Occupational Health and Safety in Aquaculture Systems

Occupational health and safety in aquaculture systems encompasses the identification, assessment and control of hazards encountered by workers in facilities that produce aquatic organisms. Common physical risks include biomechanical overload from repetitive handling of nets and harvest equipment, ergonomic strain during cage maintenance and exposure to whole-body vibration on service vessels. Chemical hazards arise from disinfection agents, antibiotics and algicides, while biological threats include zoonotic pathogens and harmful algal blooms. Psychosocial stressors such as long working hours, adverse weather, shift work and isolation can compound physical risks. Effective management integrates engineering controls, clear operational limits, personal protective equipment and targeted training. Regulatory frameworks and stakeholder collaboration underpin the design of safer technologies, proactive risk-assessment tools and evidence-based guidelines, ensuring sustainable expansion of a sector that now supplies over half of global seafood production.

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Occupational Health and Safety in Aquaculture Systems publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in occupational health and safety in aquaculture systems across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Biomechanical overload: Excessive physical strain on muscles and joints caused by heavy lifting, repetitive movements or awkward postures.

Operational limits: Predefined safety thresholds for environmental and process variables that guide decisions to proceed, delay or halt aquaculture tasks.

Ergonomic exposure: Interaction between workers and equipment or workstations that may lead to musculoskeletal strain or injury.

Personal protective equipment (PPE): Apparel or devices—such as gloves, hearing protection and safety harnesses—designed to minimise exposure to occupational hazards.

One Health: An integrative approach recognising the interdependence of human, animal and ecosystem health in risk-assessment and management.

References

1. Occupational health, safety and work environments in Norwegian fish farming - employee perspective. Aquaculture (2020).
2. Public Health Perspectives on Aquaculture. Current Environmental Health Reports (2014).
3. Towards Integration of Environmental and Health Impact Assessments for Wild Capture Fishing and Farmed Fish with Particular Reference to Public Health and Occupational Health Dimensions. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (2008).
4. Operational limits for aquaculture operations from a risk and safety perspective. Reliability Engineering & System Safety (2020).