A clear vision from Intervet Aquatic Animal Health

We see the challenges ahead

Sustaining the world’s growing appetite for fish and shellfish puts a heavy responsibility on those engaged in aquaculture - the farming of aquatic animals. Not only are aquatic animals a rich source of safe low-fat high-protein nourishment for several billion people the world over, they also provide important fatty acids (like omega-3), minerals and vitamins, all of which are vitally linked to human growth, health and longevity. The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) is focusing on fish, and especially the rapidly expanding aquaculture sector, to help meet the world’s projected food production requirements.

However, modern fish farming brings new challenges that threaten the health of stocks. Thankfully, vaccination, a cost-effective and practical way of preventing many infectious diseases, is already available for a growing number of aquatic animal species. In fact, it is the method of choice to protect stocks from disease, providing a very effective prophylactic defence against bacterial and viral pathogens. However, as well as vaccination and strict sanitary measures, just like for human healthcare, there will always be a need for other safe and effective medicines to help keep our food fish healthy. 

Setting our sights on a healthy future together

With in-house knowledge and experience going back over 20 years, Intervet Aquatic Animal Health is a renowned pioneer in providing superior aquatic animal health products. It is an integral part of Intervet International (headquartered in Boxmeer, The Netherlands), one of the world’s leading animal health companies that produces top quality animal health products, including vaccines, antiparasitics, anti-infectives, speciality pharmaceuticals and endocrine/fertility products.

From its early beginnings in Bergen (Norway), Intervet Aquatic Animal Health has successfully grown along with the fast developing professional aquaculture industry. Indeed, Intervet has been the market leader for salmonid vaccines in Norway and Chile for several years. 

Today, Intervet remains at the forefront of technology and innovation in aquatic animal vaccines and other products for the prevention and control of disease.

Intervet maintains an international network of centres where experts in such fields as microbiology, immunology, pharmacol­ogy, biotechnology and veterinary science carry out research and other work vital to the future of the aquaculture industry, such as epidemiology, training and technical support. The company strongly believes in a bright future for the whole aquaculture industry, from the well-developed more species-focused areas like Norway, the EU, Chile and North America, to the Asia-Pacific region, which is by far the largest aquaculture region of the world (with over 90% of production) and which holds the challenge of a large diversity of species and farming systems.

If your view of the way ahead is becoming clouded... ...our foresight will open up new horizons

Declining wild fish stocks worldwide, cou­pled with the increasing demand for safe high-quality animal protein for human con­sumption, are driving the need for further aquaculture development. Thus, with world aquaculture demand and production hit­ting new heights every year (average annual growth of around 9%), and with 200 differ­ent species being commercially cultured throughout the world, the scope for the industry was never broader. But estimates from a variety of sources indicate that aver­age yields are being reduced by about 50% because of various biological constraints and infectious diseases associated with the rapid development and intensification of produc­tion. As with all areas of food production, key issues for continued aquaculture growth are food safety and sus­tainability. Intervet’s philosophy and vision, founded on the development of safe and environmentally-aware products like vac­cines, will help the industry at large move forward in a responsible yet profitable manner.

For every market, no matter which aquatic animal species is cultured and regardless of whether the water is cold, temperate, warm, fresh, salt or brackish, Intervet Aquatic Animal Health either has or is developing a range of superior vaccine products that target the main diseases that threaten our industry. The company is engaged in active research and product development programmes targeting many important diseases and these will open the door towards higher production yields for aquaculture species and operations around the world. Intervet pledges to work hand-in-hand with you to develop your future, learning from and sharing our joint experiences as we go.

Need a global outlook but with the right local solutions?

As well as thinking globally, Intervet Aquatic Animal Health has the right prod­ucts for local use. The major vaccine product lines, Norvax^® and Compact^TM, target a wide range of infectious diseases for different species and regions. For example, Norvax^® Compact 6, a third generation vaccine fea­turing low dose volume and ease of injec­tion, offers long-lasting protection against five major diseases in Atlantic salmon. Intervet has also pioneered the development of recombinantly-produced viral vaccines (e.g., against IPN) and live attenuated vaccines (e.g., against E. ictaluri). 

The company is also developing antiparasitics and antifungals to help prevent and con­trol infectious diseases, and to improve the welfare of animals. 

Breeding aquatic animals in captivity helps farmers to control fertility, optimise produc­tion cycles and reduce the risk of pathogen introduction. Spawning aids like Gonazon^® (the only such product registered in the EU and Norway) and Chorulon^®  assist the farm­er in this process.

Our ongoing work is clear for all to see

Intervet Aquatic Animal Health has major research facilities dedicated to bacterial, viral and parasitic diseases and problems. The most recent R&D centre, which opened in 2000 in Singapore, focuses on the warm water species found in the Asia-Pacific region, such as tilapia, grouper, Asian sea bass, yellowtail, amberjack and shrimp. In addition to disease epidemiol­ogy and vaccine development, investiga­tions are well underway to develop new, high quality and safe pharmaceuticals for responsible use as part of an overall health care management plan for farms. 

The largest dedicated aquatic animal research group is located in Bergen. Since 1985, this site has specialized in the devel­opment of vaccines for coldwater species like salmon, trout, halibut and cod, as well as vaccine delivery systems and vaccination strategies. Both centres work on adjuvant technology, histopathology and patho­gen identification, in conjunction with Intervet's laboratories in Boxmeer, The Netherlands. The company has ancillary research centres, for example, in the USA, Japan, Germany and France, where other aquatic animal health vaccine and pharma­ceutical developments also take place.