APHIS Services for the Aquaculture Industry

Through its field force, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) provides agricultural producers with a broad range of cooperative programs for protecting the health and productivity of animals and plants. Aquaculture, the managed production of aquatic plants and animals, continues to grow as a major agribusiness enterprise.

APHIS programs currently serve important aspects of both plant and animal aquaculture, especially involving disease, pest prevention, and wildlife damage management. APHIS has also become involved in facilitating the import and export of aquacultural products because of increased global trade. The following paragraphs outline APHIS services in each of these areas.

Services for Aquatic Plant Protection

• Preventing the importation and dissemination of plant pests and diseases and undesirable aquatic weeds into and throughout the United States
• Controlling undesirable aquatic plants in the United States
• Helping to develop pest and disease control methodology, including the use of biocontrol organisms

For more information about aquatic plant control programs, contact APHIS’ Plant Protection and Quarantine program at (301) 734–5708.

Aquatic Animal Health Activities

• Providing certain diagnostic assistance to aquaculture producers experiencing health problems in their products
• Working with the U.S. Department of the Interior's U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), the U.S. Department of Commerce's National Marine Fisheries Service, and members the Joint Subcommittee on Aquaculture (JSA) to disseminate information and outline agency roles to best meet the aquaculture industry's animal health needs
• Endorsing animal health certifications for the exportation of live aquatic species and their products
• Developing aquatic animal health monitoring and surveillance programs

For more information about aquatic animal health services, contact APHIS’ Veterinary Services program at (301) 734–7679.

Veterinary Biologics for Fish

• Licensing domestic manufacturers of veterinary biologics to ensure that these products are pure, safe, potent, and effective
• Testing fish biologics at APHIS’ National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) in Ames, IA
• Issuing import permits for veterinary biologics produced in other countries
• Inspecting veterinary biologics production facilities, methods, and records
• Developing test methods, as well as references and reagents, and overseeing prelicensing field trials
• Establishing and enforcing regulations for interstate movement of veterinary biologics
• Issuing documents to meet foreign countries’ requirements for accepting export shipments of veterinary biologics produced by U.S. manufacturers
• Issuing permits for the importation of organisms and vectors used for master seed and biologics research
• Licensing veterinary biologics for the prevention, diagnosis, and/or treatment of diseases of aquatic animals
• Investigating consumer complaints regarding biologics used in aquaculture

For more information about veterinary biologics programs or available products, contact APHIS’ NVSL at (525) 232–5785. The Veterinary Biologics Consumer Information Hotline number is (800) 752–6255.

Wildlife Damage Management Assistance and Activities

• Recommending and/or providing wildlife exclusion or scaring devices
• Conducting winter cormorant population censuses
• Conducting surveys of fish-eating birds to determine population distribution and movements
• Conducting wildlife food-habits studies
• Conducting ecological and behavioral studies on fisheating birds
• Working onsite with producers to set up integrated control programs to reduce fish losses from birds and
other wildlife
• Assisting with migratory bird depredation permit applications
• Conducting onsite workshops and seminars on bird control
• Developing factsheets, videos, and other publications on control and management of wildlife damage
• Working with members of the JSA to define agency roles and industry needs for protection of aquaculture
products from wildlife damage
• Working with FWS and State wildlife agencies to jointly develop bird damage-management plans to
protect aquaculture products while ensuring the continued viability of bird populations

For more information about bird depredation control, contact APHIS’ Wildlife Services program at (301) 734–7921.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720–2600 (voice and TDD).

To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326–W, Whitten Building, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250–9410 or call (202) 720–5964 (voice and TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

United States Department of Agriculture
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

Program Aid No. 1679
Issued September 2000

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