APHIS FACTSHEET

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United States

Department of

Agriculture

Animal and

Plant Health

Inspection

Service

July 2000

Veterinary Services

Wildlife Services

APHIS Services for the

Aquaculture Industry

Through its field force, the U.S. Department of

Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection

Service (APHIS) provides agricultural producers with

a broad range of cooperative programs for protecting

the health and productivity of animals and plants.

Aquaculture, the managed production of aquatic

plants and animals, continues to grow as a major

agribusiness enterprise.

APHIS programs currently serve important

aspects of both plant and animal aquaculture,

especially involving disease, pest prevention, and

wildlife damage management. APHIS has also

become involved in facilitating the import and export

of aquacultural products because of increased global

trade. The following paragraphs outline APHIS

services in each of these areas.

Services for Aquatic Plant Protection

• Preventing the importation and dissemination of

plant pests and diseases and undesirable aquatic

weeds into and throughout the United States

• Controlling undesirable aquatic plants in the United

States

• Helping to develop pest and disease control

methodology, including the use of biocontrol

organisms

For more information about aquatic plant control

programs, contact APHIS’ Plant Protection and

Quarantine program at (301) 734–5708.

Aquatic Animal Health Activities

• Providing certain diagnostic assistance to

aquaculture producers experiencing health problems

in their products

• Working with the U.S. Department of the Interior’s

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), the U.S.

Department of Commerce’s National Marine

Fisheries Service, and members the Joint

Subcommittee on Aquaculture (JSA) to disseminate

information and outline agency roles to best meet the

aquaculture industry’s animal health needs

• Endorsing animal health certifications for the

exportation of live aquatic species and their products

• Developing aquatic animal health monitoring and

surveillance programs

For more information about aquatic animal health

services, contact APHIS’ Veterinary Services program

at (301) 734–6188.

Veterinary Biologics for Fish

• Licensing domestic manufacturers of veterinary

biologics to ensure that these products are pure,

safe, potent, and effective

• Testing fish biologics at APHIS’ National Veterinary

Services Laboratories (NVSL) in Ames, IA

• Issuing import permits for veterinary biologics

produced in other countries

• Inspecting veterinary biologics production facilities,

methods, and records

• Developing test methods, as well as references and

reagents, and overseeing prelicensing field trials
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits

discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of

race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political

beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital or family status. (Not all

prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities

who require alternative means for communication of program

information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact

USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720–2600 (voice and TDD).

To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office

of Civil Rights, Room 326–W, Whitten Building, 1400

Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250–9410 or call

(202) 720–5964 (voice and TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity

provider and employer.

• Establishing and enforcing regulations for interstate

movement of veterinary biologics

• Issuing documents to meet foreign countries’

requirements for accepting export shipments of

veterinary biologics produced by U.S. manufacturers

• Issuing permits for the importation of organisms and

vectors used for master seed and biologics research

• Licensing veterinary biologics for the prevention,

diagnosis, and/or treatment of diseases of aquatic

animals

• Investigating consumer complaints regarding

biologics used in aquaculture

For more information about veterinary biologics

programs or available products, contact APHIS’

NVSL at (525) 232–5785. The Veterinary Biologics

Consumer Information Hotline number is (800) 752–

6255.

Wildlife Damage Management Assistance

and Activities

• Recommending and/or providing wildlife exclusion

or scaring devices

• Conducting winter cormorant population censuses

• Conducting surveys of fish-eating birds to determine

population distribution and movements

• Conducting wildlife food-habits studies

• Conducting ecological and behavioral studies on

fish-eating birds

• Working onsite with producers to set up integrated

control programs to reduce fish losses from birds and

other wildlife

• Assisting with migratory bird depredation permit

applications

• Conducting onsite workshops and seminars on bird

control

• Developing factsheets, videos, and other

publications on control and management of wildlife

damage

• Working with members of the JSA to define agency

roles and industry needs for protection of aquaculture

products from wildlife damage

• Working with FWS and State wildlife agencies to

jointly develop bird damage-management plans to

protect aquaculture products while ensuring the

continued viability of bird populations

For more information about bird depredation

control, contact APHIS’ Wildlife Services program at

(301) 734–7921.