The People’s Republic of China acknowledges WOAH’s work on aquatic animal health in its centenary year.

Many things have changed in the 100 years of WOAH’s existence. Its formation was initially driven by a shared desire of founding Members to control diseases of terrestrial animals. Yet, since WOAH’s establishment, aquaculture is now the fastest growing food production system in the world. 

The value of international trade in aquatic animal products exceeds that of international trade in terrestrial animal products with one third of aquatic animal products traded internationally. However, alongside this rapid growth in production and trade, disease is the most significant threat to the sustainable growth of the world’s aquatic animal production. 

 The Aquatic Commission oversees aquatic animal health standards 

 WOAH first developed standards for fish health in 1968. Over time, this has expanded with the development of the Aquatic Animal Health Code and the Manual of Diagnostic Tests of Aquatic Animals that address diseases of amphibians, crustaceans and molluscs as well as fish. These two publications provide the basis for ensuring safe international trade of aquatic animals and their products and improving aquatic animal health worldwide. 

The Aquatic Animal Health Standards Commission is tasked with overseeing the revision and maintenance of these standards. At the Commission’s February 2024 meeting in Paris it was presented with a gift from the General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China to WOAH in celebration of its centenary and to acknowledge the important work of the Commission.

About the ‘Songyue’ work of art

The gift is a piece of Suzhou embroidery tilted ‘Songyue’  and the fish represented is the Koi carp named ‘Songyue’ (translated as ‘pine tree and the moon’) who won the 2023 Championship for the best Koi. She is a 6-year-old female, measuring 100 cm in length.

 Suzhou embroidery uses silk thread and is the first of the four famous embroidery types in China (People’s Rep. of), which has a profound historical and cultural foundation. Suzhou embroidery has been included on the country’s national cultural heritage list.

 The artist, Yao Jianping, is a Master of Suzhou embroidery and her works have been presented to foreign dignitaries and celebrities as state gifts on many occasions.

WOAH is very grateful to the General Administration of Customs of China (People’s Rep. of) for this generous gift that acknowledges the important work WOAH does to improve aquatic animal health and welfare worldwide.

Photo: Members of the Aquatic Animal Health Standards Commission with ‘Songyue’ embroidery (Dr Espen Rimstad, Dr Kevin William Christison, Dr Fiona Geoghegan, Dr Hong Liu, Dr Alicia Gallardo Lagno and Dr Ingo Ernst) –  © WOAH 2024

Photo: ‘Songyue’: Koi Carp Artwork © WOAH/J. Houeix