The Farmed Salmonid Handbook | Fish Health Unit

The Farmed Salmonid Health Handbook, a comprehensive manual on fish health for Ireland’s salmon and trout farming industry was developed by the AquaPlan project. It contains detailed and practical information on all aspects of fish stock care ranging from veterinary issues, environmental protection, feed & nutrition, treatments and current legislation. The Handbook was compiled by experts from both private and governmental organisations representing the Irish aquaculture industry including: IFA Aquaculture; the Marine Institute; Vet Aqua International, Global Trust Certification; and the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine. The handbook was launched on Wednesday, 23^rdNovember 2011 by Mr. Simon Coveney, T.D., Minister of Agriculture, Food and Marine at the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine in Dublin. An updated version of the handbook was made available in July 2017.

With the support of AquaPlan, The Farmed Salmonid Health Handbook was developed as an accompanying document to the industry’s Code of Practice. It is hoped that the handbook will not only assist producers in establishing a sound framework to protect animal health and welfare on their farms, but also provide a platform for training. According to the handbook, an essential part of the overall fish health plan is a written Veterinary Health Plan which must be put into place for each farm. This document should be created in consultation with each farm’s designated fish veterinary surgeon and updated at least once a year.

The Farmed Salmonid Health Handbook is available to download below:

Chapter I - Introduction

Chapter II - Fish Health & Welfare

Chapter III - Environment

Chapter IV - General Husbandry

Chapter V - Biosecurity

Annexes:

Annex I: Information Leaflets

Annex II: Gill Scoring Guide for Amoebic Gill Disease (AGD)

Annex III: Risk Analysis for the Movement of Wild Caught Wrasse in Ireland - Updated 2020

Annex IV: Risk Analysis for Import of Lumpfish Eggs into Ireland from Norway UK or Iceland - Updated 2020

Annex V: Zooplankton Identification Guide