The Fish Health Section has recognized the need for a peer review system to identify those individuals possessing the competence, training, and ethical standards required to serve the fishery resource by providing aquatic animal health inspection services for non-mammalian species as mandated by domestic and foreign regulatory agencies. Individuals meeting the requirements which follow shall be eligible for certification by the Fish Health Section as “Aquatic Animal Health Inspectors.”

The American Fisheries Society/Fish Health Section (AFS/FHS) certified Aquatic Animal Health Inspector is a trained individual who possesses the technical skills, knowledge and experience to conduct surveillance testing and/or health inspections of aquatic animal populations for specific aquatic animal pathogens regulated by domestic and foreign agencies, according to high ethical standards. This individual has the resources to detect clinical and/or carrier disease states, as specified in the AFS/FHS Blue Book, the OIE Manual of Diagnostic Tests for Aquatic Animals, etc., as well as being knowledgeable of the necessary current sampling, reporting and regulatory requirements required to properly manage aquatic animal populations.

The following links provide the information and documents needed to become certified or re-certified as an Aquatic Animal Health Inspector:

            Standards and Procedures
            Application Form
            Re-certification Application
            Re-certification Table for Continuing Education Credits
            Letter of Recommendation Form
            Letter of Recommendation for Recertification Form

**Please highlight all pertinent coursework on copies of academic transcripts submitted with your application package**

For additional information, please contact Wade Cavender by email or at the following address:

Fish Health Specialist
Fisheries Experiment Station
1465 West 200 North
Logan, Utah 84321
Phone: 435-752-1066 Ext. 211
Fax: 435-752-6977
E: wadecavender@utah.gov