Aquatic Veterinary Medicine Committee

Charge/Objective

The Aquatic Veterinary Medicine Committee (AqVMC) is charged with advising the AVMA Board of Directors in supporting and empowering the veterinary professionals in aquatic animal health, advocating and advancing the science and practice of aquatic veterinary medicine, and serving as a forum for collaboration to improve aquatic animal health management and production.

Membership, method of appointment, and representation

Membership is made up of veterinarians, and one non-veterinarian with interests in aquatic animal medicine, from the following categories: academia (veterinary school teaching, clinical or extension faculty); diagnostic services (academic, private or government diagnostic laboratory); corporate or laboratory aquatic veterinary medicine; public health/epidemiology; aquaculture food animal production (private or public practice); companion (ornamental) aquatic animals (private clinical practice); state or federal regulatory veterinary medicine; aquatic invertebrate health (mollusk, crustacean, corals, etc.); aquatic animal conservation medicine (wildlife, zoo, aquarium, marine mammals); a representative from the American Association of Fish Veterinarians; research in aquatic animal health; and a non-veterinarian with expertise to enhance aquatic veterinary medicine and support the objectives of the AqVMC. Appointments are made for a term of three years, and appointees may serve a maximum of two consecutive terms.

Invited representatives include American Fisheries Society Fish Health Section Medicine, FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine, World Aquatic Veterinary Medicine Association, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Marine Fisheries Service, National Aquaculture Association, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services, U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA-APHIS) Veterinary Services, Center for Food Safety and Nutrition, USDA-APHIS Center for Veterinary Biologics, Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums (AMMPA) Veterinary Committee.

Chair

The committee members annually appoint the chair.

AqVMC Issue Management Subcommittee

A three-member subcommittee, comprised of the AqVMC chair and two committee members who are veterinarians selected by the committee as a whole, is charged to act on behalf of the full AqVMC on time-sensitive issues between meetings.

Reports

The Committee reports to the Board of Directors.

Meetings

Meetings are held twice a year in Schaumburg, Illinois.

Funding

The AVMA will reimburse committee members for authorized expenses.
The AVMA will not reimburse invited representatives for travel expenses.

Life expectancy

The committee will be reviewed in compliance with AVMA governance policies.