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Introduction
The production chain in Aquaculture can be clearly divided into three main phases: hatchery production / transfer of live fish / prefattening & fattening. Sanitary and health issues are important from the first step to the last step of production in order to obtain a good quality final product but are totally different for each of these three phases. Different approaches are then required for an efficient health management of hatcheries, fish transfer or ongrowing units.
Sanitary & health issues in Hatcheries
Hatcheries are production units, which can be isolated partially or totally from the environment. Appropriate hygiene measures should allow maintaining their sanitary status. All the risk factors of contaminations from the outside can be identified. Efficient technologies or methodologies exist to avoid some of these risks: personnel movements, material & air decontamination, pests. However, there is still a lack of knowledge on some key points such as the vertical transmission of diseases, the quality of live feed or the water quality, to control efficiently these risks of contamination.
Transfer of fish
During this phase, fish are transferred from a protected to an unprotected environment, in which they might come into direct contact with different pathogens. Therefore, in order to achieve a good protection, the initial immunisation of the juveniles by vaccination should take place prior to this transfer, at the end of the hatchery phase. However, the immune response of young fish remains an area to be further investigated.
Fish transfer represents a key issue in term of fish disease epidemiology, a sector where basic knowledge is strongly needed to put in place preventive measures at regional, national and international level.
Dr. Alain Le Breton,D.V.M.Ichtyopathologist, Health & Hygiene Consultant in Aquaculture.Veterinary surgeon, Free-lance consultant. Graduate with honours from the Medical faculty of Toulouse.Postgraduate in Parasitology-Mycology and in Hygiene - Quality Assurance in the food industry.Fifteen years of experience in Ichthyopathology, in France, French Guyana, Greece, Malta and the Mediterranean area.Member of the European Association of Fish Pathologist. Board member of the European Aquaculture Society.
Major fields of experience: Pathology of sea bass, sea bream and new species - Laboratory analysis & field diagnosis, treatments, implementation of vaccine and prophylactic programmes.Bacteriology with special emphasis on the bacterial micro flora associated with sea bass and sea bream reared in intensive systems and their roles - selection of bacterial strains as potential probiotics.Epidemiology and research on emerging diseases. Laboratory trials and field trials on new vaccines, development of vaccination programmes and prophylactic measures, including health management.In-house customised training programme at all levels of farm workers, short course organisation (e.g. Leonardo workshop on Fish Health Management in sea bass and sea bream farming).Participation in EU research programmes, concerted actions and thematic networks.
Contact details: 30, Rue Castelbajac – B.P. 31, 31330 Grenade sur Garonne, France. Tel / Fax: + 33 5 62790780 Mobile: + 33 6 08371907. Mail : le-breton.alain@wanadoo.fr
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