Aquaculture Biosecurity – The Invisible Threat of Antimicrobial Resistance
23 July 2019, Washington, DC – Aquaculture continues to be the world’s fastest-growing food production sector, in which diseases and antimicrobial misuse can occur. To bring attention to the growing global threat of antimicrobial resistance and its economic, security, trade and public health implications, FAO North America and Mississippi State University's (MSU) Global Center for Aquatic Food Security hosted a special Congressional briefing in the U.S. Senate on aquaculture biosecurity.
Roger Wicker, U.S. Senator from Mississippi, emphasized the importance of aquaculture in the United States in his opening remarks, and highlighted the leading role his state plays in the aquaculture production of catfish in the United States.
Aquaculture provides half of the aquatic products we consume, underlined Michael Guest, Representative of the 3rd District of Mississippi. He applauded the partnership between MSU and FAO, which aims to strengthen capacities and achieve better aquaculture systems globally.
“We are working with FAO to build capacities internationally to curb antimicrobial resistance and create safe seafood in the U.S. and beyond,” said Dr. Mark Lawrence, Director of the Feed the Future Innovation Lab on Fish hosted by MSU. He underscored that seafood is the second largest trade deficit in the United States, putting the country at risk of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) from seafood imports. AMR in aquaculture can cause a slow therapeutic response, recurrence of disease, and therapeutic failure. Building capacity for fish health internationally protects the global industry and the U.S. from antimicrobial resistance.
“What we put into the environment always comes back to us,” said Omar Elhassan from FAO’s Aquaculture Biosecurity, Fisheries and Aquaculture Branch. Antimicrobials enter the environment from a wide variety of sources, from agriculture and aquaculture to human pharmaceutical use, and persist and travel far and wide. Increasing antimicrobial resistance in the environment will inevitably lead to economic losses in agriculture and aquaculture, dangerous public health threats, and a much lowered level of resilience against shocks and pathogens.
Dr. Richard Arthur, aquatic animal health expert from Canada, focused on trade and rejections of fishery products due to antibiotic residues. Because antimicrobial residues can pose a human health risk, importing countries have established maximum residue levels (MRLs) which, if exceeded, will result in refusal to import the shipment tested. The major importers of aquaculture products are from developed countries, with the European Union, the United States and Japan accounting for 64 percent of all seafood imports globally, while the major aquaculture producers and exporters are mainly developing countries. Currently, estimates of the financial cost and other impacts due to unacceptable levels of antimicrobial residues in aquaculture products are not available.
“Prevention is better than cure,” Dr. Larry Hanson, professor at the Mississippi State University, College of Veterinary Medicine (MSU-CVM), underlined. Prevention of fish disease through sound management is the main way that aquaculture provides a high-quality product. This involves maintaining the optimum environment, minimizing the presence of disease-causing organisms, and optimizing the general health and resistance of the fish to disease. Using these methods producers can reduce diseases and limit the use of antibiotics.
Dr. Patricia Gaunt, Associate Professor at the Mississippi State University, explained that in U.S. aquaculture, most antimicrobials are administered in feed. Since 2017, the use of antimicrobials in food fish has been regulated by FDA through the Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD) Rule. The intent of this rule is to decrease bacterial resistance and to require veterinary supervision during antimicrobial use. Veterinarians work with fish farmers to ensure proper use of VFD drugs through proper dose rate, duration of use, and pre-slaughter withdrawal times. Veterinarians also work with fish farmers on how to maintain good husbandry practices to prevent bacterial diseases, lessening the need for antimicrobials. “Antibiotics are no silver bullet. You still need good water, quality feed and sound management practices,” she emphasized.
China produces one third of total aquatic production globally, and is also the largest exporter of fish and fish products. Dr. Hao Bin from FAO’s Fisheries and Aquaculture Department shared China’s experience in tackling antimicrobial resistance. In 2016, 14 Ministries in China jointly passed National Action Plans to curb Antimicrobial Use and Antimicrobial Resistance, including in aquaculture.
FAO plays a leading role in international fisheries policy, including through the Committee on Fisheries (COFI) and related sub-committees on Fish Trade and Aquaculture. Addressing the rising threat of AMR requires a holistic and multisectoral approach, because antimicrobials used to treat various infectious diseases in animals may be the same or similar to those used in humans.
“FAO, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) speak with one voice, and are taking collective action to minimize the emergence and spread of AMR,” said Vimlendra Sharan, Director of FAO North America in his closing remarks. In June, a new AMR Multi-Partnership Trust Fund was launched with an initial contribution of USD 5 million from the Government of the Netherlands. “This is a major boost to combat AMR risk through a dedicated funding vehicle that will allow partners to devote resources. Continued U.S. support for international organizations such as FAO and contributions to the AMR trust fund will be key to accelerate global action on AMR. Antimicrobial resistance is a global fight, not a national one.”
Further information:
http://www.fao.org/publications/sofia/