L’aquaculture: production, alimentation et présence de contaminants environnementaux et de résidus de médicaments vétérinaires

In response to the growing consumer demand for fish and the decline of wild capture fisheries, fish farming is expanding rapidly. In order to preserve natural fish stocks and to contribute to the development of a sustainable worldwide aquaculture, fishmeal as a source of proteins is more and more replaced by vegetable crop products. These modifications in the field of aquafeeds productions can have repercussions on the sanitary and nutritional qualities of aquaculture products put at the disposal of the consumers.The present article is principally focused on the presence of environmental contaminants and medicinal substance residues in aquaculture products, fishery products and fish feed sampled in Belgium between 2004 and 2006.The analysis of the control results for environmental contaminants (dioxins, polychlorinated biphenyls, organochlorine pesticides and heavy metals) carried out by the Belgian Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain (FASFC) shows that the level of environmental contaminants found in the Belgian farmed trout are in compliance with the legislation and not of concern. However, certain prohibited drug residues have been found in a few aquaculture products, mainly in imported shrimps. Furthermore fish feed was also in general in compliance with legislation, with a few exceptions for dioxins and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls.In response to the growing consumer demand for fish and the decline of wild capture fisheries, fish farming is expanding rapidly. In order to preserve natural fish stocks and to contribute to the development of a sustainable worldwide aquaculture, fishmeal as a source of proteins is more and more replaced by vegetable crop products. These modifications in the field of aquafeeds productions can have repercussions on the sanitary and nutritional qualities of aquaculture products put at the disposal of the consumers.The present article is principally focused on the presence of environmental contaminants and medicinal substance residues in aquaculture products, fishery products and fish feed sampled in Belgium between 2004 and 2006.The analysis of the control results for environmental contaminants (dioxins, polychlorinated biphenyls, organochlorine pesticides and heavy metals) carried out by the Belgian Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain (FASFC) shows that the level of environmental contaminants found in the Belgian farmed trout are in compliance with the legislation and not of concern. However, certain prohibited drug residues have been found in a few aquaculture products, mainly in imported shrimps. Furthermore fish feed was also in general in compliance with legislation, with a few exceptions for dioxins and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls.A