Aquaculture America 2020

February 9 - 12, 2020

Honolulu, Hawaii

AQUA CARE365®: AN APPROACH TO TEACHING AND ADVANCING FISH CARE AND FISH WELFARE

Timothy S. Kniffen*, Jackie Zimmerman
 
Merck Animal Health
35500 W. 91st  Street
 De Soto, KS  66018 USA
tim.kniffen@merck.com
 

Animal production agriculture including production of aquatic species is increasingly  required to deal with a series of public issues.  Some of these issues include operational questions and concerns, process issues, antimicrobial use, and welfare concerns to name a few.   A demonstrable fish welfare program is becoming increasingly important to all segments of aquaculture production and the entire aquaculture value chain regardless of the species of fish being raised.

Aqua Care365® is an internet-based education & training resource that addresses aspects of fish care and fish welfare.  Aqua Care365 initially focuses on Atlantic salmon  production  but does have application to the culture of other  fish species as well.  The components of Aqua Care365 include video training modules with individual topic lessons, quizzes, completion certificates, and customizable Standard Operating Procedures/Best Practices for each lesson.   Aqua Care365 was developed in a collaborative manner with participation by salmon production companies, fish veterinarians, aquaculture industry allied organizations, subject matter experts, & Merck Animal Health.   Since Aqua Care365 was also developed in conjunction with certification groups, this program can be a valuable tool to help producers meet the requirements of certification program standards.

The Aqua Care365 program is intended to be a resource to support fish farmers, fish farm employees,  production facilities & sites,  aquatic veterinarians,  and anyone with an interest in promoting the health, well-being, and care of fish.  The Aqua Care365 program may also be helpful to veterinarians interested in learning more about commercial aquaculture as well as serve as a training & educational tool for clients.