Western Fish Disease Workshop

2025 Joint 31st Aquatic Drug Approval Coordination Workshop,
64th Western Fish Disease Workshop
and Annual AFS Fish Health Section Meeting

Bozeman, Montana
Best Western Plus GranTree Inn
June 23rd – 27th

Hosted by

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
and AFS – Fish Health Section

Organizing Committee

Ken StaigmillerMarilyn Blair, Lacey Hopper, Shane Ramee, and Sascha Hallett

We are excited to host a triple joint meeting this year! Please join your fish health colleagues to share your research and current projects in Bozeman, Montana in June. To help you plan, please find additional information below.

Important Dates

Early bird registration closes: May 2nd, 2025
Late registration closes: May 26th, 2025
Abstract submission closes: May 2nd, 2025
Lodging room block ends: May 20th, 2025
Snieszko Student Travel Award applications close: May 23rd, 2025

Schedule At A Glance

Monday June 23rd (evening)
AADAP Welcome Social 5-7 pm at Outlaw Brewing
Tuesday June 24th (full day)
Aquatic Drug Approval Presentations
Evening Social – Group Discussion of unique and interesting diagnostic case studies
Wednesday June 25th (full day)
Plenary Session focused on fish health in Montana’s trophy trout streams
Contributed Papers (oral and poster)
Student-early career-professional mixer session during lunch
Evening Awards Banquet
Thursday June 26th (full day)
Contributed Papers (oral)
Lunch – FHS Business Meeting

Friday June 27th (3/4 day)
Continuing Education Workshop – 6 credit hours
(Participation in the CE Workshop requires separate registration.)

About AADAP

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Aquatic Animal Drug Approval Partnership (AADAP) program is the only program in the United States singularly dedicated to obtaining U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval of new medications needed for use in fish culture and fisheries management. We host the Aquaculture Drug Approval Coordination Workshop on an annual basis with this year combined with the Western Fish Disease Workshop and the AFS Fish Health Section Annual meeting. This year AADAP’s workshop will be one day in length on Tuesday June 24 with plans to cover status and updates for drug approvals from FDA, sponsors, researchers, and many other partners as we work to get more tools in the toolbox for all fisheries professionals across the nation. All fish health professionals and students are welcome to join on this day of the meeting to learn more about the latest developments in aquatic drug approvals. We hope to see you then!

Continuing Education Summary

The CE Workshop (6 credit hours) will be held Friday June 27th, 2025 at the Best Western Plus GranTree Inn. This year’s topic is “New Tools for Your Tackle Box: Novel and Emerging Test Techniques”. Subject matter experts will showcase a range of diagnostic tools and techniques that include updates to established methods and additional approaches. Have you ever wondered what a particular method is used for? Or what you need to undertake that approach in your lab? Or how best to prepare samples for a particular technique? Join us at the CE workshop on Friday to discover what options are available to dig a little deeper into that fish health question!

Meeting Venue And Room Reservations

Venue: Best Western Plus Grantree Inn in Bozeman, Montana.
1325 N 7th Avenue, Bozeman, Montana 59715 United States.

Bozeman Yellowstone Intl. (BZN) is the closest airport to the meeting venue (9 miles), and offers a free airport shuttle.

We have reserved a block of rooms (King and Queen beds) for Monday night through Friday night. Occupancy may be single, double, triple or quad and all rooms, irrespective of occupancy, are at the government rate of $293 per night. The room block and rate expires on May 20, 2025. Rates are subject to an 8% lodging tax.

To reserve a room at the Grantree Inn, please either click here, or call the hotel directly at 406-587-5261 and refer to group #4504 or Joint AADAP, WFDW and Annual FHS Meeting.

We encourage you to take advantage of our room block at the GranTree Inn. Room rates are lower than nearby hotels and helps us to reduce the cost of hosting a meeting, and registration costs.

Have a colleague in the federal government who may need a room? Please consider offering to share a hotel room with a federal partner who might not be able to attend otherwise.

Are you a student or early career attendee who would like to share a room with a fellow attendee? Please check back here for a link to a page to connect you all (indicate whether you’d like double, triple or quad occupancy).

Overflow lodging will be available at the Homeward Suites and Hampton Inn at the government rate of $310.

Registration

Regular registration (Monday evening through Thursday) provides:
– admittance to all events from Monday evening June 23rd through Thursday June 26th (i.e. plenary session, general sessions, all social events); and most meals: AADAP social Monday evening (off site (casual dinner plus drinks)), breakfast Tuesday-Thursday, all morning and afternoon breaks, lunch Wednesday and Thursday, Case study social Tuesday evening (heavy appetizers and drinks), Poster session and banquet Wednesday evening (with drinks); the only meal not included is dinner Thursday evening – this is your opportunity to explore Bozeman with old and new friends!

Single day registration (any day Tuesday through Thursday) provides:
– admittance to all events that day, such as plenary session, general sessions, social events that day; and most meals: breakfast, morning and afternoon breaks, lunch (and dinner Tuesday and Wednesday; not Thursday).

Continuing Education Workshop registration (Friday):
Participation at the Continuing Education Workshop on Friday June 27th is a separate fee of $95 per person. The cost covers breakfast, morning and afternoon breaks, lunch and CE materials.

May 2nd, 2025 Early bird registration closes

May 26th, 2025 Late registration closes (swag not guaranteed with late registration)

Registration Fees:
FHS regular member: Early bird: $450, Late: $500
Non-member: Early bird: $550, Late: $600
FHS student/early career: Early bird: $350, Late: $400
Single day: Early bird: $225, Late: $250
Optional CE Workshop: $95

To register please go to: Four Waves (opening soon!)

Abstract Submission

Abstracts due: May 2nd, 2025

We encourage you to share your research and current projects by submitting an abstract. There will be two forums: general oral sessions (span Wednesday and Thursday) and general poster session (Wednesday evening before dinner). We are accepting contributions on any aquatic animal health topic.

Abstract submission is through the Four Waves portal. Access coming soon!

Snieszko Student Travel Award

The FHS Awards Committee is soliciting applications for Snieszko Student Travel Awards, which will award money to student members of the AFS-FHS to attend the 2025 Annual meetings in Bozeman, Montana. Students must be members of the AFS-FHS to be eligible.

Application requirements and additional information here.

Applications due May 23rd, 2025.