Aquaculture NADA Coordinator

General Reports


REPORT ON ROUNDTABLE ON THE NEED FOR A ZERO WITHDRAWAL ANESTHETIC

 

A very successful roundtable discussion on the critical need for a zero withdrawal anesthetic centering on AQUI-SÒ was held Sunday, August 22, 2004 at the annual meeting of the American Fisheries Society (AFS) in Madison , Wisconsin .  The organizing unit was the AFS Aquaculture Chemicals Subcommittee of the Task Force on Fishery Chemicals.  The purposes of the Roundtable were as follows:

 

1.  Identify anesthesial procedures needing a zero withdrawal time anesthetic

2.   Identify potential candidates for a zero withdrawal anesthetic

3.   Identify current efforts and data gaps for approval of a potential zero withdrawal anesthetic—AQUI-SÒ

4.   Determine ways and means to secure

a.       Additional research support for AQUI-SÒ for the label claims currently underway and funded

b.       Additional funding for the label claims not covered by current efforts and funding for AQUI-SÒ

5.   Determine ways and means of alerting the fisheries communities to the need for approval, support, and additional funding for AQUI-SÒ

 

The first two purposes were easily accomplished.  The third purpose centered on AQUI-SÒ label claims currently underway and funded for the initial new animal drug application approvals.  These label claims include (1) short-exposure procedures for all freshwater and saltwater salmonids and (2) short-exposure procedures for all coolwater and warmwater freshwater fish.  One of the two presentations centered on the data that have been generated showing the effectiveness of AQUI-SÒ to help perform procedures needing short-exposures to the handeable stage for freshwater fish (Jim Bowker presenter, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service).  The Roundtable group discussed the last two purposes in great detail.

 The ways and means for securing additional research support for supportive efficacy data for the initial label claims underway included:

 

1.    Get additional persons to sign up for the investigational new animal drug (INAD) exemption on AQUI-SÒ

2.     Obtain information on supportive efficacy data needs for the AQUI-SÒ INAD through the International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies Drug Approval Working Group

 

The ways and means for securing additional funding for potential, additional label claims (e.g., transport) included:

 

1.    Advocate the continued funding of the entities currently involved in the drug approval effort on AQUI-SÒ

2.     Re-establish aquaculture drug approvals as a National Conservation Need through IAFWA , U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the states

3.      Determine need for potential, additional label claims (e.g., transport) through a survey of all potential stakeholders

4.      Address the label claims not discussed at the Roundtable (i.e., surgical anesthesia/all fish & shellfish and short-exposure/marine fish (not salmonids) & shellfish by determining the need and potential support from its stakeholders

 

The ways and means of alerting the fisheries communities to the need for approval, support, and additional funding for AQUI-SÒ included:

 

1.                   Meetings involving stakeholders

2.                   Article on this issue in Fisheries

3.                   Fact sheets on AQUI-SÒ

4.                   Pertinent Websites

5.                   Newsletters from societies and associations involved in fisheries and aquaculture

6.                   Seminars with stakeholders needing AQUI-SÒ

 We will be discussing the ways and means to accomplish our goals on AQUI-SÒ at the meeting of the Drug Approval Working Group of the International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies on September 27, 2004 in Atlantic City , NJ .

 This is a good start toward our goal of a zero withdrawal anesthetic approval (i.e., AQUI-SÒ).  Let’s work together to gain broad approvals for AQUI-SÒ for all fish and shellfish.

 

Rosalie (Roz) Schnick
National Coordinator for Aquaculture New Animal Drug Applications
Michigan State University
3039 Edgewater Lane
La Crosse , Wisconsin 54603-1088
Phone: (608) 781-2205
Fax: (608) 783-3507
E-mail: RozSchnick@centurytel.net
Web: http://aquanic.org/aquadrugs/index.htm

 


 

Return to AquaNIC