The simple answer is that antibiotics can only be used when prescribed by a veterinarian to cure an infection. In recent years excellent progress has been made in reducing the occurrence of disease in farmed fish and, consequently, in reducing the use of antibiotics in modern aquaculture.

In Norway, the regulatory authorities monitor the use of antibiotics in aquaculture separately and very low figures are reported. The current usage is less than 0.5% (half of one percent) ; So 99,5% less of what it was ten years ago. This also means that the health status is better than ever.

Some diseases remain a problem to the aquaculture sector throughout the world. This is because there are no appropriate vaccines and, in some cases, no antibiotics available to combat them. However, in all European and American locations, antibiotics are no longer used routinely but only after a disease has been diagnosed in the fish. All use of such medicines has to be prescribed by a veterinarian.

Following antibiotic use, a strictly regulated withdrawal period and testing programme ensures that the active compounds completely disappear from the fish before they are sold as food, as with all food products.