Words from a Wet Vet

Just finished teaching 1 week intensive Ornamental Fish Medicine Course. Great group of 12 participants: 8 senior veterinary students from OSU, 2 professional aquarists (Oregon Coast Aquarium and Seattle Aquarium), 1 veterinarian from the SEattle Aquarium, and 1 colleague from India ( Dr. Anna Mercy, Kerala College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences). Great learning experience for all of us. Great exchanges during the lectures, labs, group projects and case studies. Looking forward to next year. Considering expanding to 2 weeks. Thanks to my co-instructors: Dennis Glaze, Dr. Jerry Heidel, Stu Clausen, and Dr. Anna Mercy.

Dr. Mercy is from Kerala College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, India. She participated in the course but was also kind enough to give two lectures. One lecture addressed the current status of the Indian ornamental fish industry and outreach work she has lead to train ornamental fish farmers. In the second lecture Dr. Mercy discussed some of the common health problems associated with collecting native broodstock  and breeding these fish in captivity. We recorded both of these lectures and you will be able to view them on our YouTube channel soon. I will post the links once the lectures have been posted.

Here’s the course outline for the course this year.

VMB 727
ORNAMENTAL FISH MEDICINE
April 2-6, 2012
Lead Instructor:
Dr. Tim Miller-Morgan, DVM
Oregon Sea Grant – Aquatic Animal Health
College of Veterinary Medicine
tim.miller-morgan@oregonstate.edu
Co-Instructors:
Dr. Jerry Heidel, DVM, PhD, DACVP, Cert. Fish Pathologist
Dennis Glaze, AAS – Aquarium Science
Stuart Clausen, BS, Cert. Aquarium Science

Recommended Texts:
o Wildgoose, W. 2001. BSAVA Manual of Ornamental Fish, Second Edition, BSAVA, Gloucester, UK 304p. Available through Amazon.com and Blackwell Publishing.
o Noga, E. 2010. Fish Disease Diagnosis and Treatment. Mosby, New York. Available through Amazon.com and Blackwell Publishing Roberts, H. 2010.
o Roberts, H. (2010) Fundamentals of Ornamental Fish Health, Wiley-Blackwell, New York. 229p.

MONDAY (We’ll start @ 0900)
AM (Old Library)
• Introduction
• Ornamental Fish: Essential Anatomy and Physiology and the Interface with the Captive Environment. (Old Library)
PM
• Clinical approach and procedures (Old Library)
• Laboratory: fish handling, sedation and common clinical procedures (West Wing – AAHTL)

TUESDAY
AM
• Laboratory: Review – Components water management systems (Dennis Glaze, West Wing – AAHTL)
• Life Support System Assessment (Old Library)
o Fish Health Cases I (Handout) – water management cases

PM
• Fish Necropsy and Dissection (Lab – TBA, Dr. Jerry Heidel)
• Laboratory: fish handling, sedation and common clinical procedures, cont. (West Wing – AAHTL)

• Evening Lecture – An Overview of the Indian Ornamental Fish Industry (Dr. Anna Mercy)

WEDNESDAY
AM
• Common Clinical Problems of Ornamental fish I (Old Library)
• Common Clinical Problems of Pet Fish II (Old Library)

PM

• Common Clinical Problems of Pet Fish II cont. (Old Library)
• Management and treatment of fish disease
• Laboratory: fish handling, sedation and common clinical procedures, cont. (West Wing – AAHTL)
o Fish Health Cases II (Handout) – Medical Cases

THURSDAY
AM
• Biosecurity and the Essential Principles of Fish Health Management (Dr. Tim Miller-Morgan)
• Collection, Transport and Acclimation of Ornamental Fish ( Dr. Tim Miller-Morgan)
• Handout Biosecurity consultation problems (Dr. Tim Miller-Morgan and Dennis Glaze)

PM
• Common Health Management Issues Associated with the Production of Native Indian Fish Species (Dr. Anna Mercy)
• Case Discussions I

FRIDAY
AM (Old Library)
• Laboratory:
o Assessing fish populations (Oregon Coast Aquarium)
o Handling, sedation and clinical examination of elasmobranchs (Stu Clausen, Oregon Coast Aquarium, Passages of the Deep)
PM (Old Library)
• Biosecurity Consultation problem (Old Library)
• Case Discussions II
• Evaluations

Hello from Cochin, Kerala, India.

