MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES FOR VETERINARY MEDICINAL PRODUCTS IN AQUACULTURE  

As aquaculture continues to contribute to the world's seafood supply, there has been a proportionate rise in dependence on veterinary medicinal products (VMP) used to control disease outbreaks. A wide variety of VMP'S are used in aquaculture settings to control outbreaks of disease and parasites. The incorrect use of VMP'S can lead to rejected shipments, severed contracts, and negative publicity. Risk assessments and management programs must be implemented to assure the supply chain that finished product is not adulterated. Annual third party certification audits are used to gauge compliance with requirements. Globally, large retail chains have committed to purchasing from certified suppliers.  This presentation provides a framework for preparing, implementing, and managing the controlled use of VMP's based on compliance criteria specified in aquaculture certification schemes.

In the event of disease or parasite outbreaks, seafood farms may use veterinary medicinal products (VMP) to ensure successful crops. Growing dependence on VMP's is based on a wide variety of new and existing diseases. Product loss can be catastrophic for businesses, which increases the potential for misuse of VMP's, the use of illegal substances, and negative environmental impacts. Due to the increased dependence on VMP's, the seafood industry has committed to third party audits, which address issues such as animal welfare and food safety. Many of the Good Management Practices (GMP's) used to control the use of VMP's in aquaculture were originally introduced by Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), World Health Organization (WHO), and regionally focused study groups. The work of these organizations set the foundation for today's popular aquaculture certification schemes.

The controlled use of VMP's can be achieved through risk assessment and monitored practices. Veterinary Health Programs (VHP's) are used to communicate the intentions of a farming operation both internally and externally. VHP's explicitly describe how diseases and parasites are diagnosed, the prescriptive use of VMP's, and food safety control strategies for VMP's. VHP's play an intricate role in communicating work instructions and treatment goals throughout the farm. VHP's include Standard Operating Procedures (SOP's) which reference the record-keeping practices used to monitor and verify that hazardous materials are correctly managed.

The future of VMP management is principally based on increasing the randomness of audits, enhancing traceability by adopting new technologies, and cultivating the lines of communication between the producer and end user. Producers need to be transparent and confident in expressing their ability to comply with voluntary requirements. This is achieved through surveillance and customer audits, frequent end-product testing, and aligning with accredited standards and certification bodies with robust integrity programs.