Microbiology, Fermentation and Biotechnology (MFB) Division, ICAR Central Institute of Fisheries Technology, Cochin, organized a customized hands-on training on "Fish disease diagnosis and its management" to the Kerala state fisheries department officials on their request during 1-12 February 2024.  This program was designed to meet the needs of State fisheries department officials engaged in testing samples from diseased aquatic animals and update their capacity to diagnose fish viral and bacterial diseases and their management. This customized training comprised of 10 theory classes on fish diseases and 21 hands on practical sessions on techniques involved in fish disease diagnosis. Fifteen state fisheries technical officers working in the fish disease diagnosis laboratories from Kerala and from Agency for Development of Aquaculture Kerala (ADAK) attended the training program. During the training, special awareness was provided on the "Report Fish Disease (RFD)" app under the National Surveillance Programme on Aquatic Animal Diseases to report incidence of fish diseases with the field level-officers and fish health experts to get health management advisories. A total of 59 stakeholders benefited from the awareness campaign. 

Dr. George Ninan, Director of the Institute, presided over the valedictory function of the training programme and advised the trainees to continue the collaboration with CIFT to get updated in the disease diagnostic techniques and urged the state laboratories to achieve NABL accreditation. Dr. T. Raja Swaminathan, HoD, MFB & Course Director delivered a welcome note, and emphasized the mutual benefits of such training programs between the ICAR fishery research institutes and state fisheries departments. Dr. Toms C Joseph, Course Director & PME cell in-charge underscored the importance of frequent discussions between CIFT and the Department of Fisheries, Govt. of Kerala, to address field-related challenges.  The event concluded with a vote of thanks from Mr. Ezhil Nilavan S, Course Co-coordinator.