who
• Methods of use of medicines vaccines
• How is fish performance assessed?
• Procedures for stocking, on-growing, handling,
  transfer

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What?

• Specific disease control/management measures e.g.
  PKD, RMS
• Preparation of holding unit

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When?

• This month (skeletons available)
• Before August 2008
• Annual review required

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Summary fish health welfare plan

• Written plan
• Good for fish, the farm and others
• Can develop with vet or fish health professional
• Templates available but must be developed for
  site and species
• When?
• Annual review

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