Merck Animal Health has launched a new initiative designed around aquaculture to help fish farmers provide better quality care on their operations.
The new training program, called Aqua Care365, is based off of the company’s existing Merck Animal Health Care365 platform. Aqua Care 365 includes training on animal behavior, such as normal and abnormal salmon behavior, as well as training on standard operating procedures and other important parts of farm management.
“Merck Animal Health is committed to providing the aquaculture industry with best care practices to advance the health and well-being of fish, which contributes to the ongoing success of our customers’ operations,” Tim Kniffen, technical services manager for Merck Animal Health, said. “Covering topics important to fish farming provides valuable information to help reduce stress and prevent diseases, which are essential for a healthy food supply.”
The training modules are done through video lessons and interactive quizzes, and also feature industry experts and certificates to document successful completion of the training. Key to the training is the observation of fish and understanding fish behavior, to recognize abnormal behavior and catch any health issues early.
“It may take observing fish for an entire production cycle before employees become familiar with the basics,” Jimmy Turnbull, professor at the Institute of Aquaculture, University of Stirling, said. “Being observant on the farm is important. Employees need to be trained so they know when to report abnormal behavior, as it may require immediate intervention for the health of the fish.”
The new training programs are available on the company’s website. According to Merck, future training modules are being created to focus on sea pen handling and fish examination.
