The theme for World Aquaculture 2015 in Jeju is ‘Aquaculture for Healthy People, Planet and Profit’ and is very relevant for an area which has a strong aquaculture industry, a population which has a high seafood consumption and is home to a natural UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Plenary speakers for the event have been chosen specifically to cover the theme in their presentations.
Dr Kang-sen Mai (麦康森), Professor of aquaculture nutrition, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China hardly needs an introduction. He currently focuses on fish species native to China and as a member of theChinese Academy of Engineering plays a major role in shaping the country’s aquaculture policy. Additionally he is Vice chairman of the China Society of Fisheries and committee member of International Fish Nutrition and Feeding.
Kang-sen’s current research topics are mainly on the nutritional physiology and nutrient quantitative requirements of the representative mariculture species in China, such as turbot, yellow croaker, sea-bass, and groupers. He is particularly interested in the comparative studies on the protein metabolism among carnivorous, omnivorous and herbivorous fish, and the replacement of fishmeal by alternative protein sources in their feeds.
He has produced more than 200 publications and 30 authorized national invention patents in aquaculture nutrition and feeds and will also be chairing the ‘Aquaculture in China’ session at WA2015.
Shakuntala Haraksingh Thilsted is Senior Nutrition Adviser at WorldFish Centre in Bangladesh and has a background with the Department of Human Nutrition, University of Copenhagen, Denmark. Her broad area of research and expertise is food-based strategies for improved food and nutrition security in low-income countries. She has carried out work in Bangladesh, Cambodia, West Bengal and Nepal, together with government institutions, universities and NGOs, focusing on the potential of nutrient-dense small fish in combating and preventing vitamin and mineral deficiencies, in particular, vitamin A, iron, zinc and calcium, especially in women and children. At the WorldFish Centre, she has been developing and implementing the CGIAR Mega Program 4: Agriculture for Improved Nutrition and Health.
The final plenary speaker will be the President of Korea’s National Fisheries Research and Development Institute (NFRDI), whose anticipated appointment will be in February. The NFRDI headquartered in Gijang-eup, Gijang-gun, northern Busan, is a scientific body operated by the South Korean government, under the authority of the Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. It was first established in 1921 and subsidiary institutes operate in each of the major Korean fisheries/aquaculture.
Interestingly the first stop on the Industrial Tour (click HERE) on 31 May will be the Future Aquaculture Research Centre which highlights the importance that is placed on the aquaculture industry in Korea.
For delegates travelling to Jeju for the first time some of the overseas steering committee members have produced a ‘Getting To Jeju’ blog which can be seen HEREand should be of some help.
Visit theWorld Aquaculture site HERE. (IAF1501) 