Abstract

Balanced approaches to controlling antibiotic resistance in aquaculture settings are paramount to protecting ecosystems, health, and food supply. Antibiotic usage, often prevalent and uncontrolled, presents a significant risk to the Reserve Banks of Bacteria and Antibiotic Resistance Genes (BARGS) in aquaculture. These resistant strains threaten global health because they can be disseminated via water bodies, aquaculture species, and human activities. The focus of this paper is to investigate comprehensive approaches to reducing the resistant strains, including the betterment of regulatory policies, employing alternative methods such as probiotics or vaccines, and Best Management Practices (BMPs) that incorporate biosecurity measures, water quality enhancement, and judicious use of antibiotics spent in aquaculture. Policy frameworks are also strengthened with the importance of persistent monitoring and surveillance systems tracking resistance trends. Farmers, along with scientists, regulators, and consumers, need to encourage collaboration in aquaculture systems (farm-level) to foster sustainability and responsibility integrated into fisheries science, which in return will aid in establishing a control framework on the growing concerns surrounding the usage of antibiotics in aquaculture while preserving its ecosystem. This enables a move towards more ecologically-friendly strategies in aquaculture alongside strengthening its prospects as the primary food supplier in the future shown in Figure 1.

Keywords: Antibiotic resistance, Aquaculture, Sustainable management, Probiotics, biosecurity, Environmental monitoring