Congestion of brain by NNV. Author: Anna Toffan
Good aquatic animal health is a requisite for sustainable aquaculture and development of cost-profit strategy for the Mediterranean aquaculture. Lack of adequate awareness and response capability to certain disease threats may pose a risk resulting in the collapse of the whole sector. Today, research and diagnostic laboratories, private testing laboratories, consultants, and practitioners have each essential information and insight only on the current health situation of single farms. Available information is therefore partial and fragmented. A collated and exhaustive overview of the health status of the Mediterranean fish farming is missing.
This lack of coordinated knowledge is an obstacle for further development of the industry and to design and coordinate harmonized strategies in the different regions of the basin. To achieve a necessary and coordinated overview of the farmed aquatic animal health situation, it is important to establish efficient networking and communication platforms.
The MedAID is addressing these issues by organizing an on-line forum (MedAID Health Forum) conceived as a platform which will gather field diagnosticians, laboratories, relevant authorities in charge of disease management in the Mediterranean mariculture and other stakeholders.
The MedAID Health Forum is part of Task 4.2. Strengthening diagnostic capacities by harmonizing competences, within the Work package 4 (WP4: Health management and diseases and fish welfare), and it is organised with the collaboration of the European Association of Fish Pathologists (EAFP), the European Union Reference Laboratory (EURL) for Fish Disease, and is open to members of other H2020 projects (i.e. PerformFish and ParaFishControl).
The MedAID Health Forum has three main objectives:
- To establishment an efficient discussion and communication for both fish pathologist and other stakeholders involved sustainable health management in the Mediterranean marine fish farming. Stakeholders will get information and answers to their questions and help from expert in real time, with confidentiality.
- To gather updated information about main health problems to improve the ability to prevent, detect and constrain emerging diseases in the region.
- To gather practical knowledge on the current used methodologies for the diagnostics of the most important diseases of Sea bass and Sea bream, with the aim of improving harmonisations of techniques among practitioners.
Participation in MedAID Health Forum
Participation in the Forum discussions are free and open to anyone registered who wishes to subscribe to the list. The MedAID Health Forum will regularly organize discussions on specific topics, that will be announced in due time. Forums are moderated electronic discussions that provide an opportunity for all participants to make queries and discuss matters of their interest with recognized experts.
Access to Health forum topics and Mini-reviews
To participe in the online discussions access to MedAID Health Forum
With the collaboration of:
