Disease management and biosecurity adoption status in finfish aquaculture: insights from Bangladesh

The finfish aquaculture sector of Bangladesh plays a vital role in food security and the national economy. However, its sustainability is often jeopardized by disease outbreaks. This study evaluated disease management practices, biosecurity adoption status, and the factors influencing disease occurrence and biosecurity adoption in Bangladesh’s finfish aquaculture sector. Data were collected from 400 farmers across 6 major fish-producing districts through an online survey tool covering farmer demographics, fish culture practices, disease management practices, and adoption of biosecurity measures. Results revealed that most farmers were male (87%), experienced (> 10 years, 53%), literate, full-time (78%) operators, managing small-scale farms (< 0.45 ha), and favored polyculture technique. Disease occurrence ranked among the top two challenges, affecting approximately 70% of the studied farmers. Common disease management practices included water quality management and chemical therapeutics use (91% each), antibiotics use (53%), and other operational modifications. Overall, biosecurity adoption among farmers was approximately 68%, with 56% identified as high adopters. Widely adopted biosecurity practices included regular farm monitoring and having proper feed storage (96% each) while avoiding restocking (14%) was the least adopted. Significant (P < 0.05) regional variations were observed in farmer demographics, fish culture practices, disease occurrences, and biosecurity adoption levels. Significant associations between disease occurrence and biosecurity adoption with several socio-demographic and operational factors emphasized the need for tailored interventions. The findings thus underscore the importance of area-specific biosecurity guidelines and strategic approaches to enhance biosecurity compliance, reduce disease risks, and ensure the sustainability of the aquaculture sector.