At present, qualitative aspects of aquatic environment and within these the relating health conditions of fishes are the limiting factors of further development in freshwater fisheries and aquaculture. It is the reason why Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations focusses its attention on these problems. In 1991, FAO has offered to organize and international training course devoted to this field in Czechoslovakia. Working out and publishing a manual for participants of such course has been decided as an important integral part of the prepared course.
The presented manual is primarily focussed on participants of the FAO International Training Course on Fresh-Water Fish Diseases and Intoxications: Diagnostics, Prophylaxis and Therapy. It is believed this manual can be utilized even by other users engaged in the field of fish diseases and intoxications. Text of this manual was prepared by top Czechoslovak authors who are world-wide known as experts in these fields. Manual doesn't substitute a scientific publication on this topic; it is only a basic informative compilation covering up-to-date knowledge in this field. The most of the text is devoted to disease diagnostics and intoxications of fish. Some methods of haematological examination are included into diagnostic methods, too. Extensive part of text is devoted to basic principles of prevention and therapy of fish. Prevention of diseases and intoxications is a basic presupposition for healthy environment and successful fish farming. This presupposition is created particularly through emphatic prevention of surface waters pollution because there is very close relation between the quality of environment (quality of surface waters) and animal health. This is the reason why an extent text in manual is focussed on problems of surface waters pollution and partly on quality of applied feeds, too. A quality of final product, i.e. the fish for human consumption, is closely connected with quality of aquatic environment and of applied feeds. One chapter deals with these problems, i.e. hygienic and health acceptability of fish. Last but not least, the basic principles of fish therapy are presented in manual, too. Also this field is an important part of the group of problems to be solved. In fact, it is the last opportunity of fish stock protection and in many cases the decisive opportunity.
