Aquatic Animal Health Services

The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) provides a broad range of cooperative animal and plant health protection services to live-stock and crop producers through a field force located in all 50 States and in foreign countries. APHIS provides several services to both plant and animal aquaculture and is currently considering expansion of services to animal aquaculture.

Current services include import requirements for aquatic plants to prevent the importation and dissemination of plant pests and diseases and noxious aquatic weeds into and within the United States via the Plant Protection and Quarantine Program. APHIS also participates in joint State-Federal programs to control noxious aquatic weeds in the United States and helps develop control methodology, including use of biocontrol organisms.

Aquaculture producers experiencing problems with facility damage and depredation by migratory birds and other animals receive on-site assistance from APHIS' Animal Damage Control Division.

APHIS licenses veterinary biologics (vaccines, diagnostic kits, etc.) for prevention, diagnosis, and/or treatment of diseases of animals, including aquatic animals; several fish vaccines are presently licensed by APHIS through their Center for Veterinary Biologics.

APHIS' National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) in Ames, Iowa, provide a limited amount of diagnostic assistance to aquaculture producers, mostly in problem cases.

APHIS is working with the Fish and Wildlife Service and other members of the Joint Subcommittee on Aquaculture to delineate agency roles to best meet the aquaculture industry's aquatic animal health needs.

For Further Information Contact: Dr. Jill Rolland,  National Animal Health Programs Staff, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 4700 River Road, Unit 43, Riverdale, MD 20737-1231. (301)-734-7727 FAX- (301) 734-4982. email jill.b.rolland@aphis.usda.gov .

APHIS Services for the Aquaculture Industry

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/vs/aqua/aquaphis.html

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