Pics: Dayanand Kukkaje
Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (PS/VD)
 
Mangalore, Aug 10: Karnataka Veterinary, Animal and Fisheries Sciences University, Bidar and College of Fisheries, Mangalore with the sponsorship of NAIP-ICAR organized a training programme on Biosecurity in Aquaculture – Aquamedicine at the Prof. HPC Shetty Hall of Fisheries College, here from August 10 to August 24.
 
The inaugural session of the training programme was held on Wednesday August 10.

Dean of Veterinary College, Bangalore Dr S Yathiraj inaugurating the programme said that aquaculture is one of the fast growing food production industry in the world at large with a annual growth of 6-8 %. Today, nearly 50 % of the fish consumed in the world is from aquaculture.

Unfortunately, in the expanding aquaculture industry, loss due to devastating microbial diseases has become a major concern. Annual estimated loss due to diseases in aquaculture is Rs 600 crores. Hence there is large scale use of drugs, antibiotics and chemicals in aquaculture to control diseases which needs to be regulated and addressed from the view point of fish health and consumers of fish. Though there are training programmes in diseases and health management in fisheries education programme, there is a lack of training in pharmacology and toxicology, he noted.
 
Professor of Aquatic population health and welfare institution of aquaculture, University of Sterling in Scotland, UK Dr James F Turnbull was the guest of honour. He said that the whole idea of the training programme was to make sure safe use of drugs, antibiotics and chemicals in aquaculture will be practised in future and to create awareness in pharmacology.
 
Dean of the College of Fisheries Dr K M Shankar presided over the programme. Head of division of Fisheries Sciences Dr Ramachandra Bhatta, course-co-ordinator Dr K S Ramesh and former dean Dr T G Verges among others were present.
 
Fish health professionals/teachers from 15 fisheries colleges across the country were trained in pharmacology and toxicology in this training programme.