Health & Welfare

All methods of slaughter have issues related to animal welfare. However, approaches such as death in air or bleeding without stunning have been particularly cited as unacceptable. 

The methods used to kill fish depend on many factors, including fish size and species, aquaculture production system, fish quantity, market preferences and effects on product quality. Also, some methods may not be approved in some countries, as with the use of anesthetics and regulations concerning the ethical treatment of animals. 

After six weeks of experimental culture, comparable growth and survival were recorded in juvenile Gulf corvina raised at salinities of 5, 15, 25 or 35 ppt. Coupled with stable plasma osmolality values observed in fish at the varied salinities, these results confirmed the euryhaline nature of this species, a trait that could enhance its status as a candidate for aquaculture. 

Ammonia nitrogen occurs in aquaculture systems as a waste product of protein metabolism by aquatic animals and degradation of organic matter, or in nitrogen fertilizers. Exposure can reduce growth and increase susceptibility to diseases in aquatic species. 

The use of biofloc systems for shrimp culture requires monitoring of water quality parameters, particularly suspended solids levels. 

Vibrio parahaemolyticus, a strain of which is the cause of acute hepatopancreatic necrosis (AHPN), has both virulent and benign strains. This strain colonizes the stomachs of shrimp by the formation of a biofilm, which protects it from antibiotics and other potential treatments. 

Acclimation cages, the most implemented conditioning strategy for flatfish, are inexpensive and effective, but require site-specific adjustment. Live or lifelike diets show great potential in rearing stocked flatfish. 

Offering high sensitivity and specificity, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays are the most accepted molecular method for white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) detection. 

The authors have achieved good growth using a fishmeal-free diet for the carnivorous marine fish Florida pompano. In studies, they used pompano as a model marine species in a cost/benefit analysis of two extruded diets. 

A unique pilot project supported by northern Chile’s biggest power-generating company and the Undersecretary of Fisheries and Aquaculture is raising cobia in a recirculating aquaculture system in the desert. 

A laboratory study compared conventional soybean meal (CSBM) and low-oligosaccharide soybean meal (LOSBM) as the main protein sources in 28 percent or 32 percent protein diets for channel catfish. 

Phytogenics comprise a class of plant-derived feed additives that improve animal performance. They have been shown to exert multiple positive effects in fish and shrimp, including improvement of feeding efficiency and digestion, reduction of nitrogen excretion and improvement of gut flora and health. 

A 56-day trial conducted in greenhouse-enclosed clearwater and greenwater systems compared tissue variations among shrimp fed varied dietary levels of fish oil and soy lecithin. 

Giant clams are a resource utilized by the food and aquarium trade markets. However, aquaculture production is low and does not supply the demand. Ready availability of broodstock and seed is a major problem, as well as practical and consistent methods for inducing spawning. 

The domestication of green tiger shrimp (Penaeus semisulcatus) as a source for seedstock could help expand aquaculture in Egypt. Trials by the authors compared the reproductive performance of wild male/wild female pairings with that of pond-reared male/pond-reared female and wild male/pond-reared female pairings.