Project 1A - Cohen Commission

ather than in a proactive health protection mode. Significant responsibility for healthpromotion and protection falls onto the hatchery managers and community advisors whohave limited training in fish health. A team-based health management program wouldshift public fish culture to a modern animal health approach.Sub-recommendation 2a: Make information management and records systemsconsistent across facilities and accessible to fish health staff to allow for ongoingsurveillance of trends in growth, morbidity, mortality, population information andenvironmental quality.Sub-recommendation 2b: Enable fish health programs to consistently record, reviewand assess trends in diagnostic information and hatchery level surveillance of riskfactors and population parameters.Sub-recommendation 2c: Provide personnel in fish health units with continuingeducation or advanced training in health protection and promotion to allow them toserve as a resource for hatchery staff.Sub-recommendation 2d: Enable fish health programs to develop extension andtraining capacity for hatchery staff and community advisors to ensure a commonunderstanding and ability to fulfill fish health recommendations and fish healthmanagement plans.Sub-recommendation 2e: Create the capacity for fish health staff to visit facilities ona regular basis and not just in response to disease outbreaks, urgent issues or forresearch. Veterinarians responsible for prescriptions must visit sites sufficientlyoften to ensure appropriate veterinary-patient-client relationships.Sub-recommendation 2f: Provide regular and continued access for communityadvisors and hatcheries to local/regional fish health technicians (or equivalentexpertise) to assist in planning and implementing fish health programs and to assistin recognition of disease issues.Sub-recommendation 2g: Provide fish health units with sufficient numbers ofhighly-qualified human resources to deliver on their diagnostic responsibilities, torecord and assess trends in disease, and to work towards the recommendations inthis report.100