FAO- SIDA – UNESCO MIRCEN workshop on safety of shelfish from harmful algae and biotoxins
Harmful algal blooms and shellfish toxicities are a global problem affecting safety of shellfish and international trade. It is estimated that about 2000 cases of shellfish toxicities occur annually with 15% mortality. The economic impact of this problem has been estimated to be US$ 82 million in United States alone. Considering the global importance of the problem and the need for capacity building in this area, an International workshop on “Safety of Shellfish from Harmful Algae and Biotoxins” was held at the UNESCO Microbial Resources Center (MIRCEN), Department of Fishery Microbiology, College of Fisheries, Mangalore, India during January 21 – 25, 2008. Dr. (Mrs) Indrani Karunasagar was the Workshop Coordinator. The workshop was jointly sponsored by FAO, Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA) and UNESCO MIRCEN.
The workshop included lecture and practical sessions on identification of harmful algae and their cysts; biotoxins and their detection by bioassay, immunoassay, HPLC and liquid chromatography mass spectrometer (LC-MS) techniques and monitoring as a component of integrated shellfish safety management. The workshop included 23 participants from Vietnam (4), Malaysia (3), Indonesia, Thailand, China, Morocco, Yemen (one each), Sweden (3) and India.
The faculty for the workshop included Dr. Y. Fukuyo from University of Tokyo, Japan, Dr. J. Larsen, IOC Center on Harmful Algae, Copenhagen, Denmark, Dr. Dave Clarke from Marine Institute, Galway, Ireland, Dr. Iddya Karunasagar from FAO, Rome, Dr. Ann-Sofi Rehnstam-Holm and Dr. Anna Godhe from Sweden, Dr. Indrani Karunasagar and Dr. B.B.Nayak from India. The sessions were highly interactive and the Workshop material included Manuals and CDs. The participants had opportunity to see fixed samples of harmful algae belonging to various taxonomic groups. In addition to lectures and practical sessions, the programme included presentation of the status of work on harmful algae and biotoxins in the countries represented in the workshop.
