Det er Rådet i World Veterinary Association (WVA) som bestemmer hvem som får prisen, som ble innstiftet i 1963. Prisen skal gå til en veterinær som har hatt særskilt betydning både innen vitenskap og for veterinærprofesjonen. Selve utdelingen vil finne sted under WVA-kongressen i Praha i september.
Håstein var forsker og leder ved Fisehelseavdelingen ved Veterinærinstituttet i en årrekke, samt professor ved Norges Veterinærhøyskole.
Han har hatt en rekke ledende posisjoner innen fiskehelse i Norge og internasjonalt. Han har vært både visepresident og president i Fish Disease Commission in World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), samt vært en meget sentral aktør for EU i utarbeiding av deres fiskehelsepolitikk.
Tore Håstein ble i 2003 utnevnt til Ridder 1. klasse av Den Kongelige Norske St. Olavs Orden for sin innsats for norsk fiskeoppdrett. Han er æresmedlem både i Den Norske Veterinærforening (DNV) og the European Association of Fish Pathologists (EAFP), og er tidligere blant annet tildelt Det Europeiske Fiskeoppdrettsforbundets (FEAP) ærespris for 2008. Begrunnelsen var da hans store engasjement for bekjempelse av fiskesykdommer i oppdrettsnæringen.
Les mer om prisen hos World Veterinary Association
I sitt brev til WVA skriver DNV:
In the meeting of the Board of the Norwegian Veterinary Association on the 13th of March 2013 a unanimous board agreed to submit the nomination of Dr Tore Håstein for the Gamgee Award 2013. One of the board members, Hogne Bleie (BVMS, MSc) was the nominator.
The board is convinced that Dr Tore Håstein meets the strict criteria requiring outstanding contribution to both the veterinary science and to our profession. He is a pioneer within the field of veterinary involvement in the aquaculture industry, which has given our profession an entirely new area of interest. Dr Håstein is arguably not only one of the first, but is surely one of the most influential and productive scientists in the field of the aquatic veterinary discipline.
Of his main achievements we would like to point out:
• Started with fish health work for the aquaculture industry in 1967
• Obtained his PhD at the University of Stirling as the first in fish pathology
• Founded and managed the Fish Health Division at the National Veterinary Institute in Oslo
• Lectured on fish health for students at several universities
• Has been the supervisor for an extensive list of PhD students, some of which are now in the forefront of aquatic veterinary medicine
• Has been awarded numerous awards for his work for his profession and for the aquaculture industry
Dr Tore Håstein also took an early interest for animal welfare within the aquaculture industry, at a time when fish welfare was not recognised as an important issue.
The Board of the Norwegian Veterinary Associations gives its full support to Dr Tore Håsteins candidature for the John Gamgee Award 2013, and is honoured to submit his nomination.
If our nominee achieves the huge honour of becoming the fourth recipient of the Gamgee Award, we feel it would also be an acknowledgement to all veterinarians who have chosen fish health as their career path.