Non-Antibiotic Strategies for Tackling Anti-Microbial Resistance (AMR) In Aquaculture

Aquaculture has merged as rapidly growing sector essential for food security. Due to the excessive use of antibiotics to control diseases in fish antimicrobial resistance has emerged resulting significant risks to both fish and human health. In this article we have explored some non-antibiotic strategies to limit or eradicate the usage of antibiotics. We discussed role of probiotics which stimulate disease resistance, immune system, digestion and growth in fish. Omics based approaches are important to improve our understanding of mechanism of antibiotic resistance and immune defense techniques used by bacteria. CRISPR based approaches provides excellent chance to eliminate antibiotic resistant pathogens through precise gene modification. Bacteriphages, having rapid growth rate, exceptional abilities to tackle zoonotic infections, host specific action, non-toxicity to surround biodiversity and adversely eliminating concerned pathogen, act as an excellent alternative to antibiotics. Metal nanoparticles also act as an impressive strategy to mitigate antimicrobial resistance by disrupting the structure of cell membrane and pathogenic proteins. Extracts from different medicinal plants and herbs are also effective against aquatic pathogen’s resistance. All these strategies reduce our dependence on antibiotics, mitigate antimicrobial resistance and enhance aquaculture productionKeywords: Non-antibiotic strategies, antibiotic alternatives, AMR in aquaculture.