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| European Association of Fish Pathologists | |
|---|---|
| Name | European Association of Fish Pathologists |
| Abbreviation | EAFP |
| Formation | 1969 |
| Type | Professional association |
| Headquarters | Europe |
| Region served | Europe |
| Membership | Scientists, diagnosticians, veterinarians |
| Leader title | President |
European Association of Fish Pathologists The European Association of Fish Pathologists is a pan-European professional association focused on aquatic animal health, disease diagnosis, and fish welfare, founded to bring together diagnosticians, veterinarians, and researchers from organizations such as University of Stirling, Norwegian School of Veterinary Science, Institute of Marine Research (Norway), Wageningen University & Research, and Institute of Aquaculture (UK). It serves as a nexus connecting members from institutions including European Commission, Food and Agriculture Organization, World Organisation for Animal Health, International Council for the Exploration of the Sea, and national laboratories like Veterinary Laboratories Agency and Fiskeriforskning. The association promotes standards and knowledge exchange among stakeholders associated with bodies like European Medicines Agency, Scottish Aquaculture Innovation Centre, Bergen Aquarium, and Marine Scotland.
The association traces its origins to meetings of specialists from United Kingdom, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Netherlands who convened after conferences such as International Congress of Parasitology and symposia linked to European Marine Biology Symposium and ICES Annual Science Conference. Early collaborations involved scientists from Royal Veterinary College (London), National Veterinary Institute (Sweden), Statens Serum Institut, Institut Français de Recherche pour l'Exploitation de la Mer, and researchers associated with Fisheries Research Services. Key milestones mirrored initiatives by European Union funding programs including Framework Programme 6 and Horizon 2020, aligning with standards promoted by OIE and directives debated in the European Parliament.
Governance is modeled on structures found in associations such as Royal Society, European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, and World Aquaculture Society, with an elected executive committee, regional representatives, and advisory panels drawing on expertise from University of Copenhagen, University of Barcelona, University of Lisbon, University of Ghent, and University of Helsinki. The presidency and secretary roles have often been filled by leaders affiliated with institutions like Scottish Association for Marine Science, Norwegian Veterinary Institute, Aarhus University, Trondheim University Hospital, and Technical University of Denmark. Committees liaise with regulatory stakeholders such as European Food Safety Authority, Council of the European Union, and national ministries including Ministry of Fisheries (Norway) and Ministry of Agriculture (France).
Membership comprises pathologists, parasitologists, virologists, and microbiologists from universities and institutes including University of Bergen, University of Liverpool, University of Tromsø, University of Santiago de Compostela, University of Padua, University of Bologna, University College Dublin, University of Galway, Trinity College Dublin, and research centers such as Norwegian Institute of Water Research and Centro de Investigaciones Marinas. Regional sections reflect the watersheds and seas represented by North Sea, Baltic Sea, Mediterranean Sea, Black Sea, Atlantic Ocean, and Barents Sea and involve networks linked to Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission and Black Sea Commission.
The association organizes diagnostic proficiency tests influenced by laboratory accreditation systems like ISO/IEC 17025, coordinates disease surveillance efforts akin to schemes run by European Surveillance Network for Emerging Infectious Diseases, and partners with agencies such as European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control on cross-sectoral initiatives. It runs training workshops drawing on curricula from Royal Veterinary College, continuing professional development similar to offerings from Veterinary Surgeons Board and collaborates with NGOs like World Wildlife Fund on disease-impact assessments in aquaculture hubs including Shetland Islands, Faroe Islands, Iceland, and Galicia.
The association holds biennial and annual meetings comparable to gatherings like European Congress of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases, with proceedings featuring contributions from laboratories such as Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie and institutes like INRAE and CNRS. Peer-reviewed outputs appear in journals frequented by members including Diseases of Aquatic Organisms, Journal of Fish Diseases, Veterinary Microbiology, Aquaculture, and Fish & Shellfish Immunology, and conference abstracts are disseminated through collaborations with publishers like Wiley, Elsevier, and Springer Nature.
Research themes promoted include virology, bacteriology, parasitology, immunology, and toxicology, linking investigators from Karolinska Institutet, Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Institut Pasteur, Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, National Institute of Aquatic Resources (Denmark), and Hungarian Academy of Sciences. Educational programs include summer schools and diagnostic courses modeled after programs at University of Stirling, exchange placements with Veterinary School of Lyon, and doctoral training partnerships under frameworks such as Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions and Erasmus Mundus consortia.
The association has influenced policy and practice through collaborations with intergovernmental entities like Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe, and regional advisory bodies such as European Aquaculture Society and North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organization. It has supported outbreak responses with networks linked to Defra, Marine Scotland Science, Norwegian Food Safety Authority, Irish Department of Agriculture, and research consortia funded by European Research Council and Innovative Medicines Initiative. Partnerships extend to industry stakeholders including multinational aquaculture companies and hatcheries in regions like Scotland, Norway, Spain, Portugal, and Turkey to improve diagnostic capacity, biosecurity, and animal health management.
Category:Professional associations based in Europe Category:Fisheries science