Wade Cavender

Wade Cavender serves as the Assistant Aquatic Section Chief for the Utah Division of Wildlife (UDWR), managing vital programs at the Aquatic Animal Health and Research Center. With his expertise, he facilitates essential services such as applied research for conserving native species and regulating sportfish populations. His role also involves overseeing health inspection and certification programs for both hatchery-raised and free-ranging fish stocks across the state. Beyond these duties, Wade assumes a strategic role between agency partners throughout the Western United States, assisting in creating cooperative procedures and policies. This valuable contribution ensures an efficient use of resources, addressing challenges faced by regional aquaculture and uniting stakeholders to develop projects that serve the industry's needs more effectively. 

Expertise

Bacteriology, virology, parasitology and molecular testing programs.
Aquatic animal health inspections, pathogen surveillance and diagnostic responsibilities as they pertain to free ranging fish populations and fish culture programs.