Yesterday I had the opportunity to present the information below as part of a training session for ornamental fish farmers. This article will appear as part of special proceedings for the participants but I thought I might share it a bit more widely. I hope you find it informational and perhaps thought provoking. As always, feel free to comment and make suggestions.

The 10 steps to quality fish health management

Timothy J. Miller-Morgan*, Dennis Glaze, Jerry Heidel

Oregon Sea Grant–Aquatic Animal Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, Oregon State University, tim.miller-morgan@oregonstate.edu

High quality health management within the ornamental fish industry is based upon the concept of prevention. Prevention of disease is always cheaper than dealing with a disease outbreak once it has occurred. Disease prevention is also a key factor when developing a sustainable ornamental fish industry. Decreased or reduced disease leads to reduced wild collection to replace losses, decreased losses among broodstock and grow out fish lots, decreased financial output to treat or manage disease outbreaks, and improved overall quality of fish for the export or domestic market.

Over the last 10 years the Aquatic Animal Health Program at Oregon State University has developed and refined “The 10 Steps to Quality Fish Health Management.” This is a conceptual approach to training those in the ornamental fish industry about fish health management as well as approaching the prevention and management of emerging fish health problems.

The 10 Steps to Quality Fish Health Management

1. DEFINE your goals: You must set realistic health management goals for your facility/operation. Setting these goals will be based upon your level of commitment, finances, facility size and infrastructure, staff numbers, level of staff training and diseases of concern. Some of the questions to consider when defining your fish health management goals include:

• Do you want to maintain/sell healthy fish?
• Assuming you want a successful operation, how do you define success?
• What species do you wish to culture? Do they have any specific husbandry requirements?
• Do you have the ability to provide for these specific husbandry requirements?
• Who will be your suppliers? Can they provide your facility with healthy fish?
• Who will be your customers? What are their expectations regarding animal health?
• What is you animal holding capacity? Is this capacity large enough to meet the animals’ needs as well as your business needs?
• Are you willing to invest the resources to develop a reasonable fish health management program for your facility and to create a biosecure facility?
• Must your facility adhere to any international, federal or state animal health and welfare regulations and guidelines?
• Do you have the capability to meet these regulations and guidelines?
• What are the common diseases of the species you wish to culture?
• What diseases are you unwilling to accept at your facility?
• What diseases are you prepared to accept?
• Do you have the resources available to ensure proper and timely disease diagnosis and treatment?
• Are you willing to invest in training for your staff about the importance of daily health management and biosecurity?
• Are you willing to invest in continuing education for you and your staff as knowledge and techniques evolve?
• Are you willing to implement and maintain a quality control program?

Spending time to think about your answers to these key questions will be invaluable as you begin to develop an effective fish health management program tailored to your facility.

2. LEARN about your animals: It is imperative that facility managers and, to the extent possible, line husbandry staff, understand the basic natural history, biology and husbandry requirements of the animals under their care. Such information should include: country and environment of origin, life cycle, maximum size, behavior in the wild and captivity, temperature and required water quality parameters, key breeding requirements, optimal captive husbandry requirements (tank/pond size, habitat needs, optimal stocking density, and life-support requirements needed to maintain optimal environmental quality), common diet and feeding frequency, common signs of health and disease, common diseases and treatments.

3. UNDERSTAND how water quality affects your animals: Water quality problems are frequently the most common predisposing factor leading to a disease outbreak among captive ornamental fish. It is very important to know the key water quality parameters to measure in a particular system, know how and when to measure them properly, understand how to interpret those readings in terms of their effect on fish health as well as on the biological life support (nitrification and the carbonate cycle) within the holding system.

