Institute of Bioscience, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) in collaboration with the Department of Fisheries Malaysia, Asian Fisheries Society (AFS) and Malaysian Fisheries Society (MFS) have organised the “International Conference on Advances in Fish Health” (ICFISH 2017), held on 4 – 6 April 2017 at the Auditorium TNCPI, UPM.

This conference is part of the HICoE (Higher Institution Centre of Excellence) programme on “Animal Vaccine and Therapeutics”. In general, ICFISH 2017 has provided a platform for the scientific community to work hand in hand with other stakeholders to discuss the challenges and advances required in disease control and aquatic animal health management, to meet the demand of fish as food source and fish products in the coming decades.

Four objectives had been outlined in ICFISH 2017. First, to provide an update on emerging diseases that threatens aquaculture industry. Second, to promote the advancement of knowledge on diagnostic approaches and biomarkers for disease identification. Third, to provide the latest information on vaccine applications, new developments in probiotics, therapeutics and other immunoprophylactic strategies in aquaculture. Finally, to understand good disease-management practices in sustainable aquaculture systems.

These objectives have been achieved through five major topics that were set up in ICFISH 2017. These include epidemiology of fish diseases in aquaculture, diagnostics and biomarkers for disease identification, immunology and vaccine technologies, probiotics and therapeutics, and finally, disease-management practices in aquaculture systems.

The conference was officiated by YBhg. Datuk Nik Ali bin Mat Yunus, Deputy Secretary General (Development), Ministry of Higher Education. A total of 83 people have attended, while 56 papers, consisted of 37 orals and 19 posters, were presented and discussed by aquaculture experts and stakeholders. The keynote lecture was delivered by Dr. Melba Reantaso, an aquaculture expert from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), addressing “Transboundary Aquatic Animal Diseases (TAADs) and their Potential to Destroy National Aquaculture Development”. Meanwhile, Prof. Dr. Alexandra Adams from the University of Stirling, Scotland, UK has presented another keynote address entitled “Fish Vaccine Development and Optimisation of Administration Strategies” on the second day of ICFISH Conference.

Date of Input: 27/04/2017 | Updated: 27/04/2017 | azah