Reportable Diseases and Regulatory Concerns in Aquaculture

A major role of the aquaculture veterinarian is health certification of many animals leaving a facility. Movement of animals may be intrastate, interstate, or international. Specific testing and general health requirements for aquaculture exports vary according to region, state, country, and species. In some instances, only a visual inspection is required, whereas in others statistically determined sample sizes and more standardized diagnostic methods are necessary. Level of required oversight also varies. Some countries require only evaluation and signature by a licensed veterinarian, whereas others require the oversight and acknowledgement of the national competent authority. USDA-APHIS is the competent authority for commercial aquaculture in the USA and provides information on specific import/export requirements by country (www.aphis.usda.gov/wps/portal/aphis/ourfocus/importexport). For importing countries requiring USDA-APHIS oversight, veterinarians must be licensed to practice in the USA and obtain veterinary accreditation (Category 2 accreditation is required for aquaculture) through USDA-APHIS for evaluation of aquaculture species. USDA-APHIS is also tasked to protect aquaculture in the USA from foreign disease introduction. For facilities within the USA that import fish, USDA-APHIS determines health requirements for incoming shipments, with fish, crustacean, molluscan, and amphibian diseases of concern listed by the OIE currently considered reportable by USDA-APHIS; however, not all of these are program diseases with specific actions required for positive cases.