Disease-Watch - Welcome

Welcome to the monthly newsletter.

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We encourage you to use this forum to have your say.

The revised aquatic animal disease identification field guide has now been released.

The Australian Aquatic Animal Disease Identification Field Guide was first published in 1999, to help build on public awareness of aquatic animal disease management in Australia and the progression of AQUAPLAN, Australia’s national strategic plan for aquatic animal health.

The publication on CD-ROM of a second, revised edition — Aquatic Animal Diseases Significant to Australia: Identification Field Guide was officially launched on 17th January by the Minister for Fisheries, Forestry and Conservation, Senator Ian Macdonald.

The CD comprehensively updates information on diseases listed in the first edition, reflecting our increased understanding and improved diagnostic capability and includes new diseases previously not listed. The Field Guide can also be viewed and or downloaded from this web site http://www.disease-watch.com/documents/CD/index/index.htm

The new Field Guide provides fisheries and aquaculture managers, recreational fishers, border protection staff, environmentalists, students of aquatic animal health, and fisheries management with a quick reference guide to support decisions on aquatic animal health.

The field guide draws heavily on pictorial images of disease, aiding the rapid identification of gross signs of disease and features a differential diagnostic key, directing the reader to other possible diseases as depicted by the gross signs observed. In addition, disease reporting contacts within each Australian State and Territory are listed, as well as diagnostic links for fish pathologists and veterinarians.

The Field Guide was produced in consultation with members of industry, research institutes and Australian governments. The second edition was prepared by the Aquatic Animal Health section within the Office of the Chief Veterinary Officer, Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, with support from the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation’s Aquatic Animal Health Subprogram.

For further information contact Alistair Herfort on telephone 02 6272 4009 or email Alistair.Herfort@daff.gov.au

New blood in the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry -Aquatic Animal Health Section.

The Aquatic Animal Health Section of AGDAFF has recently recruited Dr Ingo Ernst as the new Aquatic Animal Health Committee Secretariat.

Ingo is an aquatic parasitologist with research experience in Australian and Japanese aquaculture industries. Ingo received his aquatic parasitology training at the University of Queensland where he completed his PhD studies in 1999.

Ingo joins AGDAFF from The University of Adelaide were he led a research team focused on developing management strategies for monogenean (flatworm) parasites in Australian and Japanese sea-cage aquaculture.
Monogenean parasites are a growing problem for marine finfish aquaculture, especially for warm-water species such as yellowtail kingfish and barramundi in Australia.

Dr Ingo Ernst
Aquatic Animal Health Committee Secretariat

Ingo has also published scientific articles on parasite species that are new to science, parasite reproductive biology, aquatic parasites introduced into Australia, parasite pathology, oyster pathogens and hooking mortality caused by recreational fishing.

You can contact Ingo on telephone 02 62725615 or email Ingo.Ernst@daff.gov.au

The following link provides further information on grants provided by the Natural Heritage Trust for Envirofund Projects.

http://www.nht.gov.au/envirofund/2004-2005/round6/index.html

Note: Round 6 close at 5pm on Friday 18 February 2005