4. UNDERSTAND biosecurity: Biosecurity consists of the practices and procedures used to prevent the introduction, emergence, spread, and persistence of infectious agents and disease within and around fish production and holding facilities. It is the lynchpin for successful fish health management. A typical biosecurity program focuses on two major components:

A. Pathogen exclusion – the procedures implemented to prevent pathogen introduction to a facility. These procedures typically focus on reducing the risks associated with various potential routes of disease entry into a facility and establishing an effective quarantine protocol for all new introductions. The most important pathways for pathogen entry are associated with:

• Fish
• Water
• Food
• People
• Equipment

Quarantine: Quarantine is the final critical component of pathogen exclusion for your facility. The major role of quarantine is to prevent the introduction of pathogens directly into your retail population by separating new arrivals. Quarantine also provides for the important process of acclimation of fish to new water conditions, new husbandry protocols, and new feeds.  Furthermore, the quarantine system and quarantine period allows time for the fish immune system to recuperate from the stresses of transport and handling.

B. Pathogen Containment: Containment ensures a disease outbreak in an ornamental fish facility is confined to the smallest possible area. Pathogen containment requires understanding of three key aspects of disease:

1)    The factors that influence disease resistance/persistence within the fish as well as the aquatic environment.

2)    The locations in which pathogens may persist within a facility. These locations include: the fish, invertebrates, plants, water (even the source water), the life support system, system surfaces, and equipment used during regular husbandry procedures.

3)    The means by which pathogens may be transmitted to susceptible fish species. These routes of transmission include: waterborne, airborne, vector borne (organisms that may harbor or transmit pathogens from one fish to another), fomite transmission (inanimate objects on which pathogens can be transmitted from location to location) and food borne.

An understanding of these key factors is essential to implementing an effective biosecurity program that ensures critical areas of risk are not overlooked.

5. PLAN for healthy animals: Planning for healthy animals typically begins with an examination of the animal facilities from the standpoint of layout and workflow, with an eye towards minimizing stress in the animals and risks of disease introduction and spread within the facility. You will want to design systems, procedures, and policies that are easy to implement and maintain. Any system that is not designed for ease of maintenance will typically not be maintained at the optimum level. Similarly, husbandry protocols developed without a thorough understanding of the actual husbandry procedures will not be easily followed.  And in both cases, those responsible for maintenance and husbandry on a daily basis should have input in design of those protocols if they are to be successful.    A strong quality management program will help make these planning efforts successful.  Detailed standard operating procedures (SOP’s), regular record keeping, and ongoing staff training will help guide and reinforce all of the policies and procedures.

6. IDENTIFY reliable resources: Critically evaluate all aspects of the resources utilized in your ornamental fish operation. Scrutinize all suppliers and sources of information. Ensure that you are bringing in the best quality fish for broodstock, local sale or export. Be sure that you have the highest quality, nutritionally complete food supply you can afford for your livestock. Ensure that the equipment you purchase for your operation is reliable, tested, and calibrated. Ensure that you have adequate disease diagnostic laboratories available that can provide a timely and proper disease diagnosis and treatment recommendations. Finally, critically evaluate the information you use to make decisions about fish biology, husbandry and health management. There is a lot of information out there, particularly on the web. Remember, not all of this information is reliable or accurate. Evaluate information using the following criteria. The more “yes” answers the more comfortable you can feel about the reliability of the information:

• Authority – who is responsible for the information and what are the author’s qualifications? Is the author qualified to provide information about this topic?
• Accuracy – are the sources of information listed so that they can be verified? Is the information free of grammatical, spelling and typographical errors? Is it clear who has ultimate responsibility for the accuracy of the information? Are charts and graphs of data clearly labeled and easy to read?
• Objectivity – Is the information provided as a public service and/or free of advertising? Is the advertising differentiated from the informational content?
• Timely – Can you tell when the information was written? When was it last revised? If information is presented graphically, can you determine when the data was gathered? If there are different editions of this information, can you determine which edition is being used?
• Coverage – Is the information complete or still being revised? Do you have access to the complete work? If the material is out of print, has it been updated in a new edition to make it more current?

