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August 18, 2022

The past, present, and future of the AFS FHS Blue Book as a reference for guiding aquatic animal health procedures in US fisheries and aquaculture

1Jan Lovy and 2Kenneth Cain

AFS Blue Book Project Managers; 1New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Office of Fish and Wildlife Health and Forensics; 2Department of Fish and Wildlife Sciences, University of Idaho

ABSTRACT

The Blue Book is an important aquatic animal health resource with suggested procedures for the detection and identification of certain finfish and shellfish pathogens. This manual is managed by the American Fisheries Society, Fish Health Section, with contributions coming from countless volunteer hours from the aquatic animal health community. Historically the Blue Book was developed when aquaculture in the United States was predominantly comprised of salmonid-culture, particularly state and federal agencies raising fish with the intent of stocking fish in the environment for recreational fishing and enhancement. This has led to the Blue Book being focused predominantly on salmonid pathogens and disease. With commercial aquaculture and fisheries programs expanding to diverse aquatic species, it has created a challenge to keep the Blue Book updated with relevant information on other coolwater, warmwater, and marine finfish species, as well as crustaceans and bivalves. Other challenges for the Blue Book include unwanted regulatory implications, despite it being a scientific guidance document, and keeping up with the incorporation of new and reliable testing assays for pathogen detection. A Blue Book revision project has been underway to develop a revised version that supports aquatic animal health needs of US fisheries and aquaculture today and into the future. The revision process has been guided by a 13-member Steering Committee that is balanced by various agencies/entities, including federal, state, tribal, and aquaculture industry representatives, that utilize the Blue Book for aquatic animal health guidance. Over the past year a strong communication network has been established ensuring that perspectives from all groups are considered. An update will be provided on current progress of the Blue Book revision process, proposed committee structure for oversight, new chapters, and suggested future revisions.

BIOSKETCH

Drs. Lovy and Cain are co-project managers leading an effort to revise the AFS FHS Blue Book, Suggested Procedures for the Detection and identification of Certain Finfish and Shellfish Pathogens. They are working with a 13-member Steering Committee to guide the Blue Book revision effort.

Dr. Lovy is a Research Scientist and the principal investigator for aquatic animal health program for the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Fish and Wildlife. In this position he coordinates and conducts projects focused on disease in wild marine finfish, farmed and wild freshwater fish, and shellfish health monitoring. Research interests include comparative fish pathology and diseases of wild and farmed finfish. His current projects include studying impacts of parasitic diseases in wild fish populations, as well as investigating the molecular epidemiology of viral diseases. Dr. Lovy obtained his Ph.D. from the Atlantic Veterinary College (AVC), University of Prince Edward Island, Canada in Fish Health and remained at the AVC for several years conducting postdoctoral research in fish pathology and immunology. He has taken opportunities to travel and work within diverse research labs. He worked at the Academy of Sciences in the Czech Republic in molecular parasitology, followed by spending two years at the Pacific Biological Station in the Aquatic Animal Health Department in British Columbia, Canada. This position was a collaborative effort between the government (Fisheries and Oceans Canada), a conservation society, and the fisheries industry to understand impacts of viral diseases in wild fish. Throughout his career, Dr. Lovy has worked in academia and government and has strived to maintain strong collaborations between academia, government, and industry to advance aquatic animal health research.

Dr. Cain is a Distinguished Professor at the University of Idaho where he has held a research and teaching appointment since 1999. He teaches courses in Fish Health Management, Aquaculture, and Wild and Hatchery Fish Interactions. His research program focuses on a range of topics including characterization of the immune system in fish, aquaculture vaccine development, fish nutrition, diagnostic assay development, new methods for disease control, and development of aquaculture methods for new fish species. In addition, he has interests in exploring the linkage between nutritional status and immunity and how diet can be adjusted to maximize health benefits for aquaculture species. He holds a number of patents on diagnostic tools, vaccines, and probiotics for use in fish health and disease management.

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