Latin American & Caribbean Aquaculture 2024

September 24 - 27, 2024

Medellín, Colombia

CHARACTERIZATION OF BIOSECURITY PRACTICES IN Oncorhynchus mykiss FARMS IN PUNO, PERU

Fernando O. Mardones*, Jesus Curotto Zola, Dora Rodríguez Huaraca, Katherine Zapata Lovera

*Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Facultad de Agronomía e Ingeniería Forestal, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile. femardones@uc.cl

 



The rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) is the species that is cultivated in different bodies of water in the Andes of Peru, highlighting the Puno region in national production. Given its potential and to optimize its cultivation, the objective of this research was to evaluate farming centers dedicated to the fattening of Oncorhynchus mykiss in the Puno region, considering the biosecurity measures established in the “Progressive Pathway for Health Management” approach proposed by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). To achieve this, in-person interviews were conducted with 40 aquaculture producers in the Puno region during the first quarter of 2020. The study focuses on the biosecurity measures implemented for each risk factor associated with the introduction/spread of diseases affecting the Oncorhynchus mykiss species during its production development. The results showed that out of the 40 aquaculture producers (α: 95%, σ: 0.032), around 90% of the establishments have a "low biosecurity" classification, given that 96% of the establishments share water resources belonging to high Andean lakes and lagoons, and of these, 92% have a proximity of less than 5 km between neighboring production units (cages). Additionally, there is no control over the transport and/or movement of animals by the centers and regional authorities. It is also necessary to mention the limited participation of veterinarians in the activity, resulting in the inappropriate administration of antibiotics, as well as limited controls on the implementation and/or verification of biosecurity measures in aquaculture establishments.