An update from WAVMA’s 2016 President, Dr. Nick Saint-Erne
This year is the 10th year of operation of the aquatic veterinary group known as the World Aquatic Veterinary Medical Association.
DOWNLOAD the commerative issue –
of The Aquatic Veterinarian journal
In the past two issues, I have been reviewing the activities of the early years of WAVMA, and will continue that theme throughout this year. There are also some great articles by two of the original eight WAVMA founders, Peter Merrill and David Scarfe, in the June issue. Some important information can be found in the early issues, which are available free to download from our website. For example, in the 2009 Aquatic Vet News 3:(2), President Hugh Mitchell highlighted some pertinent issues affecting aquatic veterinarians: regulations; lack of aquatic veterinarians [not as problematic in 2016 as it was previously!]; non-veterinarians filling veterinary roles; lack of clinical research on aquatic species; lack of approved drugs and biologics; drug accessibility to clients [without a veterinary Rx]; scarcity of aquatic curriculum in vet schools; definition of an “aquatic animal”; lack of credentialing; client diversity; lack of understanding that fish are “veterinary animals”.
The keys to resolving these issues were identified as implementing a good educational website and an aquatic veterinarian certification. I have to interject here that through the tireless work of Chris Walster, David Scarfe, Stephen Reichley and our website host, Gary Fairchild, we have created a phenomenal (and ever improving) website; and since our first 11 Aquatic Veterinarians were certified in 2013 [see Aquatic Vet News 7:(3) for information about the completion of the CertAqV Program!] using the program developed by the WAVMA Credentialing Committee, we have accomplished the two goals that President Mitchell suggested, and now have 41 Certified Aquatic Veterinarians around the world. Maybe that is why WAVMA has continued to grow as a respected, worldwide association.
In addition to the history of WAVMA recorded in our past newsletters, there is a wealth of medical information in each issue of The Aquatic Vet News from the very first issue. You can download pdf files of those issues from the Archived TAV Issues webpage.
With best wishes for the continued success of WAVMA for the next ten years, and to infinity and beyond!
