As part of our ongoing
commitment to highlight opportunities available to students and early career
professionals in fish health, we'd like to take a moment to talk about the certification process. Individuals can be
certified as an Aquatic Animal Health Inspector or a
Fish Pathologist.
The Aquatic Animal Health Inspector provides
"aquatic animal health inspection services for non-mammalian species as
mandated by domestic and foreign regulatory agencies…This individual has the resources
to detect clinical and/or carrier disease states, as specified in the AFS/FHS
Blue Book, the OIE Manual of Diagnostic Tests for Aquatic Animals, etc., as
well as being knowledgeable of the necessary current sampling, reporting and
regulatory requirements required to properly manage aquatic animal populations."
Conversely, the certified Fish Pathologist serves
"fisheries programs and aquaculture through the evaluation and diagnosis
of fish health problems, through responsible recommendations for disease
control, and through the administration of programs designed to enhance the
health of cultured and free-ranging fishes."
The necessary
qualifications differ between the two and can be found on the individual certification
website under the standards and procedures heading. The requirements can seem a
little daunting at first particularly the required coursework. However, the
Professional Standards Committee along with Doug Munson is working to make
certification attainable for all fish health professionals, which will include accepting
online courses for credit.
If you're interested in
the learning more about the certification process, we highly encourage you to look
at the website and keep an eye out for upcoming announcements regarding this
process.
