Sodium Bicarbonate and Acetic Acid: An Effective Anesthetic for Field Use

In Canada, no anesthetics are approved for use with food fish; in the United States, only MS-222 (tricaine methanesulfonate) is approved for use under stringent regulations. We describe a technique for using sodium bicarbonate activated by glacial acetic acid to anesthetize adult salmon to stage-four anesthesia (immobility) in preparation for surgical procedures. The technique is ideal for use in field, laboratory, fish farm, and hatchery settings because it is easy to use and inexpensive, and it should be easily adaptable for use with other fish species.