Ε.G.Iosifidou, Ι.Ε.Psomas

The present article deals with the problem of drug residues in farmed fish. The rapid development of intensive aquaculture over the last 15 years has been associated with increasing problems of bacterial and parasitic diseases in fish and has led to the perceived need for disease control with veterinary drugs. Drugs include antibiotics, sulfonamides, anthelminthics, dichlorvos, trichlorfon, malachite green and formaldehyde. Problems involved in farmed fish chemotherapy include: (a) the availability of only a few aquacuture medicines fully registered, (b) the existence of limited data for drug residues in fish, (c) the environmental aspect of the use of medicines in fish farms. The use of drugs in fish as in other food-producing animals has the potential to leave residues in edible tissues. The determination of the appropriate withdrawal period of the drugs as well as its application before the treated fish are harvested, are both important for the control of drug use and residues in fish are additional factors contributing to the consumer safety. The situation in Greece in this particular field, is also discussed.