November 2018

Dissemination workshops in India and Bangladesh

Over 60 stakeholders participated in high-level policy workshops recently held in India and Bangladesh to disseminate findings of the IMAQulate project.

Partners from the Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (India), Bangladesh Agricultural University and the WorldFish Center presented project findings and recommendations for improved on-farm application and regulation of a range prophylactic health products (PHPs) including pre and probiotics and immunostimulants, demand for which has soared following the growing prescription of antibiotic use in aquaculture.

The two November workshops attracted senior representatives of commercial companies involved in manufacture, distribution and consumption of PHPs as well as regulatory bodies, research institutions and producer organizations. Analysis of a sample of 68 probiotics has revealed instances of mislabelling of active ingredients and concentrations, contamination with human pathogens coupled with presence of anti-microbial resistance genes and in three instances antimicrobial activity indicative of antibiotic contamination.

Based on these findings and an inventory of 1,120 such products researchers have developed a risk-based ‘pedigree’ tool to support improved quality assurance and regulation of this emergent sector.

Dr Murray and Dr Joseph’s presentations are available as project presentations on the resources page.

Dissemination workshops in India and Bangladesh - participants

IMAQulate featured in Undercurrent News

The work carried out under the IMAQulate project in Kenya has been featured in the Undercurrent News as part of a piece about our commercial partner’s (Victory Farms) success as a Kenyan aquaculture enterprise.

Kenyan academic partners Machakos University and KMFRI, alongside social enterprise Sidai, worked with Victory Farms to trial commercial probiotics in an on-farm setting.

IMAQulate participation in roundtable discussion

PI Dr Francis Murray (UoS) and Co-I Dr ‘Ripon’ Mohammad Mahfujul Haque attended a roundtable discussion organised by the Bangladesh Agricultural Economist Association (BAEA). The meeting discussed aligning Bangladesh policy with the EU’s strategy for the blue economy. The discussion was moderated by Mr. Sajjadul Hasan, Secretary of Prime Minister Office, who praised the project’s input to the discussion.