Ornamental Aquatic Trade Association has launched a new guide outlining the law around the use of antibiotics when it comes to treating fish, corals and other invertebrates that are under our care.
Using antibiotics for animals
It is well known that the misuse of antibiotics can create monumental issues in human medicine, this is also the case when it comes to animal husbandry. Some online content may be outdated or based on laws of different countries, advising the use of antibiotics for various issues we see in the aquarium industry. It is all of our responsibilities to have some understanding on the laws around the use of these to enable us to filter this advice to what is both legal and current good husbandry practice.
Photo by Shutterstock
With this in mind, the Ornamental Aquatic Trade Association has launched a new guide outlining the law around the use of antibiotics when it comes to treating fish, corals and other invertebrates that are under our care. The guidance will help the industry understand its responsibilities around the use of these important drugs and ensure trade plays its part in combating anti-microbial resistance (AMR), a growing concern for both human and animal health.
Not all bacteria are affected by the same antibiotic, you must use the correct drug. Photo by Shutterstock
The guide was researched and drawn up by Scientific Support Officer Emily Maunder as part of her work updating and creating new position statements for the trade association to help the industry stay up to date on legal requirements. It looks at the current regulations around antibiotics, in particular that they can only be used if prescribed by a vet, whether that is for fish, corals or other invertebrates.
It is important to note that some websites may offer antibiotics to purchase without a prescription, but you will be committing a criminal offence if you obtain them in this way. Should you believe one of your animals require antibiotic treatment you must seek veterinary advice.
Statement from OATA
Chief Executive Dominic Whitmee explained: “This new guidance document is part of our work that started last year, where we have reviewed all our industry and customer information and identified areas that needed new or updated material.
“Anti-microbial resistance (AMR) is a growing health concern so we felt it was a good time to release this guidance document so that businesses have a clear understanding of how they can use antibiotics within the aquatics industry.
“This is another example, along with our Biosecurity Guide and Risk Assessment tool, where OATA can help aquatic businesses play their part in acting responsibly. We all have a part in play to safeguard these important medications for both humans and animals into the future.”
The new guidance document (complete with a useful Q&A section) can be found on their here.