Reliable animal sources, equipment, and informational resources are the best tools to assist you when developing an effective health management program.

7. PRACTICE daily health management and biosecurity: Quality health management relies upon all staff adhering to their training and the standard operating procedures for that facility. It is imperative that all staff, including the entry-level staff, understands the importance of SOP’s, has been trained for each SOP, and knows the risks associated with failure to follow these protocols. Without this understanding you cannot guarantee the procedures will be consistently practiced.

8. RECOGNIZE disease: Learning to identify compromised or diseased fish is key to recognizing there is a health problem. The earlier that compromised fish can be recognized, the greater the chance of averting a severe fish disease outbreak. It is important for all husbandry staff to become familiar with normal and abnormal behaviors and appearances for the fish species under their care. Some of the common signs of disease and distress in captive fish species include:

Common signs of stress and disease in ornamental fish

9. WORK the problem: When a disease outbreak occurs it is very easy to panic. This is actually the time to take a step back and examine the overall situation. Address any immediate life threatening problems first such as lack of power, air, and water flow. Next make a proper disease diagnosis. Finally, ensure that you have identified all of the potential contributing factors that may be associated with the disease outbreak. Recognize that many fish disease problems are multifactorial and it is very important to identify all contributing factors to ensure each is addressed by the treatment and management plan. Realize that many infectious disease problems are often precipitated by poor water quality, poor environmental conditions, and poor husbandry. If these factors are not corrected, even with a proper diagnosis and treatment, the condition may well return because the underlying causes have not been eliminated or controlled.

10. RE-EVALUATE continuously: Continuous re-evaluation is the key to continued development and refinement of your heath management strategy. Constantly evaluate the status and health of your fish as well as your fish holding systems including pond/tank environment, water quality, food quality, aeration, filtration, life support, and back-up systems. Realize that your SOP’s are never set in stone and should be periodically reviewed and revised when necessary, including the husbandry and maintenance protocols, transport and acclimation protocols, and the quarantine and treatment protocols. Finally, it is imperative that husbandry staff always rechecks the fish after any medical treatment to ensure that the treatment has been effective and the disease agent is under control and/or eliminated.

Approaching the development and implementation of a health management plan using “The 10 Steps to Quality Fish Health Management” will not guarantee a disease free facility, but will go a long way towards ensuring you have significantly reduced your risks of disease introduction and spread. Using a systematic approach to the key principles of fish health management will certainly aid you in the production of higher quality, healthier fish for your customers.

Further Reading:

Miller-Morgan, T.J. and J.R. Heidel (2010) BIosecurity and Ornamental Fish In H. R. Roberts (ed.), Fundamentals of Ornamental Fish Health, Wiley – Blackwell, Ames.

MPEDA. (2008) Handbook on Ornamental Fish Diseases, Marine Products Export Development Authority, Cochin, Kerala, India, 75pp.

Yanong, R.P.E. (2003) UF/IFAS Circular 120 Fish Health Management Considerations in Recirculating Aquaculture Systems – Part 1: Introduction and General Principles (On-line).

Yanong, R.P.E. (2003) UF/IFAS Circular 121 Fish Health Management Considerations in Recirculating Aquaculture Systems – Part 2: Pathogens (On-line).

Yanong, R.P.E. (2003) UF/IFAS Circular 122 Fish Health Management Considerations in Recirculating Aquaculture Systems – Part 3: General Recommendations and Problem-Solving Approaches (On-line).

Other Online Resources:

Dr. Miller-Morgan’s Blog – Words From A Wet Vet

University of Florida, Ornamental Fish Industry Extension Publications:

• Common Ornamental Fish Diseases
• Common Fish Parasites and their treatment
• Fish Health Management and Treatment

Participants in the training workshop may get a PDF of the presentation slides if they email Dr. Tim MIller-Morgan at the email address listed above.

I’m a bit late posting this but on February 5th I did another interview with the Under the Sea Radio Show. We had a wide ranging discussion over two hours. THe first hour really addressed careers in veterinary medicine with a focus on aquatics. The second hour was quite an open discussion of fish health management. I hope you enjoy the show.

