Aquaculture Health
Aquaculture, the production of aquatic animals and plants under controlled conditions, is an ever-growing agribusiness in the United States and worldwide. The impact of disease on aquatic livestock, like all livestock sectors, includes production and market loss and increased costs. APHIS supports U.S. aquaculture industries by protecting aquatic livestock health, promoting U.S. farm-raised aquaculture products, and protecting natural resources.
APHIS works with U.S. aquaculture producers, allied businesses, associations, and partners to improve, establish, and maintain healthy aquatic livestock and promote sustainable production practices. We support risk-based approaches to demonstrate and protect aquatic livestock health and ensure farm-raised aquatic animals' safe and secure movement.
World Organisation for Animal Health and Emerging Diseases
We encourage reporting detections of all World Organisation for Animal Health-listed aquatic animal diseases to state animal health officials. Producers should work with aquatic animal veterinarians and other aquatic animal health experts to address issues on the production site.
Comprehensive Aquaculture Health Program Standards
The Comprehensive Aquaculture Health Program Standards (CAHPS) provide a framework for improving and verifying the health of farmed aquatic animals produced in the United States.
The goals of the standards are to:
- Improve the health of U.S. farm-raised aquatic animals
- Facilitate safe interstate and international trade or movement of live aquatic animals
- Improve the marketability of animals produced by CAHPS participants
To be effective, our program standards need cooperation from States, other Federal agencies, and private industry. With industry support, APHIS initiated the rulemaking process to codify CAHPS. Stay tuned for open commenting opportunities in the Federal Register.