Antibiotics in Aquaculture – Use, Abuse and Alternatives

According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, aquaculture is growing more rapidly than all other animal food-production sectors (www.fao.org). Its contribution to global supplies of several species of fish, crustaceans and mollusks increased from 3.9% of total production by weight in 1970 to 33% in 2005. It has been estimated that fisheries and aquaculture supplied the world with about 110 million metric tons of food fish per year (FAO, State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2010.), providing a per capita supply of 16.7 kg (live weight equivalent). Of this supply, 47% is derived from aquaculture production. However, this production is hampered by unpredictable mortalities that may be due to negative interactions between fish and pathogenic bacteria. To solve this problem, farmers frequently use antibiotic compounds to treat bacterial diseases (Cabello 2006).