Fish health in the context of climate change: the use of UV-C radiation in rainbow trout aquaculture

The aim of the project is to adapt and optimise the rearing and husbandry of salmonids under changing environmental conditions – such as rising water temperatures, water shortages and an increased incidence of fish pathogens. This aim is to be achieved through the use of UV-C radiation, a technique designed to support the health of farmed fish by improving their rearing environment. Through studies in aquaculture practice and on an experimental scale, the aim is to gain a deeper understanding of the dose-response relationship between UV-C radiation, fish pathogens and the fish themselves. Under standardised laboratory conditions, the effect of conventional low-pressure UV-C lamps will be compared with that of LED-based UV-C radiation on relevant fish pathogens. This will already provide important insights for the future commercial use of LED-UV-C in aquaculture. With the aim of conserving resources, the effects of adaptive operation of UV-C units are also to be investigated in practice. Taken together, these findings will enable us to optimise and update existing application protocols for UV-C units.

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