ü      Adequate screens be put up in the incoming water supply systems to avoid entry of wild fish to the farm;

ü      Fish tanks (raceways) be covered with wire mesh or nets to avoid menace of birds and falling leaves;

ü      Raceways be cleaned and disinfected every fortnight Sodium hypochlorite is perhaps the disinfectant of choice at present;

ü      Fish stock be examined periodically from health angle. Any fish showing some abnormal behaviour or sign be separated immediately & transferred to the lab/clinic tank for intensive care & treatment;

ü      Farm equipments i.e. nets, buckets, balances etc be disinfected after the use;

ü      While working with disinfectants workers must bear gloves and rubber boots (Shoes);

ü      In order to avoid wastage of feed and thereby pollution in the raceways water temperature be recorded daily and feed ration adjusted accordingly. Overfeeding may even lead to fish kills at very high temperatures;

ü      Slaughtering of fish be done in a separate and isolated place away from the raceways.  

In addition to this: -  

Ø      The farm must be properly fenced;

Ø      Entry of visitors be restricted. For entry near the raceways an overall, hand gloves and rubber boots be provided to the visitors;

Ø      A disinfectant trough be kept at the entrance and only rubber boots be used;

Ø      The different production activities viz. seed production, production of saleable fish and raising of brood-stock be separated from each other by using different sites;

Ø      Equipments of different units may not be shared and in case of emergency only after their disinfection before transfer;

Ø      Slaughtering of fish requires proper facilities and separate personals that should collect blood/guts and treat it with lime. Fish should be sold only de-gutted. Similarly, feedbags used for untreated raw material may not be used for packing of feed.  

To sum up, proper hygienic conditions and cleanliness are must in trout farming. Further if despite these measures, any disease symptom appears the contact be made with nearby Fisheries Officer.  

The department has also initiated fish surveillance programme of private trout growers. Efforts be made to take advantage of this scheme and arrange visit of Fish Pathologist to the farm.