Department of Aquatic Environment, College of Fisheries, Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (GADVASU), Ludhiana conducted five days ‘Entrepreneurial Training Program in Aqua Clinical Techniques’ for postgraduate students. It was under ICAR Development Grant -"Strengthening and Development of Higher Agricultural Education in India - SC-SP Component". Practical knowledge from setting up an ‘Aqua-Clinic’ to advanced techniques in disease diagnosis and management was provided to the students, with major objective of fostering their mindset towards entrepreneurship in aqua-clinical practices.
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Starting with importance of aqua-clinics in sustainable development of aquaculture, lab design and equipment details, the students were briefed about good laboratory practices with safe handling and operation of equipment's by Dr. Naveen Kumar B.T., Assistant Professor (Fisheries). Students acquired practical skills in symptom assisted disease diagnosis and practical training in collection, packaging, transport and processing of water, soil and fish samples for screening of potential pathogens through microbiological and molecular biology techniques. Explaining importance of histopathology in the disease diagnosis, Dr. Shanthanagouda A.H., Assistant Professor (Fish Biochemistry), provided heuristic experience in tissue collection, processing, staining and preparation of slides for analytical interpretations. Exhibiting phage therapy for control of bacterial pathogens, Dr. Anuj Tyagi, Assistant professor (Fish Microbiology) introduced the students to bacteriophages isolates available with College of Fisheries, which can be potentially utilized to check bacterial pathogens in an aquatic environment. Students received hands on training for evaluating antibacterial activity of phage through spot and plaque assays. Entrepreneurial video on aqua-clinical techniques and an aquaculture health management guide for prevention and treatment of common diseases in freshwater fish developed under the same grant, were also provided to the students for future reference.
Dr.Vaneet Inder Kaur, Head of the Department informed that demand for aquaculture clinical services has increased in north western region in the recent past owing to expansion of shrimp farming in saline areas. Hence, specialised facilities for inculcating clinical skills among fisheries students have been created to enhance their professional competency in the said field. Dr. Meera D. Ansal, Dean College of Fisheries informed that such capacity building programs are conducted to produce fisheries professionals skilled enough to serve the sector through entrepreneurship or placement in public/private sector co-equally.