After a bit of a hiatus…..

Well I’m heading off to India this morning. I’ll be visiting a number of ornamental fish farms and participating in the Sustainable Ornamental Fisheries – The Way Forward Conference in Cochin. I’ll be presenting two papers and lecturing in a training session for farmers.

Upon my return I’ll be teaching the annual Ornamental Fish Medicine course at the Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport, OR, USA. This 5-day class (April 2-6, 2012) covers the basic aspects of ornamental fish medicine. The students are typically senior veterinary students, veterinarians with an interest in fish medicine, professional aquarists and graduate students. We tend to keep the class small (16) to maximize the hands-on experiences and opportunities for discussion around the lectures and exercises.

April 14, 2012 is the Hatfield Marine Science Center, Marine Science Day. Come out to Newport and visit our Center YOu will have an opportunity to tour and chat with the various research groups based at the center, tour our public aquarium and visitor center, and take a back wing tour of Aquatic Animal Health and Husbandry teaching facility. I’ll be around along with our health and husbandry specialist, Curator and aquarist staff to answer questions.

On April 22nd I’ll be attending the Eastern Fish Health Workshop in Lake Placid, NY. The program looks to be very interesting and there are a number of sessions addressing critical emerging issues in fish health . I’ll try to post summaries and comments about a few key sessions.

August brings us to the American Veterinary Medical Association’s Annual Meeting (AVMA) in San Diego. The AVMA and the World Aquatic Veterinary Medical Association organized four days of fish medicine training with an emphasis on ornamental fish. The sessions are divided into basic and advanced sessions in order to provide an introduction for practitioners interested in adding fish to their practice and more advanced sessions for those with more fish experience. I’ll be teaching a number of sessions along with a few of my colleagues. Keep watching for here for more information or go to the AVMA conference site and search for aquatic sessions (we are in the food animal subsection).

Finally, mark September 17-20, 2012 in your calendar. Ornamental Fish International will be hosting its Practical Training Workshop in Singapore. The focus of this workshop will be on fish health basics, biosecurity and fish welfare.

I hope to see you at one of these events.

I’ll be posting more information and my thoughts while I’m at the meeting in Cochin.

Have a great day!!

It has been quite awhile since I’ve posted. Here is a little interview from the past.

Marine Science Chat is a regular radio show in Newport that showcases individuals and work being done at the Hatfield Marine Science Center. These shows are also available as podcasts.

I  participated in one of these programs a number of months ago but the  file was lost foe a time. The interview is now available. So if you are interested in what I do at the HMSC have a listen.

I’m heading to Japan later today. Stay tuned for posts about this current trip.

Last week while I was in Singapore I had the opportunity to discuss fish health management and particularly quarantine of marine ornamental fish and invertebrates with Kevin Erickson a director-at-large with the Marine Aquarium Society of North America.

I’m constantly amazed at technology and the capability to communicate globally. We did the interview via Skype. Kevin was in Stirling, Scotland and I was in Singapore. What an amazing world!!

I hope you find the interview interesting. Please feel free to post any comments. I’m always interested in your comments and opinions.

On my way home today.  I’m writing this at the airport in Vancouver BC.

Over the past few days I’ve had the opportunity to visit a number of farms and export facilities in both Singapore and Malaysia. What I’ve taken away is an industry in these countries that is working to significantly upgrade their biosecurity and health screening procedures to meet increasing demands as well as anticipated new requirements from the World Animal Health Organization, the EU, Australia and to some extent the US.

We visited a number of facilities with significant biosecurity protocols which included:

• Separate quarantine facilities for export – fish are quarantined in these export facility prior to shipment. These facilities are separate from the actual production facilities. We visited two of these facilities that are slated to come on line in the next few months.
• Some facilities have two levels of quarantine; pre-quarantine at the production facility prior to shipment to the export quarantine facility.
• Separate facilities for holding domestic and imported fish.
• Movement from pond culture to tank and cement pond culture. Easier to prevent disease spread and easier to disinfect the rearing units.
• Tanks and ponds with individual water supplies and filtration. Water is not shared between tanks/ponds.
• Dedicated equipement for each tank or rearing unit.
• Individual siphons for each holding/rearing tank. These were actually hard-plumbed. Pretty cool idea.
• Bird netting, covered or enclosed rearing areas.
• Regular disease screening for export purposes but also as part of an ongoing health management program.

