When open-water, finfish farms operate in close proximity to each other, parasites and pathogens can spread between farm sites via currents and tidal flow. As a result of this spatial connectivity, management actions in one farm can affect the productivity of its neighbors, creating a production externality that is dynamic in both time and space. The theoretical literature suggests that, in some circumstances, coordinated action may be an efficient strategy for managing dynamic externalities. For pathogens and parasites, such a strategy might come in the form of coordinated treatments or coordinated harvesting amongst neighboring farms in order to slow the rate of new infections.
The purpose of this project is to identify cost-effective approaches to reducing antibiotic use in aquaculture via infectious disease management. The project objectives are to develop a model of disease prevention and control on fish farms, to examine industry-wide coordination challenges by accounting for spatial connectivity across farms, and to assess whether existing aquaculture regulations drive efficient antibiotic use.