Aquaculture, particularly in Asia, is critical for global food security and nutrition. It provides protein to approximately 4.5 billion people on a global scale and employs 19.3 million people. Like other food sectors, Asian aquaculture has been confronted with increasing challenges with infectious diseases. Control of these diseases using antimicrobials has led to a rise of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and serious concerns for public health. Alternatives to antimicrobial products are therefore urgently needed in all sectors of food production. This presentation will provide an overview of the current status of non-antibiotic approaches to controlling bacterial diseases, which include probiotics, phytochemicals, bioactive compounds, feed additives, bacteriophages, vaccines, and emerging nanobubble technology. Each mentioned approach has a number of advantages, but none is a miracle cure. Combating AMR in aquaculture is a lengthy battle that will require a strategic combination of multiple non-antibiotic approaches, including the development of novel antibiotic alternatives as feed additives, coherent with the One Health philosophy.
Keywords: Antimicrobial resistance, AMR, alternatives to antibiotics, aquaculture, feed additives