Sustainable parasite management in aquaculture: Integrating productivity and environmental health

Parasitic diseases remain a persistent obstacle in sustainable aquaculture, which affects fish health, environmental balance, and economic viability. Rising resistance to conventional chemical treatments and ecological concerns have shown that relying solely on chemicals is insufficient, underscoring the need for more resilient, system-based management approaches. This review explores the concept of sustainability in parasite management, including key indicators and methods for quantification. Current authorized antiparasitic compounds are evaluated for efficacy and environmental impact, and emerging sustainable strategies, including vaccination, immunostimulants, microbiome engineering, biological control, selective breeding, and biosecurity, are discussed. Integrated Parasite Management is presented as a flexible framework that brings together prevention, monitoring, and targeted interventions, while regulatory systems and coordinated approaches support real-world implementation. However, practical challenges such as species-specific variability, limited long-term data, and gaps in resistance and environmental monitoring remain to be addressed. Moving toward sustainable parasite management will require strengthening data integration, collaboration across sectors, and adaptive systems that safeguard fish welfare and the environment while maintaining resilient production. • Identifies limitations and environmental impacts of conventional chemical antiparasitics. • Evaluates sustainable alternatives to chemical parasite control. • Examines Integrated Parasite Management (IPM) as a framework for sustainable control. • Determines key barriers to large-scale adoption of eco-friendly parasite control strategies. • Assesses the role of EU and US regulations in promoting sustainable practices.