These are a few of the more significant examples of the move to more biosecure production systems.

Of course, there are still many facilities that are rearing fish in the older style pond culture systems many with many cage nets within individual ponds. There are also problems with pest control in some facilities – frogs moving between pods, birds, snakes. Further, there are instances where there appears to be inadequate disinfection between batches, not pulling mortalities quickly and inadequate equipment disinfection. I believe all of these issues can be addressed in time.

However, the hobbyist must be willing to pay more for this increased level of health management and biosecurity. All too often I hear, particularly in the US that hobbyists want healthier and safer fish but I’m told by many retailers that they are unwilling to pay more for these fish. Price still seems to be the guiding factor. THese additional health management practices add cost to the production process and it is important for the hobbyist to understand this fact.

Just some initial thoughts. Next I will post some images to give you a feel for the different types of farms and export facilities. Stay tuned. TMM

Here’s a nice article about the Hatfield Marine Science Center (HMSC). The ornamental fish health program is based at this facility. THe article gives readers a nice overview of the varied activities at the Visitors Center.

I’m in Singapore, a wonderful city, attending Aquarama one of the major ornamental fish trade shows.

A panoramic view of Marine Bay, central Singapore

Aquarama is an annual trade show held at the Suntec Convention and trade center in Singapore. The show provides an opportunity for may segments of the industry to come together and network, see new products, conduct business, attend seminars and tour facilities.

The Trade Show

Dr. Tim Chatting with Scott Dowd from the New England Aquarium outside the Ornamental Fish International booth.

Water Bats!!!

It is a large event strictly devoted to ornamental fish and invertebrates. The show is also well known for its fish and aquarium show. Here producers enter fish, planted tanks and marine aquarium displays. THey are judged by experts and the winners announced. It is another great way for producers to showcase their products.

The Fish Show

Eric very excited about a red arowana

and the Bettas!!

THere are also two days of educational seminars, addressing key issues in the industry. Topics covered over the past two days focused on international perspectives on a changing industry and maintaining of improving quality of the animals traded. Speakers from multiple countries provided a diverse range of views, experiences and opinions. Specific topics included:

• Resident-based Ornamental Fisheries in the Western Ghats, India: Managing Poverty Alleviation and Change at the community Level. – Dr. Rajeev Raghavan
• An update on Recent Biosecurity Changes and Their Impact on the Australian Ornamental fish Sector – Shane Willis, Australia
• Roadmap towards a “Green” Aquarium Industry – Scott Dowd, USA
• Eco-Freindly Marine Culture and Capture – A Mexican Perspective – Dr. Nuno Simoes, Mexico
• Potential Impacts of Climate Change on the Ornamental Fish Industry – Ryan Donnelly, Australia
• A New quality Assurance Scheme to Assure better Quality  Ornamental Fish from Singapore – Poh Yew Kwang, Singapore
• Total Quality Management in the Aquarium Business – Dr. Anton Lamboj, Austria
• Fish Health and Biosecurity Issues in Retail Shops and Wholesale facilities – Dr. Gerald Bassaleer, The Netherlands
• DNA Multi-Scan a New Fish Disease Diagnostic Tool – Dr. Kris Willems, Belgium
• Implications of Epizootic Ulcerative Syndrome Legislation for the Ornamental Aquatic Industry – Somkiat Kanchanakhan, Thailand
• EU Fish Health Legislation: Clarifying the Confusion and Introduction of New Online Tool for the Successful Completion of Health Certificates for Import – Alex Ploeg, The Netherlands
• Invasive Ornamental Fish Species in Singapore: A Case Study – Dr. Ng Heok Hee, Singapore
• A Trade Perspective on Invasive Species – Sven Fossa, Norway
• A Profile of the Indian Ornamental Fish Industry with Special Focus on the Concerns of Key Players – Dr. Mini Sakharan, India
• Trends in Breeding Marine Aquarium Fish: Where Are We Today and Where Do We Need to Go? – Matthew Wittenrich, USA
• Where do Science, Industry, and Aquariums meet?Practical Applications for What Can Be From THings Learned in the Aquarium Hobby – Julian Sprung, USA

