The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) released the National Aquaculture Health Plan and Standards (NAHPS). The plan details how USDA will provide oversight of the health certification, movement and trade of aquatic livestock raised in land-based, inshore and offshore facilities. These actions will support the overall health of the aquaculture industry, which will provide protection and assurance for producers of farm-raised aquatic animals in the United States.
The NAHPS establishes guidance for national disease reporting, laboratory and testing standardization, surveillance, response, biosecurity, data management as well as education and training to protect aquaculture health. It also outlines health inspection options to provide consistent and verifiable ways to establish, maintain and certify the health and safety of aquatic livestock, and lists the actions USDA will take in each of these areas to implement the plan.
“As we’ve seen increasing growth in aquaculture in this country, it is essential that we have clear standards for our nation’s producers to follow,” said Burke Healey, USDA chief veterinarian. “These recommendations will facilitate aquatic animal movement, protect the health of aquatic animals, and minimize the impacts of disease events when they occur.”
With the release of this plan, USDA is taking a lead role in providing guidance for aquatic animal health. USDA will continue to collaborate with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), as well as other Federal, State, and Tribal entities to ensure the health of all aquatic animals in the United States.
USDA developed this plan in consultation with other aquaculture entities following the 2020 issuance of Executive Order 13921, Promoting American Seafood Competitiveness and Economic Growth, through the National Science and Technology Council of the White House and the subcommittee on aquaculture and with State, Federal, and industry agriculture stakeholders. The new National Aquaculture Health Plan and Standards replaces the 2008 National Aquatic Animal Health Plan. The plan released today covers 2021-2023, and it will be updated every two years by USDA and its partners.
Check out National Aquaculture Health Plan and Standards here.
