The work of the OIE Aquatic Animal Health Standards Commission

Founded in 1960 as the Fish Diseases Commission, the Aquatic Animal Health Standards Commission is currently composed of five members elected by the OIE International Committee on a three-year basis. Its remit covers diseases of fish, molluscs and crustaceans. OIE stipulates that Commission members should be internationally recognised specialists in the fields of methods for surveillance, diagnosis and prevention of infectious aquatic animal diseases and have extensive international experience, at the regional or global level. The Commission is responsible for developing the international standards of the Aquatic Code and the Aquatic Manual, very ably supported by various OIE Ad hoc Groups and the designated experts at the OIE Reference Laboratories for aquatic animal diseases. The latest editions of the Aquatic Code and the Aquatic Manual published in 2006 incorporate several important modifications including several changes to the list of diseases. Work has commenced in new areas such as aquatic animal welfare and an assessment of whether amphibian diseases should be included in the work of the Commission. Continuing efforts are being made to encourage enhanced involvement of veterinary authorities in aquatic animal health and to improve cooperation between veterinary and other authorities with competence for aquatic animal health.