What I have taken away from these presentations and my discussions with industry members is that there are three emerging areas that all sectors of the industry must address in the next few years:

• The need for improved biosecurity throughout all sectors of the industry. THis is being driven by new emerging diseases as well as re-emerging diseases that not only pose a threat to the ornamental fish trade but also to the  aquaculture industry for food fish and invertebrates. Consequently there is increased scrutiny by the regulatory bodies for national and international trade. THis is a truly global issue since ornamental fish are being exported from over 130 different countries.
• The need to address the issue of aquatic invasive species. There are many animals traded that could have significant invasive potential in many countries. Many of these are banned for import but are often included due to poor quality control at packing or a lack of awareness of the specific regulations and/or risks on the part of the exporters and importers. There is a need for more research characterizing the specific invasive pathways as well as improved outreach and education at all levels when it comes to aquatic invasive species.
• There is emerging pressure to develop specific guidelines that ensure adequate concern for animal welfare throughout all sectors of the industry. At this point the European Union and Australia appear to be the primary drivers though there are also emerging discussions on this topic in the United Staes as well. It is not inconceivable to envision specific regulations that would require documentation of  adherence to specific welfare guidelines in order for ornamental fish to be exported to some of these countries. This would probably be very much like a health certificate. Obviously, this will be an area of much spirited debate and diplomacy since the definitions of welfare, the perceptions of an actual need for guidelines, and the appropriate methods for guideline development and enforcement vary dramatically across the globe.

These are all weighty issues that will not be addressed overnight. However, it is very important to continue discussions, continue to develop industry solutions and to maintain contact and educate key regulatory bodies about the industry. The key is to remain proactive. The alternative is regulatory requirements developed and implemented with little industry input. Not making a decision to address an issue is a decision but it may not be a very good one in this case.

I’ve arrived in Singapore but before I post my thoughts related to this trip lets finish up the biosecurity series by discussing  the development of best health practices in the context of  implementing/developing a biosecurity plan. TMM

There are husbandry practices that promote fish health and well being, and in so doing help support the principles and goals of a biosecurity program.  These help assure healthy stock that are free of stress and are in optimal condition to resist infection. We will review a few of the key aspects of a quality fish health management program.

Routine and reliable visual assessment of the fish is essential. This may be the first line of defense against disease outbreaks within the tanks. Staff should constantly be scanning the fish populations and looking for signs of outright disease, as well as signs of distress or abnormal behavior, both of which may be the first signs of an impending disease outbreak. Affected animals should be moved to a hospital tank for observation and treatment.

Fish holding systems should be designed so that fish can be easily viewed and captured, yet still have adequate hiding spaces. There should be no edges or objects within the tanks or ponds which might injure the fish. Further, all tanks and life support systems should be easy to maintain and service. If systems are difficult to access and clean then it is likely that staff will tend to avoid the optimal level of maintenance and cleaning.

Staff should also be encouraged to frequently wash their hands, particularly when moving from work areas in one fish holding system to another. Hand washing stations and footbaths, soap or other appropriate disinfectants, and paper towels should be easily accessible so that they will be used regularly.

Equipment cleaning and disinfection stations must also be easily accessible to ensure regular use.  A schedule for regular changes of disinfectants must also be initiated. Most of the common disinfectants are inactivated by organic materials, so these solutions should be changed promptly if they are discolored or dirty, even if it is prior to the scheduled change.

Ensure that staff adheres to the principles of isolation and independence of systems. Reducing the number of systems connected to a single central filtration unit, limiting movement of fish from tank to tank, and striving to prevent cross-contamination via water borne, airborne and fomite transmission will enhance the isolation of fish holding systems.

Anything that might stress fish should be eliminated or minimized.  It is the responsibility of staff to be vigilant for any signs of stress in the fish as well as any aspect of the husbandry or system design that might contribute to stress.  Fish density, water quality, water flow, and tank/pond sanitation should be continually monitored to assure they remain in optimal ranges or conditions. Fish should be handled as little as possible, and when handled, all precautions must be taken to assure that the fish are minimally stressed and not injured.

Nutrition must not be ignored. Foods should not only provide a balanced diet, but they must be handled and stored appropriately to assure their continued quality. Poor quality, contaminated, or spoiled foods should be discarded. Nutrition-related diseases, whether due to nutrient deficiencies or food contamination, can impact immune function in fish, reducing their resistance to infection, and impacting the success of your biosecurity plan.  Care must be taken to assure that all fish are receiving an adequate and complete diet.  Items to consider include:

• · Insufficient quantity or intake of food will lead to starvation, causing poor growth, poor survival, increased susceptibility to disease, and a loss of reproductive capacity.
• · An imbalanced diet due to the feeding of one particular food type to the exclusion of all others may lead to deficiencies of certain essential nutrients with diminished survival.
• · Many diets may not meet the needs of certain fish species that have specific nutritional needs or feeding behaviors. Special diets or supplementation of commercial diets may be necessary.  Seek guidance from those familiar with husbandry of the species or from the literature.
• · Be wary of poorly formulated diets. This is a rare problem when good quality, commercially prepared diets are used.
• · Outdated, spoiled, or improperly stored diets will lose nutritional value, and dietary deficits may occur.  These foods should be discarded (Yanong 2001a, Winfree 1992, Roberts 2001).

Dead or sick fish should be promptly culled and examined by trained staff or veterinarians to identify the cause of death or illness so that corrective and preventative measures and treatments can be started. Routine health monitoring of apparently healthy fish may be considered to identify emerging disease issues within a facility before they become a serious problem.

During the daily work routine, staff should address the needs of the most susceptible fish and their holding facilities first, moving to the fish with the highest probability of carrying disease last. Typically this means that the display fish are cared for first, starting with the youngest and moving to the oldest fish. Then staff go to systems holding fish under quarantine. Finally, any hospitalized fish or fish undergoing treatment are attended to. These workers should not go back and work with display fish until the next day. If not possible, that individual should wash well and perhaps change clothes after working with quarantine and hospital fish. Alternatively, facilities may opt to designate one individual that only works with animals under quarantine and treatment and never works with display or holding fish.

Quality Management

A quality management program (aka quality assurance, quality control) is an integral part of any biosecurity plan. It will help assure that the biosecurity practices that are established for a facility are actually put into place and followed.  It is essential that biosecurity practices are used consistently and accurately, and are not just brought out when they are remembered or might help control a problem.  The quality program will instill a sense of routine to the biosecurity procedures, and will assure that employees use the procedures correctly. It also provides a means of checking and verifying. Quality management concepts should permeate all aspects of the biosecurity protocols.  Quality management is the key to a successful biosecurity program.

The basic components of the quality program include written standard operating procedures, training, record keeping, accountability, and audits.  All are important, and none can be neglected.

Summary

A biosecurity program is essential to successful fish production and husbandry. The components of the program address exclusion of pathogens, control of pathogens, and good health practices, and assemble to provide a security system that will help minimize the impact of disease on a fish facility. A successful biosecurity program requires commitment by management and staff to follow operational policies and procedures, continually assess those protocols, and modify them as necessary. A good biosecurity program protects the business by protecting the animals and the customers. Finally, remember that each biosecuity program is tailored to each specific facility. Protocols are developed based upon the diseases risks associated with a particular facility  or market sector, financial and human resources and  facility design limitations.  Remember that implementing some biosecurity protocols is always better than doing nothing. It is always more expensive to implement a biosecuirty plan after a major disease event.

I look forward to your comments.  TMM