In most animal husbandry the problem of disease is a serious matter, effecting the viability of any farming business. The aquaculture industry is no different.
Farmed fish are kept in numbers not encountered in the wild and within very limited space, this can cause several forms of pollution. Closely contained fish rub against each other and the sides of their enclosures, this can cause physical damage and can lead to various diseases and infections, it can also causes stress.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) stated that - "fish farming has inevitably resulted in the emergence of disease problems, in particular of diseases of infectious origin, although over recent years a number of issues relating to health and disease have been successfully addressed through better husbandry and the introduction of vaccines" - Whilst vaccines are not available for 100% of diseases, they are available for many of the most serious.
Primary diseases with vaccines include: Furunculosis, Infectious Pancreatic Necrosis, Pancreas Disease and Infectious Salmon Anemia.