​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​The Fish Health Unit has expanded, with the integration of fish health diagnostic services with fish disease research, to create the Centre for Aquatic Animal Health and Vaccines.

The Centre plays a key role in promoting aquatic animal health and managing disease risk, with a focus on Tasmania's aquaculture industries. Together with the Animal Health Laboratory, we are involved in work from 'hatch to harvest': 

• Aquatic animal disease surveillance,
• Health testing and disease diagnosis,
• Research involving the development and testing of vaccines for bacterial and viral infections, &
• Research and development of responsive fish health diagnostic capabilities.

​​The Centre is operated by the Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment with support from the Tasmanian Salmonid Growers' Association and the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation.

For information about the Centre's strategic plan, refer to the

  Centre for Aquatic Animal Health and Vaccines Strategic Plan   (325Kb)​

Disease diagnosis and research activities

Major services provided and activies performed include:

• Providing Veterinary Pathology and Fish Microbiology diagnostic services for aquaculture and wild fish, including shellfish and crustacea;

• Providing a Fish Virology diagnostic service for salmonid fish based on virus isolation and culture on cell lines;
  
  
• Participating in research projects dealing with fish health issues and in particular the development and testing of fish vaccines;
  
  
• Producing MicroSys^® kits for the identification of bacterial fish pathogens​​

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Fish Vaccines

  AHL LabFact Fish Vaccines   (159Kb)​

Fish Kills​

  AHL Lab Fact - Unusual signs in wild fish   (184Kb)