To provide a forum that will inform and educate veterinarians about the current animal health issues facing aquaculturists in Ohio and the rest of the Midwest.
To provide a forum that will allow veterinarians and aquaculture producers to interact and begin to develop working relationships.

As with any animal husbandry operation, aquaculturists face the challenging issues of maintaining animal health and environmental quality. Because aquaculture is a fairly new agricultural enterprise, few veterinarians are familiar with the needs of the aquaculture industry or have specialized training in the detection and treatment of aquatic diseases. Unlike other live animal enterprises such as cattle and swine, there are very few United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved theraputents for the treatment of aquatic organisms. Aquaculture has also gained the attention of the United States Environmental Protection Agency, which is currently developing an information gathering survey for the aquaculture industry regarding production methods and wastewater treatment. As stated in a recent fact sheet (EPA Expands Focus on Nutrient Pollution, U.S. EPA Office of Water, publication EPA-821-F-00-002, the EPA has announced its intent "to develop pollutant controls in the form of nationally applicable discharge standards (known as effluent limitations guidelines and standards) for commercial and public aquaculture operations."

Many states in our region (including Ohio) require some form of health certification by a licensed veterinarian before aquatic animals can be imported to their state. The FDA-CVM does allow aquaculturists to use additional theraputents that are certified for other animals, but they must work with a veterinarian to obtain an Extra-Label use prescription. Aquaculturists may also apply to the FDA-CVM for an Investigative New Animal Drug (INAD) exemption under the supervision of a veterinarian. Aquaculturists in states such as Wisconsin and Florida have taken a pro-active approach by working on developing voluntary Best Management Practices (BMP) manuals that address the EPA's concerns regarding aquaculture effluent. There is interest here in Ohio to develop a similar BMP manual, and the involvement of veterinarians will be needed in the development of health management guidelines and water quality monitoring programs.

Veterinarians can and will play a critical role in the success of aquaculture enterprises in Ohio and other Midwestern states by working with aquaculturists on these key issues. The Midwest Regional Veterinary Conference has had past attendance levels of over 5,000 veterinarians and animal health professionals. The proposed aquaculture session at the Midwest Regional Veterinary Conference offers the opportunity to reach a broad audience of veterinarians and to educate this group about the needs of aquaculture in the Midwest. The session will also be open to aquaculture producers to provide their perspectives to the veterinarians and to facilitate the development of working relationships between aquaculturists and veterinarians. It will also serve to identify future training sessions and workshops that can bring veterinarians and aquaculturists together. Funds are requested to support the travel and lodging expenses of Dr. Myron Kebus and Dr. Robert Durborow to participate in the seminar and panel discussion as featured speakers and publication materials (notebook) to be distributed at the seminar.

We have been invited by the Ohio Medical Veterinary Association to organize a seminar and panel discussion on aquaculture and aquaculture health issues as part of the Midwest Veterinary Conference on February 25th, 2001. Two aquaculture health specialists, Myron Kebus, M.Sc., D.V.M. (Director - Division of Animal Health, Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection) and Robert Durborow, Ph.D. (State Aquaculture Specialist / Associate Professor, Kentucky State University) will be the featured speakers at the session. They will give presentations on their efforts in their respective states and participate in a panel discussion of aquaculture health issues with the veterinarians and aquaculture producers attending this session.

The discussion panel featured two aquaculture health specialists, Dr. Myron Kebus from the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection and Dr. Robert Durborow from Kentucky State University, two Ohio aquaculturists, Mr.George Hood from Water Gardeners Supply and Dr. David Smith from Freshwater Farms of Ohio, and Mr. Geoff Wallat from the Centers at Piketon. Dr. Kebus delivered a presentation on the Wisconsin veterinary approach to aquaculture, and Dr. Durborow highlighted a new diagnostic DVD disk that features major fish diseases and symptoms. The session brought together over 30 veterinarians and aquaculturists from Ohio and the Midwest to discuss current aquaculture practices and identify the needs and opportunities of Ohio aquaculture. Participants in the session discussed a variety of topics including water quality, health certifications, regulations, and the formation of regional cooperative efforts for the training of veterinarians. Discussion among the participants also focused on the development of working relationships between aquaculturists and veterinarians as a component of ensuring the optimum health of aquaculture products and thereby increasing economic return.