Hygiene control of vessels in aquaculture are important measures to prevent the spread of infection between cages and breeding facilities.
Aoife Westgård / Norwegian Veterinary Association.
Over the past year, a number of outbreaks of serious fish diseases such as infectious salmon anemia (ISA) and pancreas disease (PD) have been detected at salmon farming facilities along the Norwegian coast, with such infections a leading cause of fish mortality.
Many of these infections have been attributed to contamination from aquaculture vessels moving between facilities, as indicated by reports from the Norwegian Food Safety Authority, Mattilsynet.
To counter this, two prominent veterinary associations in Norway, the Veterinary Association (Norske Veterinærforening) and Tekna, are launching a new set of guidelines for better hygiene control of aquaculture service vessels.
The new guidance aims to reduce the risk of infection spread between fish cages and breeding facilities, thereby enhancing the overall health of farmed fish, the organizations said, launching the guidelines in a joint announcement. They include clear procedures for inspecting vessels, making it easier for fish health personnel to conduct uniform and effective hygiene assessments.
According to Aoife M. Westgård, leader of the working group responsible for the guidelines, vessel traffic has long posed a risk for transmitting infections in aquaculture. “This initiative is an important step to reduce the risk of infection linked to traffic on farms,” she said, highlighting the need for standardized, high-quality hygiene checks across the sector.
"Hygiene inspection of vessels is an important risk-reducing measure in connection with the use of wellboats, desalination vessels and service boats. These guidelines build on previous work and define good professional practice, which will be of great benefit to fish health personnel and will contribute to increased biosecurity," Westgård explained.
David Persson, president of the Veterinary Association, also emphasized the critical role of the guidelines in disease prevention. “Preventing the spread of infectious disease is one of the most important things in preventive health work. These guidelines will reduce the risk of disease spreading, which is positive for fish health and welfare.”
The guidelines, developed by a working group of veterinarians and fish health biologists with expertise in infection control, cover various crucial control points, including visual inspections, documentation, and the use of tools to test cleanliness. They also offer detailed instructions on washing, disinfection, and vessel maintenance to ensure high levels of biosecurity.
Elisabet Haugsbø, president of Tekna, praised the collaborative effort between the organizations, stating that the guidelines will raise the standard of hygiene control throughout the industry. “We are convinced that this will help ensure the best possible fish health,” Haugsbø said.
The guidelines are now publicly available and can be accessed through the websites of the Veterinary Association and Tekna.
The next phase of this initiative involves informing industry stakeholders and implementing these new standards, with the ultimate goal of establishing hygiene checks as a quality benchmark within the aquaculture industry.
"We believe that a numerical requirement must be set where mortality falls to 5% within five years for all farming companies," says Tekna President Elisabet Haugsbø.
Fish health and welfare is increasingly under the spotlight in Norway, following last year's record levels of fish mortality.
According to Norway's Fish Health Report 2023, last year a total of 62.8 million salmon (16.7%) and 2.5 million rainbow trout (14%) died in sea-phase production, while 37.7 million salmon and 2.4 million rainbow trout over 3 grams died during land-based smolt production. The total figure amounts to more than 100 million dead farmed salmon and rainbow trout in Norway during 2023, with sea lice infections and resultant treatments a leading cause of mortality.
In March, Tekna, one of the contributing organizations to the new hygiene guidelines, described the fish mortality rate as an "animal welfare crisis", and called on the Norwegian government to implement tighter regulations on salmon producers.
"We believe that a numerical requirement must be set where mortality falls to 5% within five years for all farming companies," Tekna president Elisabet Haugsbø said in March.
The industry's handling of fish health and mortality is set to continue as a key source of concern and debate, given the "sea lice explosion" seen in Northern Norway this summer, as a result of a marine heatwave experienced in the Arctic circle during July and August.