New Report Examines How Canada, Scotland and Norway Regulate Vaccines in Salmon Farming
A new collaborative report by Chile’s National Library of Congress (BCN) and the INCAR² Center for Applied Research examines how Canada, Scotland and Norway regulate the development, research and use of fish vaccines, offering insights for the debate on more sustainable aquaculture policies.
The report, “Regulations for the Development, Research and Use of Fish Vaccines: Experiences from Canada, Scotland and Norway,” was prepared by Leonardo Arancibia from BCN, together with INCAR² researchers Dr. Jessica Fuentes and Dr. Ruben Avendaño-Herrera.
Vaccination has become a key preventive strategy in aquaculture, helping reduce dependence on antibiotics while supporting fish health and welfare. The report also places vaccination within the One Health framework, linking animal, human and environmental health and highlighting its potential contribution to tackling antimicrobial resistance.
Autogenous Vaccines as a Rapid-Response Tool
One of the report’s key areas of interest is autogenous vaccines, which are produced from pathogen strains isolated from affected fish at a specific farm or from epidemiologically linked production units.
Unlike conventional commercial vaccines, these formulations can be tailored to locally circulating pathogen variants, potentially allowing a faster response to emerging health threats. Because they use inactivated microorganisms, they can also provide an alternative approach without introducing live pathogens into the environment.
Different Regulatory Models, Common Challenges
The comparative analysis finds that Canada, Scotland and Norway rely on multiple institutions to regulate fish vaccines, reflecting the pharmaceutical, animal-health and environmental dimensions of their use.
Despite this common structure, regulatory approaches differ. Canada distributes aquaculture responsibilities across federal and provincial authorities, while Norway operates a dual-control system involving both pharmaceutical authorization and veterinary approval for use.
Norway also uses its Veterinary Prescription Register (VetReg) to monitor veterinary medicines, while authorities can restrict vaccines when their use could interfere with surveillance of notifiable diseases.
The report provides a comparative perspective that could inform discussions on fish health regulation, vaccination strategies and antibiotic reduction in salmon farming, particularly as the industry seeks preventive tools capable of responding more rapidly to emerging pathogens.
Full report:
https://www.bcn.cl/asesoriasparlamentarias/detalle_documento.html?id=86011
