Fish diseases are not new to aquaculture; they continue to be one of the greatest causes of economic loss for the industry. Each year in the U.S., millions of dollars in losses to fish producers are attributed to infectious diseases. The impact from disease may occur as direct losses due to illness or mortalities as well the indirect effects such as decreased production (e.g., reduced growth rates, feed conversion efficiency, or product quality) or loss of business or reputation.
One of the best ways to protect your fish, farm and business is by prevention through the use of biosecurity measures. This fact sheet will overview how fish diseases are spread, help you identify risk factors for disease introduction on your farm, and provide some basic biosecurity practices to minimize these risk.