Essential biosecurity measures for fish farming
22 June 2025
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3 minutes
Biosecurity is aimed at disease prevention instead of treatment. Biosecurity consists of several steps to keep diseases out of a farm and to prevent their spread, both between farms and between production units within the same farm.. Below are some steps to consider when doing a fish farming cycle with a biosecurity mindset.
In general
- Minimize the amount of visitors on a farm as they can bring in external pathogens. If they enter, make sure that they comply with the biosecurity measures.
- Use separate shoes for on-farm and off-farm to prevent external pathogens from entering your farm.
- Disinfect your boots and hands before and after entering the farm and each time you go from one production unit to another within the farm.
- Assign one set of nets, buckets, and other tools per production unit to avoid cross-contamination.
- Clean and disinfect all tools and equipment daily using effective and environmentally safe disinfectants.
- Use nets or barriers to deter birds and animals that may spread diseases.
- Secure all water inlets and outlets with screens to prevent entry of wild fish or contaminants.
Before stocking
- Ensure water is clean and contains the right levels of oxygen before putting in the fish.
- Only stock healthy fish from trusted, disease-screened suppliers.
- Never accept fish without a health certificate or prior stress/disease checks.
- Quarantine new fish before introducing them to the main ponds. Keep newly stocked cages on a separate, isolated anchor for a few days, before adding them to your production site.
During the production cycle
- Perform regular disease monitoring
- Compare water quality data ( e.g., dissolved oxygen, temperature, pH, ammonia, salinity, alkalinity) between different ponds/tanks as deviations can give early indications of disease outbreaks.
- Monitor fish behavior, feeding response, external lesions, and overall condition.
- Examine fish samples for gill condition, skin/mucus health, and parasite presence.
- When sampling young fish, do not return sampled fish to the pond—they may be stressed and more prone to disease.
- Keep detailed records of stock movements, mortalities, and treatments to detect early warning signs.
For further guidance on fish biosecurity, disease identification, or safe stocking practices, please reach out to our aquaculture specialists.
