CODE OF PRACTICE FOR

SAFETY ASSURANCE IN
AQUACULTURE

Faith Kiboneka (Msc)

On behalf of Food Safety Associates Ltd.
Introduction
 Fish becomes unsafe for consumption when the risk for
contamination is increased.
 For the purpose of this code, risk or hazard refers to: the
biological, chemical, or physical agents or substance in or on
the fish with potential to cause adverse health effects to
consumers, if not controlled.
 Several factors with potential for increasing food safety risk
exist within the aquaculture production, supply, processing and
distribution chains.
 If not controlled they could lead to increased exposure of fish to
chemical, microbiological or physical risk rendering the fish
unsafe.
Introduction

Factors include:
 poor hygiene sanitation of aquaculture
facilities
 poor quality of aquaculture water
 improper animal husbandry practices, use of
unpermitted veterinary drugs in aquaculture
 sitting the farms in areas exposed to
pollutants etc
Code Approach

In this method:
 Stages where risks/hazards are likely to occur are
identified
 Potential sources of hazards are listed
 Potential hazards at each stage are listed
 Control measures or preventive safety actions to be
taken are described

(*critical control point” (CCP), means any step or procedure at which

biological, chemical or physical factors (contaminants) can be
controlled to acceptable limits).
Role of the aquaculture farmer/operators

In order to improve the safety of fish on the

market, it is important that commercial
aquaculture operators and their staff
 Will take time to read, understand and
implement the GOOD AQUACULTURE
PRACTICES, described in this code
Status of Aquaculture control

 Food safety of fishery products from aquaculture like other on-

farm operations has received limited regulatory oversight in
the past years.
 Aquaculture on a large scale for export e.g in Asia has
encountered food safety problems involving chemical and
microbiological contaminants that hampered trade
opportunities.
 The importance of aquaculture is growing increasingly in
international trade, some specific regulations are emerging to
regulate the unique features of aquaculture practice especially
by developed countries like in the EU.
Status of Aquaculture control

 Aquaculture is produced under controlled conditions

of containment in ponds with various feeds and
chemical inputs added in the production systems.
 Under such conditions, there are unique risks for
chemical and microbiological contamination of the
products
 The common food hazards normally associated with
aquaculture practice being residues of chemicals
and veterinary drugs, as well as contamination with
pathogenic bacteria and parasites.
Status of Aquaculture control

Control of hazards in aquaculture is of

significant importance because:
1. Once introduced during the fish rearing
stage the hazards may not be eliminated or
reduced
2. But may instead increase the risk of spread.
Steps farms can take to produce safe
products

 Apply hazard management tools to avoid use of

potentially contaminated inputs;
 Implement adequate hygiene and sanitation
programmes
 Operate in accordance with regulations issued by
National Regulatory Authorities,
 Provide appropriate education and training to farm
workers are important steps that farms can take to
produce safe products
Uganda’s situation and the need to
comply

In Uganda aquaculture controls are covered through:

 The Statutory Instruments the Uganda Fish
(Aquaculture) Rules 2011 and Standard Operating
Procedures for Inspection of Aquaculture
Establishments and Practices;
 Fish and Aquaculture (Quality Assurance) Rules
2011 and the associated Standard Operating
Procedures for Fish and Aquaculture inspection and
Quality Assurance.
Uganda’s situation and the need to
comply

These documents lay down legal

requirements and administrative enforcement
procedures for enforcement of the
requirements in aquaculture and for
aquaculture products.
Need for the Code

 Most of the international requirements for achieving

food safety and quality assurance for aquaculture
products are in the Rules and SOPs
This code is meant:
1. To interpret the requirements set by the Rules and
SOPs
2. Elaborate them to the understanding of operators
3. And provide guidance on a step wise approach to
implementing the requirements
Food Safety Risks in Aquaculture in
Uganda

 There are a number of sources of food

risks/hazards namely:
1. Aquaculture practices of site selection
2. Fry/fingerling selection, animal husbandry
3. Feed selection and usage
4. Post harvest practices etc
Food Safety Risks in Aquaculture in
Uganda

 This Code provides:

Guidelines on the risk/hazard control
measures to be undertaken by
aquaculture and other business
operators;
to minimise, contamination, reduce or
eliminate hazards in aquaculture products
Benefits of the code

 The code aims to ensure compliance at all

production levels in the aquaculture chain
with international guidelines.

 It gives specific guidelines for good

aquaculture practice to all persons involved
in aquaculture production and businesses by:
Benefits of the code

 Production of safe and quality aquaculture products

giving confidence and trust to markets and the
consumers.
 Conformity to global requirements in accordance
with existing International Food Laws, in order for the
products to be accepted into the export markets.
 Increased profitability of aquaculture products
Code Content

 The good management practice guidelines

are detailed in this document called the
‘Code of Practice for Aquaculture
Assurance and Safety’, It:
– Is not intended to cover extensive fish farming
systems or integrated livestock and fish culture
systems.
Code Content

-Covers each stage in the fish farming process from:

planning to approval of a fish farm site
through to the fish farming operations,
including protecting fish health, the water
environment and impacts on habitats and wildlife.

-Other areas covered in this code include:

feeding, growing, harvesting,
transport, handling and processing stages of
aquaculture production and value chain.
The sections described in this code are:

 Farm site selection

 Design and Planning of Farms and Operating Systems
 Documents and records
 Production systems
 -Tanks, Pond Systems and Other Land-Based Enclosures
 -Cages or Floating Enclosures
 Water quality
 Feeds
 Storage facilities
 Chemical storage
 Medication Storage
 Waste Storage & Disposal
Sections described in this code
 Holding and Transportation of fish
 Crowding of fish
 Removal and Disposal of Dead fish
 Marking fish
 Stocking fish
 Grading fish
 Harvesting fish
 Handling Live Fish
 Transport of Live Fish
 Importation of live fish
 Storage of live fish from aquaculture or capture
Sections described in this code
 Application of Drugs, hormones and chemicals
 Disinfection applications
 Use of Chemotherapeutants
 Failure of Containment
 Predator control
 Biological Vectors of Fish Disease
 Training in farm practices
 Veterinary Medicines and Treatments
 Feeds
 Microbiological Contamination
 Traceability on farm
 Hatchery practices
 Use of Brood stock
 Importation of Brood stock
 Breeding fish
 Technologies practices
The guidelines in this code are
described as follows:

 Critical control Point area

 Potential sources of risks to safety and
quality
 Potential safety and quality risks
 Control measures
 FIELD PICTORIAL: Feed storage
Compare the two photos mention bad or good practices in

Photo A Photo B
 The End

Thank You For

Listening