The specialized meeting to investigate the health challenges of the marine fish reproduction and production was held in the auditorium of the Bushehr Department of Fisheries by the Shrimp Research Institute of Iran with the participation of experts and managers of the private sector involved in the marine fish reproduction and production in the south of the country as well as some regional officials, dated 14 January 2020. At the meeting, lecturers from the Bushehr Department of Fisheries and the Veterinary Directorate Generalof Bushehr Province, the South of Iran Aquaculture Research Center (Ahvaz), the faculty of veterinary of the Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz and the Academic Center for Education, Culture and Research of Tehran as well as the Academic Center for Education, Culture and Research of Ahvaz addressed a range of specialized and applied topics. Highlights of the meeting included the current status and programs of marine fish reproduction and production in Bushehr Province, the biotechnology of Asian sea bass reproduction and production as well as the actions taken in the field of reproduction, production,
health and diseases of marine fish at the Bandar Imam Khomeini Marine Fish Research Station and the South of Iran Aquaculture Research Center, common diseases of Asian sea bass in breeding centers and cages, health management and biological safety of marine fish in reproduction and production centers and prevention of marine fish diseases by vaccination. Programs for the meeting were simultaneously shared via video conferencing at the headquarters of the Iranian Fisheries Science and Research Institute (Tehran) and the South of Iran Aquaculture Research Center (Ahvaz). At the end of the program, questions and answers related to the health challenges of the marine fish farming industry in the south of the country were presented by the attendees and video conference participants. In conclusion, Dr. Dashtian Nasab, the head of the Shrimp Research Institute of Iran, emphasized the need to develop applied research in order to increase the reproduction and production efficiency of Asian sea bass especially indigenous species of marine fish in the south of the
country, the need for skilled and specialized human resources training, consider other challenges including food, market and biological threats as well as the improvement of methods for detection, prevention and treatment of marine fish diseases.