Fish consumption has increased substantially in recent years, and to maintain this sector's expansion, sustainable aquaculture development with adequate measures of quality, sanitation and good management practices is important (FAO, 2020). However, as intensive husbandry systems are implemented, there are health barriers (such as epizootics) that require interventions through therapeutic products . Thus, the use of therapeutics in aquaculture, especially antibiotics, has increased. However, there are many concerns over its effects on the surrounding ecosystems and global health (Liu et al., 2017).Several stress factors, such as sudden temperature variations, water quality and nutrition, handling and high density of organisms in a limited space, can increase their susceptibility to pathogens by for example impairing fish immune defences (Pulkkinen et al., 2010;. To avoid economic losses, many producers opt to use veterinary drugs, disinfectants and other chemical compounds for disease prevention and treatment (Liu et al., 2017). However, despite the many side effects xenobiotics might have in the environment, many countries still lack appropriate use regulations and control (FDA, 2020).Undue administration of chemotherapeutic agents may pose toxic risks to the animals concerned and to manipulators, consumers and nontarget organisms (Rico & Brink, 2014). These