Croatian veterinarians have developed a vaccine for fish breeding

The Croatian Veterinary Institute created, produced and tested autogenous vaccines using bacteria isolated from the farm. Laboratory tests have shown a high percentage of survival and level of protection

Growing consumer demand for fish and other marine organisms, along with catches that do not meet the needs of the market and greatly endanger the already exhausted marine ecosystem, emphasizes the need for aquaculture, that is, the cultivation of fish and other marine organisms.

However, aquaculture also has its challenges for breeders, veterinarians, biologists and ecologists, especially in terms of proper nutrition of fish in farms, as well as disease control among a large number of fish in a limited space and the impact on the environment.

Answers to these questions are being tried by scientists, breeders and others involved in the AdriAquaNet project, presented at a press conference at the Veterinary Institute in Rijeka.

The main goal of the project is to strengthen sustainable aquaculture in the Adriatic Sea using advanced knowledge and new technologies. In doing so, the entire chain is covered, from production in the fish farm to the placement of fish and fish products on the market.

Scientists from a total of seven research institutions, four production organizations and breeders' associations from Italy and Croatia are participating in the project, pointed out Boris Habrun, director of the Croatian Veterinary Institute, presenting the AdriAquaNet project at the Rijeka Veterinary Institute.

The biggest losses in fish farming are caused by bacterial and invasive diseases, and in order to avoid the unnecessary use of antibiotics, the best prevention is vaccination.

Since there are no commercial vaccines against all pathogenic bacteria, the Croatian Veterinary Institute has created, produced and tested autogenous vaccines using bacteria isolated from a partner's farm. Laboratory tests have shown a high percentage of survival and level of protection in vaccinated fish.

In addition, we tested the effectiveness of numerous marine natural products in the laboratory separated from sponges and shellfish, and antimicrobial peptides isolated from insects, which proved to be effective in inactivating the growth of bacteria and Dalmatian flea extract, a natural pyrethrin, in the treatment of parasitic diseases.

By monitoring environmental parameters with sensors placed on breeding grounds and monitoring fish behavior, we have developed "operational indicators of well-being" depending on the environment and breeding conditions, said Snježana Zrnčić, scientific advisor in the Fish Pathology Laboratory of the Croatian Veterinary Institute and coordinator of the AdriAquaNet project for the Croatian Veterinary Institute.

Scientists, she added, also propose changing the feeding of fish in farms, because it is currently based on food containing proteins originating from fish meal. Such feeding affects the reduction of natural resources in the seas.

Fish meal is produced from one type of shark (Glavonja). This shark can be found at depths of up to 2500 m, in all warm and temperate seas. Glavonja is not caught for food, but only incidentally when fishing for other species. Then it is processed into fish meal.

This type of shark is poisonous you have to be very careful with it too. Namely, the liver of the cephalopod is very poisonous, while the meat is much less so. Serious problems such as intestinal disorders, headache, paresthesia around the mouth, and later muscle weakness, spasms and breathing problems may occur when consuming cephalopod liver. In the most serious cases of poisoning, death can occur.

As part of the project, a panel of experimental foods for sea bass and gnats was designed, which was first tested and compared with commercially available formulations in laboratory conditions.

To meet the sustainability requirement, all experimental formulations eliminated or reduced to a minimum fishmeal and replaced it with feed containing vegetable or animal protein derived from by-products. poultry or protein derived from poultry by-products or protein derived from defatted larvae of the black soldier fly.

Original:

https://hr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glavonja

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