Since 2006, WAVMA has been supporting the global development of a veterinary task force with expertise in a wide range of aquatic animals and specialties. The WAVMA is: to serve the discipline of aquatic veterinary medicine in enhancing aquatic animal health and welfare, public health, and seafood safety in support of the veterinary profession, aquatic animal owners and industries, and other stakeholders. In 2023 the Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean plans to inform faculties of Veterinary Medicine in the region about opportunities offered by WAVMA and in aquatic medicine. A trained workforce is needed to serve the aquaculture industry, both worldwide and in the Central/Sothern American region, driven by the salmon industry in Chile, tilapia in Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico, and shrimp in Ecuador. WAVMA offers two certification programs, the Certified Aquatic Veterinarian (CertAqV) and the recently established Certified Aquatic Veterinary Nurse/Technician (CertAqVNT).
Since 2019, the WAVMA Education and Students Committee (ESC) actively worked to dispense complementary training to aquatic veterinarians and veterinary students around the world. ESC is composed of volunteers and is currently organized into three subcommittees, each chaired by a dedicated WAVMA member. ESC provides guidance for the establishment of Student Chapters at veterinary universities around the world. to provide additional learning opportunities to veterinary students, either through lectures or practical activities on aquatic animals, fostering networking with professionals in the field. Students can better appreciate the roles of an aquatic veterinarian in the various domains associated with the well-being of aquatic animals, within the framework of the UN Sustainable Development Goals and One Health. The WebCEPD subcommittee runs the Continuing Education and Professional Development (CEPD) program, offering webinars from experts in their fields. In 2021, the ESC achieved its goal of conducting one webinar per month, attracting a great audience. Live webinars are open to anyone interested at no cost, while recordings remain available for free to WAVMA members and upon a small fee payment for non-members. Upon the completion of a short knowledge and skills assessment (KSA), Continuous Education (CE) credits can be obtained. The Education Resources subcommittee aims to to expose students to training opportunities. This is achieved through announcements on the WAVMA website and virtual events for young veterinarians, such as “A Sea of Opportunities” where examples of career paths and other formative experiences are shared. The Education Support subcommittee manages small funding schemes both for WAVMA Student Chapters (the Mini-Grant) and for individuals. The John L. Pitts Aquatic Veterinary Education Awards Program enables awardees to gain expertise in aquatic veterinary medicine. For regions of the world where the aquaculture industry has grown much faster than the capacity for aquatic animal health management and biosecurity control could have been established, such as Latin America and the Caribbean, WAVMA may provide great opportunities for rapidly bridging the gap in exposure, practical knowledge, and skills for veterinary students, and practicing aquatic veterinarians through its numerous programs and resources.