THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Recurring epizootics and the emergence of new aquatic animal diseases are increasingly threatening the aquaculture production in the state, said K V Lalitha, principal scientist, Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (CIFT). The global losses to White Spot Syndrome Virus (WSSV), the causative agent of white spot disease in shrimps and other crustaceans, alone would come around US dollars 8-15 billion, she said.
Lalitha was delivering a talk at the three-day training programme on ‘Disease diagnostics and disease management in aquaculture’ held at ICAR-Central Institute of Fisheries Technology in Kochi. The training programme was organized under National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB) for officials from the Department of Fisheries, and Agency for Development of Aquaculture (ADAK) as part of a project to document the disease affecting aquatic animals in the country.
This document will help in having a database on the prevalence of aquatic animals in the country and to effectively negotiate in international trade on fish and fishery products. The training is organized recognizing the need for capacity building of state fisheries officials in modern disease diagnostic tools and methods of aquatic animal diseases.
The training programme comprised talks on diseases of finfishes, crustacians, molluscs, ornamental fishes, disease diagnostic techniques in aquaculture, water management, pond preparation and pond environment, methods of sample collection, preservation and transportation for disease diagnosis, bio-security in aquaculture and key inputs in aquaculture; seed, feed, chemicals and drugs. Hands on practical sessions were also provided.
Ravishankar C N, director of ICAR-CIFT, inaugurated the training programme. Toms C Joseph and Amulya Kumar Mohanty also talked on the occasion.