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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 5, 2006

Source: Pat Charlebois, 847-872-0140, charlebo@illinois.edu

AIS Conference Provides HACCP Training for Natural Resource Managers

URBANA - As they move from one water body to another, natural resource professionals typically take precautions to prevent the spread of invasive species. Now, they can step up their efforts to a state-of-the-art plan.

At the 14th International Conference on Aquatic Invasive Species (ICAIS) in Key Biscayne, Florida, May 14-19, natural resource managers and other related professionals can learn how to develop Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) plans to prevent the spread of invasive aquatic species.

At this one-day training session on Sunday May 14, participants will become familiar with the HACCP model, which was designed to prevent contamination in food products for the space program and has been used extensively by the seafood industry to ensure food safety. They will also learn through hands-on experience how to write a HACCP plan.

"To develop a HACCP plan, workshop participants analyze each step in their field activities to pinpoint where significant risk of transporting AIS can occur, said Pat Charlebois, Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant aquatic invasives specialist. "That's where it is most appropriate and efficient to take action to prevent the spread of AIS."

This training session in Key Biscayne is designed to be useful for resource professionals from any region in the country. "We are focusing on invasive species pathways, which are relevant to different water bodies and a variety of species," said Charlebois.

The HACCP training will go from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. with a lunch break. A detailed schedule of the session can be found online in the conference agenda at www.icais.org. To register, contact the conference administrator no later than April 30 at profedge@renc.igs.net  or (800) 868-8776. The session costs $15 and is limited to 50 participants.

ICAIS is hosted by the U.S. Geological Survey. The HACCP training session is hosted by the Great Lakes Sea Grant Network with support from the Great Lakes Protection Fund. It has been organized by Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant.

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The Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant College Program is one of more than 30 National Sea Grant College Programs. Created by Congress in 1966, Sea Grant combines university, government, business and industry expertise to address coastal and Great Lakes needs. Funding is provided by the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), U. S. Department of Commerce, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Purdue University at West Lafayette, Indiana.