Health management of hatched fry for sustainable salmon propagation and provide a "safe and worry-free" salmon product

Salmonid fish

Sustainable propagation of salmonid fish under the ocean ecosystem is essential for salmon industry. Salmonid fish including chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta), pink salmon (O. gorbuscha) and masu salmon (O. masou) are important species for hatchery reared and released fish in Japan. Diseases, especially viral and bacterial diseases are serious problems and one of the limitations of successful propagation and/or aquaculture of salmonid fish. Methods currently used to control the diseases in hatcheries are 1) hygiene and facility sanitation, 2) disinfection of water supply and waste water, 3) health monitoring of matured fish and hatched fry. Under these circumstances, hatched fish are healthy and specific pathogen free, but there is still a possibility of infection with some pathogens in environmental waters after they are moved to river or pond. For prospective study, development of effective vaccines and immunological tools for judgment of vaccination effect is necessary. To create safe and worry free salmon products, we have established a system using a risk analysis based on hazard analysis (HA) and set up the critical control point (CCP) from fishing through processing to distribution. Model program for improvement the quality control of fisheries products from fishing to market was created using chum salmon as a model fish species in 1999 with Hokkaido government, Japan. One town, located in east part of Hokkaido, was selected to become the model district in addition to its position as leading producer of chum salmon. This town received high marks for its efforts to promote the advanced measures to preserve freshness, as well as its approach to enhance the quality control of the marine products, such as the positive sanitation and hygiene measures adopted by local processors. This town implemented a local HACCP manual. Through this HACCP effort, the industry in the town district was integrated. Today, Japanese government considers that a safe and worry-free food product of the highest quality, by practicing the HACCP program and Good Practice program is necessary for fisheries industry and consumer. This Local Town District HACCP System has been accepted in many fishermen's cooperatives, and created this HACCP system in many towns and areas in Hokkaido and Tohoku. This risk analysis using HA and set up the CCP are combined with traceability system and accepted among consumers in Japan.