8 minute read
How the industry is tackling antimicrobial resistance
Solid progress
Antimicrobial resistance is one of the biggest potential threats to human health, and fi sh farmers are playing their part to help tackle it
BY VINCE MCDONAGH
Above: Xxxx Xxxx
SCOTTISH aquaculture made excellent progress in almost elimina� ng the use of “cri� cally important an� bio� cs” last year, according to an independent report.
Norway, the world’s largest salmon farming country, can also report a similar success story.
Cri� cally Important An� bio� cs are those classed as essen� al for human health, but where overuse in the past has been pu� ng lives at risk by crea� ng poten� ally deadly an� bio� c-resistant bacteria.
The World Health Organiza� on says an� microbial resistance (AMR) is one of the greatest threats facing humanity and to highlight that danger it launched a global AMR awareness week in November.
There was a � me when fi sh, livestock and poultry farmers were big users of such medicines, but not any longer.
In its 2021 Targets Task Force (TTF) annual report, the organisa� on Responsible Use of Medicines Agriculture Alliance (RUMA), set up to promote the highest standards in food safety and animal health, says that Scotland’s salmon farmers are con� nuing to focus on the responsible use of an� bio� cs, balancing the need to protect fi sh health and welfare with a global aim to reduce use.
Underpinning this success was the news reported in Fish Farmer last year that Sco� sh Sea Farms had reached an important milestone in its mission to reduce the use of an� bio� c treatments, with zero usage recorded for the company’s marine farms and hatcheries.
RUMA is also repor� ng progress in the agriculture and livestock sectors, both major users of medicines.
Cat McLaughlin, RUMA Chair and Chair of Targets Task Force, says that despite an excep� onal 12 months due to the pandemic, the TTF had recorded some great achievements during its fi rst year, which was a testament to the hard work and commitment across all sectors. She con� nues: “As well as striving to achieve or sustain key targets, a number of important industry ini� a� ves have also been launched including Farm Vet Champions and the Medicine Hub.
“Events of the past year have undoubtedly aff ected the industry in many ways, but producers, vets and wider industry have con� nued to manage with the utmost professionalism and commitment to the responsible use of an� bio� cs through this challenging � me.
“It is important to remember that the targets are not about driving towards zero an� bio� c use; an� bio� cs are needed when necessary as a tool to treat sick animals and to improve and maintain animal welfare. “
RUMA says all targets, including data colla� on and overall an� bio� c stewardship, were achieved – driven forward by the Sco� sh Salmon Producers Organisa� on Prescribing Vets group.
“Where indicators of progress are concerned, the sector has successfully established and reported a new
Opposite: Biofi lm of an� bio� c resistance bacteria Top: Salmon farm, Loch Tay Above: Cat McLaughlin Below: Salmon
DRAMATIC RESULTS FROM NORWAY
THE news from Norway, the world’s largest salmon farming country, is even more impressive. The Norwegian Veterinary Ins� tute says in its NORM-VET report that only 0.8% of the marine sites farming salmon and rainbow trout were treated with cri� cally important an� bio� cs in 2020. This represents a reduc� on of 99% since 1987 when the use of an� bio� cs was at its peak, which is even more remarkable given that salmon and trout produc� on has increased more than tenfold over that period. The fi gures show that the focus on preven� on and fi sh welfare through the use of vaccines has been very eff ec� ve. The Ins� tute says: “Although the consump� on of an� bio� cs will vary slightly between the diff erent years, consump� on has now been stably low since the beginning of the 1990s. At that � me, fi sh health personnel, researchers and drug suppliers made a persistent eff ort and developed very good vaccines for the most important bacterial diseases. The NORM-VET report also shows that the use of an� bio� cs in farm animals has decreased far more than the target set in the Na� onal Strategy against An� bio� c Resistance.
Top: An� microbial tes� ng, petri dish Above: Rainbow trout Right: Shrimp metric for the percentage of farms treated with an� bio� c,” the report adds.
“This metric shows very clearly that use is restricted to a small number of farms in both the freshwater and marine phases of produc� on. An� bio� c use on these farms was all under veterinary care. In 2020 there was an increase in overall an� bio� c use compared with previous years.”
However, as highlighted in previous RUMA reports, and demonstrated by the new metric documen� ng the percentage of farms treated, overall use con� nues to be skewed by a small number of farm treatments during the marine phase, where larger fi sh require propor� onately higher volumes of an� bio� c to ensure safe and eff ec� ve treatment.
RUMA says the three-year produc� on cycle for salmon may complicate the interpreta� on of annual fl uctua� ons, although these longerterm trends provide greater insight into the sector’s overall use.
They also show that an� bio� c use by the sector is low, and therefore even a marginal increase in the already small number of farms requiring use of an� bio� cs in any one year, especially during the marine phase of produc� on, can lead to a spike in overall use fi gures.
In 2020, the report shows, 6.9% of freshwater fi nfi sh farms and 4.4% of marine fi nfi sh farms were treated with an� bio� cs.
The salmon sector in the UK used 29.3mg/ kg, which is s� ll much higher than the ul� mate target of 5mg/kg.
The RUMA TTF report has also looked at the Sco� sh trout sector, which experienced a par� cularly diffi cult � me last year due to the pandemic.
The lack of air freight meant that exports to important markets such as the United States became challenging.
“The result of slow sales has meant higher stock being held on farms, but despite this the sector has managed well, with only a small increase in an� bio� c use, and usage is s� ll below the maximum of 20mg/kg target currently si� ng at 13.9mg/kg,” the report says.
“The Bri� sh Trout Associa� on (BTA) is working very closely with Aberdeen University to develop a vaccine for prolifera� ve kidney disease (PKD).
“PKD has been a major challenge for the trout sector for many years but with the upli� in the understanding and development of vaccines it is hoped that in � me a PKD vaccine might be possible.”
The report stresses that vaccines are a vitally important tool in preven� ng disease in trout farms and increasing the use as well as improving the availability of cost-eff ec� ve authorised vaccines is crucial. FF
sector is low, and therefore even a marginal increase in the already small number of farms requiring use of an� bio� cs in any one year, especially during the marine phase of produc� on, can lead to a spike in overall use fi gures. ter fi nfi sh farms and 4.4% of marine fi nfi sh farms were treated with an� bio� cs. kg, which is s� ll much higher than the ul� mate target of 5mg/kg. Sco� sh trout sector, which experienced a par� cularly diffi cult � me last year due to the pandemic.
SHRIMP FARMERS LEADING THE WAY
THE Sustainable Shrimp Partnership (SSP), an alliance of leading producers, says it can demonstrate that by using best prac� ces and ensuring the highest levels of sanita� on and fi sh welfare, highquality pure shrimp can be grown without an� bio� cs. To prevent and control the spread of an� microbial resistance the sector does not use an� bio� cs for growth promo� on. For this reason, SSP farms are not allowed to use any an� bio� cs and are constantly tested in every produc� on cycle to ensure a healthy and pure product for all consumers. Through the use of best prac� ces and ensuring the highest levels of sanita� on and fi sh welfare, highquality pure shrimp can be grown without the use of an� bio� cs.
