17th Fribourg 2018

17th  Joint meeting of the German, Austrian and Swiss branches of the EAFP

3rd to 5th  October 2018, Au Parc Hotel, Fribourg, Switzerland

“Fish health – a challenge”

Picture of the participants of the XVII joint meeting of the German speaking EAFP branches October 2018 in Fribourg, Switzerland

 

The XVII Joint Meeting of the German speaking EAFP branches took place in Fribourg, Switzerland from the 3rd to the 5th of October. The event was organized by the Swiss branch-officer, together with further actual and former colleagues from the Centre for Fish and Wildlife Health (FIWI) and by a member of the Zurich University of Applied Sciences.

The great interest in the conference and the good scientific standard was reflected by the high number of talks and posters. The program included 42 oral presentations and 25 posters, which covered a broad range of interesting topics such as: diseases – old familiar and new problems; therapeutic strategies in a changing time; climate change, environment and fish-health; fish welfare and free topics.

The majority of the 73 participants from Germany, Austria and Switzerland arrived already on the 2nd of October and joined a get together in the evening.

In the morning of the 3rd of October, the scientific program was opened by the Swiss branch officer and a welcome address by a representative of the Canton of Fribourg and the Dean of the Vetsuisse Faculty, Bern, followed by the scientific presentations and poster sessions.

The general assembly of the German branch took place on Wednesday evening. Thursday evening was reserved for the social part of the conference, starting with an excellent guided tour through the old town of Fribourg, followed by a dinner in a historic restaurant in the city centre where specialities of the region were served. During the dinner, two young scientists were awarded the traditional “Wilhelm Schäperclaus Förderpreis” for the best presentation and the best poster, respectively.

While the majority of participants left after the official part of the conference, some interested attendees joined an excursion on Saturday visiting an elevator for wild fish to surmount a dam of a hydroelectric plant close to Fribourg, a trout farm situated in the Fribourg Alps and a cheese production site.

The conference was a successful event with many interesting and instructive scientific information but also very valuable personal contacts.

The Meeting Organisers

Thomas Wahli, Heike Schmidt-Posthaus, Beat von Siebenthal, Nicolas Diserens & Constanze Pietsch

 

Demonstration of the fish elevator built into the power station of the “Barrage de la Maigrauge” visited during the excursion after the scientific part of the meeting
For a guided tour through the old town of Fribourg a little “road train” was used
Participants attentively follow the presentation of a speaker in the lecture room of the meeting.
Snacks served by the fish farmer visited during the excursion after the scientific part of the meeting

For more info about this event please contact the Meeting Organiser and Switzerland branch officer: Thomas Wahli (thomas.wahli@vetsuisse.unibe.ch)