Introductory remarks by Dr. Botlhe M. Modisane, OIE Delegate from South Africa (left) and Dr. Marosi Molomo, OIE Delegate from Lesotho and Vice-President of the OIE Regional Commission for Africa (right).

Grahamstown, 23 September 2011.  Around 30 veterinary officers, aquaculture officers and aquaculture professionals participated in a 5-days OIE advanced training course on diseases of finfish, hosted by the Department of Ichtyology and Fisheries Diseases of Rhodes University in Grahamstown (Eastern Cape), South Africa from September 19 – 23, 2011. The training seminar was facilitated by Rhodes University staff, OIE staff and Prof. Larry Hammell from the OIE Collaborating Centre for Epidemiology and Risk Assessment of Aquatic Animal Diseases at Atlantic Veterinary College (UPEI) in Charlottetown, Canada. Participants (from the veterinary authority and the competent authority) travelled from Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, Seychelles, Swaziland, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The intensive training seminar focused on diseases of farmed finfish, including such topics as OIE standards and guidelines, reference centres and twinning, epidemiology and biosecurity in aquaculture, aquaculture production and nutrition, toxicology, pollution and food safety, anatomy, physiology, endocrinology and pharmacology of finfish, diseases and diagnosis of diseases, certification and legislation. The lectures were completed with two field visits to trout-aquaculture and mariculture research stations in Grahamstown and Port Alfred, as well as with a practical on fish (histo)pathology Download the presentations here

Prof. Dr. Larry Hammell of the OIE Joint Collaborating Centre for Epidemiology and Risk Assessment of Aquatic Animal Diseases at Atlantic Veterinary College (UPEI) in Charlottetown, Canada.

Group photograph of participants, lecturers and organisers. Picture © Q. Rouhani (RU) 2011

Mr. Qurban Rouhani of the Rural Fisheries Programme of the Department of Ichtyology and Fisheries Science at Rhodes University in Grahamstown, South Africa

Welcoming speech by the Vice-Chancellor of Rhodes University, Prof. Saleem Badat

Simulation exercise in small groups, commenting on proposed new standards in the report of the OIE Aquatic Animal Health Standards Commission (AAHSC)

Visit of the facilities of the Department of Ichtyology and Fisheries Science at Rhodes University in Grahamstown, South Africa

Visit of the facilities of the Department of Ichtyology and Fisheries Science at Rhodes University in Grahamstown, South Africa. Picture © Q. Rouhani (RU) 2011

Visit of the facilities of the Department of Ichtyology and Fisheries Science at Rhodes University in Grahamstown, South Africa. Picture © Q. Rouhani (RU) 2011

Visit of the facilities of the Department of Ichtyology and Fisheries Science at Rhodes University in Grahamstown, South Africa. Picture © Q. Rouhani (RU) 2011

Dr. Romona Naidoo (front) and Dr. Gilson Njunga (back), participants from South Africa and Malawi respectively.

Ms. Charlotte Makibelo from South Africa during the practical exercice. Picture © Q. Rouhani (RU) 2011

Dr. David Huchzermeyer, associated expert of the Department of Ichtyology and Fisheries Science at Rhodes University in Grahamstown, South Africa, demonstrating simple pathological investigation techniques. Picture © Q. Rouhani (RU) 2011

Dr. David Huchzermeyer, associated expert of the Department of Ichtyology and Fisheries Science at Rhodes University in Grahamstown, South Africa, demonstrating simple pathological investigation techniques

Visit of the Port Alfred Marine Research Laboratory (Rhodes University). Picture © Q. Rouhani (RU) 2011

Simulation exercise in small groups, assessing compliance of national legislation with the OIE Guidelines on Veterinary Legislation. Picture © L. Hammell (AVC) 2011

Handing out of the certificate of participation to Dr. Gilson Njunga from Malawi by Prof. Dr. Warwick Sauers, Head of the Department of Ichtyology and Fisheries Science at Rhodes University in Grahamstown.

Overview of the participants

Pictures © P. Bastiaensen (oie) 2011 (except when mentioned otherwise)