Fish Health Management for Offshore Aquaculture in the Gulf of Mexico

Since its inception, aquaculture has developed into a major industrial complex, a major component of which is cage culture. Along with the growth, however, problems arose. Translocations of animals and diseases, as well as concerns over environmental effects limited the growth of the industry. The concept of fish health management whereby the host, pathogen, and environment are proactively managed to maximize the optimal conditions for sustained growth and health of both the fish and the environment was developed to facilitate the movement of animals and the growth of the industry. Fish Health Management Plans typically include requirements for training of personnel; protocols for site selection, maintenance, feeding, water quality, containment, and biosecurity; techniques for routine monitoring and assessment; maintenance of records; protocols for diagnosing and treating illness; and, protocols for demonstrating or reporting the health status of the stock. Implementation of the concept requires a regulatory framework, coordination by the government, and active participation by producers and user groups. In the Gulf of Mexico (GOM), no cage culture industry exists. If an industry is to develop, federal and state regulations must be developed and coordinated, the framework for fish health management specific to the disease issues relevant in the GOM must be developed, and issues specific to the physical environment in the GOM must be explored. In the context of the potential risk to aquaculture operations dealing with the most likely candidate species—red snapper (Lutjanus campechanus), red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus), and cobia (Rachycentron canadum)—we review the state of knowledge on potential disease-causing organisms in the GOM and comment on some GOM-specific physical parameters with the potential to impact fish health in an aquaculture operation. A template for a process of developing an aquaculture operation in the GOM within the context of fish health management is presented. INTRODUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT OF AQUACULTURE Originally conceived in the mid-1800s as a way to apply centuries-old subsistence techniques to the support of collapsing wild fisheries, modern aquaculture, driven by the increased demand for fish products from a growing population and technological advances, has developed into a major industrial complex. By 1995, aquaculture operations worldwide were producing approximately 28 million metric tons of product worth in excess of U.S. $40 billion (Subasinghe et al. 1998; Stickney 2000). Over the last decade, facilitated by intensification in existing facilities, expansion into new facilities/areas, and diversification into new products, aquaculture has