By DOUG GRAVES

Ohio Correspondent

REYNOLDSBURG, Ohio — According to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, the state’s fish farming industry has 200 aquaculture farms with total sales of $6.6 million.

But as with any industry, a few of these farms end up going out of business. To keep fish farms knowledgeable about the perils in fish health, the Ohio Aquaculture Assoc. (OAA), in conjunction with Ohio State University South Centers Aquaculture Boot Camp and USDA’s North Central Regional Aquaculture Center, will host a Fish Health Workshop on Nov. 11 at the Ohio Department of Agriculture in Reynoldsburg.

“Here in the Midwest we hold these every few years, and the reason being we focus on fish health and water quality,” said Matthew Smith, South Centers Aquaculture extension specialist. “Water quality is the No. 1 reason why people lose fish and the reason so many go out of business.”

He will be one of the four speakers at the workshop. The others include Dr. Stephen Reichley, director of fish health at Clear Springs Foods in Buhl, Idaho; Dr. Mark Flint, clinical assistant professor at the OSU College of Veterinary Medicine; and Dr. Kathleen Hartman, Aquaculture Program leader with USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

In addition to fish dissection and information to assess their health, attendees will address issues such as water discharges, changes in water temperatures and how they affect the fish, proper feeding techniques and feeding schedules. They will also learn about certain viruses and infections pertaining to fish, fish stress management, biosecurity and how to limit the disease spread from one facility to another.

“Many, many aquaculture companies don’t really understand why their fish are becoming sick and most don’t know how to remedy this situation,” Smith said. “The sad thing is one can grow fish for 15 months to maturity and lose them all. The fish industry is big in the Midwest, and there are quite a few veterinarians focused just on fish in the U.S.”

The event Nov. 11 will run from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. at ODA, 8995 E. Main St., Reynoldsburg, OH 43068. The cost to attend is $40 for OAA members and $75 for non-members. Breakfast items, lunch and beverages will be provided.

RSVP by Nov. 6 to ohioaquaculture@gmail.com and include name, address and any dietary restrictions.