Protecting the health of farmed aquatic animals: Biosecurity lays the foundation, biotechnology opens new paths

Biosecurity is key

Nguyen Van Huu, Acting Head of the Aquatic Animal Disease Management Division, emphasizes that biosecurity is foundational to preventing and controlling aquatic animal diseases. The “prevention first” principle drives the implementation of coordinated biosecurity measures.

The biosecurity approach prevents pathogens from invading the farming area through strict control of broodstock sources, feed, environmental treatment agents, water supply, production equipment, carrier animals, and people entering or leaving facilities. It also serves as a barrier, limiting external spread.

Currently, aquaculture facilities across Vietnam are implementing biosecurity measures in accordance with specific regulations and guidelines.

Regular farm cleaning and disinfection is the first factor to consider. Aquaculture areas and equipment must be frequently cleaned, disinfected, sterilized, and intermediate hosts eliminated, particularly after each production cycle. Farms in epidemic areas need to intensify environmental disinfection.

Input quality management is a critical link. Broodstock must have clear origins, be healthy, and disease-free. Broodstock sourced from other provinces or imported must be accompanied by a quarantine certificate.

Feed, whether homemade or fresh, must be hygienic, safe from disease, and not pollute the environment. As for waste management and treatment, waste and wastewater in aquaculture must be treated to meet legal environmental protection requirements before discharge.

Monitoring and reporting are other important requirements. Farm owners must check the health of stock daily to detect signs of disease or mortality early and promptly report to commune-level veterinary staff or specialized agencies. They must also monitor environmental parameters, record information, and apply remedial measures when values exceed permissible thresholds.

In terms of technology and drug use, farms should apply technical measures for farming, disease prevention, and environmental management under expert guidance. The use of biological products and licensed vaccines for proactive prevention is encouraged. Drugs and chemicals should only be used when necessary. Farmers must strictly follow the approved dosage and record all usage processes.

During the period of disease announcement, aquaculture facilities that have not yet been affected in the epidemic zone must minimize water replenishment or exchange, and at the same time, refrain from stocking new or supplementary susceptible aquatic species in the declared disease zone. The ultimate goal is to prevent the risk of large-scale outbreaks.

Dangerous new diseases can be diagnosed within 4 hours

According to Dr. Truong Dinh Hoai, Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Fisheries, Head of the Aquatic Animal Disease Research Group (Vietnam National University of Agriculture), biotechnology has been widely applied in aquaculture over the years.

In particular, many State- and Ministry-level projects have invested in aquatic broodstock research. Enterprises have proactively deployed models and brought research results into production practices. Advanced technologies are utilized to diagnose aquatic animal diseases, with some of the notable methods being gene sequencing, PCR, real-time PCR (RT-PCR), and ELISA. These are significant achievements of biotechnology, both improving diagnostic accuracy and reducing time for pathogen detection.

Apart from aquatic animal disease diagnostic centers of the Department of Livestock Production and Animal Health (Ministry of Agriculture and Environment), veterinary research institutes, and aquaculture research institutes, a number of businesses and universities have invested in modern equipment, bringing biotechnology closer to farms. This has contributed significantly to surveillance and timely diagnosis, thus helping farmers reduce losses during outbreaks. Domestic laboratories have now caught up with global standards and are fully capable of implementing advanced diagnostic procedures.

“The application of these modern technologies and equipment enables rapid disease diagnosis, significantly shortening the time compared to before, reaffirming the crucial role of biotechnology in early diagnosis and effective, timely prevention of aquatic diseases, thereby helping to minimize losses,” said Dr. Truong Dinh Hoai.

The development of diagnostic kits and rapid testing protocols, along with increasingly compact and portable equipment, has marked a breakthrough, allowing on-site diagnosis. Whereas previously, sending samples, testing, and receiving results could take days. Thanks to the advancements achieved through biotechnology, it is now possible for diagnosis and test results to be available within hours, enabling timely disease management directly in the field.

“At the Vietnam National University of Agriculture, common, recurring, and dangerous aquatic diseases are now the focus of intensified biotechnology application research. As a result, most can be analyzed and diagnosed within 4 hours, helping farmers and enterprises swiftly implement effective disease prevention and treatment measures,” said Dr. Truong Dinh Hoai, Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Fisheries.