Called Aqua-Merit™, the data-tracking and certification system was developed with the company’s wholly owned, independent subsidiary, Global Animal Management, Inc., an industry leader in developing information-management and traceability systems for food-producing animals.
Aqua-Merit represents the first Process-Verified Programme (PVP) for confirming source and health processes of farm-raised fish by the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service, according to Dr Michael Coe, a technical services veterinarian for Global Animal Management.
Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health said it was offering the data-tracking and certification service at no cost to catfish fingerling producers who vaccinate for ESC (enteric septicemia) and columnaris, two costly, highly prevalent diseases of catfish.
“Aqua-Merit delivers confidence by confirming vaccination status and source of the fingerlings,” said Palma Jordan, global marketing director for the company’s line of Aquatic Animal Health products.
“Fingerling producers can now track which fingerlings have been vaccinated against ESC and columnaris. This provides added value to their product for no additional cost. For food-fish producers, it means they can better manage their fish-health programs, knowing which ponds contain unvaccinated fish that might be more susceptible to ESC or columnaris outbreaks later in the season.”
Aqua-Merit tracks the number of vaccinated fingerlings, as well as the source farm and pond. As a result, fingerling producers can electronically control and manage their vaccination program, securely store their data and, when needed, access the data and create printed or digitally transmittable PVP certificates showing that specific lots of fish have been vaccinated with one or both vaccines. These certificates can also document movement of fish and changes in ownership.
Aqua-Merit will become part of the product portfolio for Global Animal Management, Inc. along with products such as Tri-Merit®, a leading data-management and certification system used by US cattle producers to collect and certify information about age, source and health protocols. Now in its fifth year, Tri-Merit is also used in country-of-origin label (COOL) programmes.
For more information about using Aqua-Merit to certify vaccinated catfish fingerlings, contact Kasha Cox at Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health. Phone: 662-907-0692. Email: kasha.cox@sp.intervet.com.
New PVP Tracking System For Catfish
US - Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health has introduced a new computerised tracking system that allows US catfish producers to declare that fingerlings have been vaccinated with Aquavac-ESC or Aquavac-COL.
