Prof. Yoram Avnimelech, Ph.D.
Professor Emeritus / Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Israel
Professor Yoram Avnimelech’s name is synonymous with Biofloc technology. He has developed novel technologies for intensive fish and shrimp farming, based on the control of the microbial system in the pond. He presently heads the Aquaculture Engineering Society’s (AES) Working Group on Biofloc Technology, and wrote the book Biofloc Technology: A Practical Guide Book (2012 & 2014) published by the World Aquaculture Society. He has served as a Board Member of Aquaculture Engineering Society and is presently on the Board of Directors of the World Aquaculture Society, chairing the Membership and Promotion Committee.
Dr. Tzachi Samocha, Ph.D.
Professor Emeritus / Texas A&M AgriLife Research, USA
Dr. Tzachi Samocha is a recently retired Regents Fellow & Professor with A&M AgriLife Research, USA. After obtaining his Ph.D. from Tel Aviv University, Israel he joined the National Center for Mariculture in Eilat, Israel where he served as Head of the Shrimp Research Unit from 1980 through 1988. In 1988 he joined the Texas A&M University System and for 27 years he served as Director of R&D at the AgriLife Research Mariculture Lab, Corpus Christi, Texas. His research covered induced maturation, larval rearing, and nutrition of several Penaeid shrimp species. In addition, he performed numerous studies on indoor raceways and outdoor ponds to develop new concepts in sustainable, biosecured, Biofloc-dominated intensive nursery and grow-out systems. He also conducted research on aquaculture effluent water remediation using Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA) systems, halophytes, and microalgae. As part of his job responsibility as Director of R&D, he was heavily involved in technology transfer to commercial producers and industry related businesses.
Dr. Nyan Taw, Ph.D.
Shrimp Aquaculture Consultant, Former Chief Technical Advisor and Consultant / FAO-World Bank, Vietnam
Dr. Nyan Taw has made significant contributions to the development of shrimp Biofloc technology, and has been an FAO Consultant for the World Bank-ADB funded projects in Vietnam. He was the former GM of Blue Archipelago Bhd, Malaysia; CTA for FAO projects and SVP/VP of Indonesian shrimp farming companies (Dipasena & CPB). He has published/presented over 80 papers, and recently co-authored a chapter in the book, Biofloc Technology: A Practical Guide Book, and published a book on Intensive shrimp farming systems in Asia.
Dr. Mohamed Shariff Mohamed Din, Ph.D.
Faculty / Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Malaysia
Dr. Shariff obtained his Ph.D. from University of Stirling, Scotland. He has 43 years’ experience in fish health and has served as a Consultant/Advisor to international agencies such as FAO, IDRC, NACA, ACIAR, and IFS. He published over 180 papers and filed 10 patents. Shariff was the founder President of the Malaysian Fisheries Society and served as the President of the Asian Fisheries Society. He served on the Board of Trustees of the World Fish Centre and was also a member of the OIE Aquatic Animal Health Standards Commission. Dr. Shariff is a Fellow of the Academy of Sciences Malaysia and is the Editor-In-Chief of the Asian Fisheries Science, a journal of the Asian Fisheries Society.
Dr. Rohana Subasinghe, Ph.D.
Managing Director / FutureFish, Sri Lanka / Former Chief, Aquaculture Branch / FAO, Rome, Italy
Dr. Rohana Subasinghe is an ex-FAO aquaculture and fish health professional with decades of global experience, currently working with World Fish, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the United States Agency for International Development, towards improving fish supplies in Africa through aquaculture.
Dr. Victoria Alday-Sanz, Ph.D.
Director / Biosecurity and Breeding Programs at Saudi Arabia's National Aqua Group (NAQUA), Saudi Arabia
Victoria Alday-Sanz is a veterinarian with an M.Sc. and Ph.D. from Stirling University. She has worked for over 30 years on diverse aspects of shrimp biosecurity: diagnostics, health management, sanitary legislation and development of SPF stocks. She has collaborated as an expert for international organizations such as FAO, EU, EFSA, WB and OIE as well as with the private sector such as shrimp producers, aquaculture financial and insurance companies worldwide. She has published over 30 papers in peer reviewed journals, over 50 articles in industry magazines, 5 book chapters, is co-author of the CD-rom Diagnosis of Shrimp Diseases and editor of The Shrimp Book. Presently, she is the Director for Biosecurity and Breeding Programs for the National Aquaculture Group of Saudi Arabia.
Dr. Ganesh Kumar, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor / Mississippi State University, USA
Dr. Ganesh Kumar is an Assistant Professor at Mississippi State University, specializing in aquaculture economics. He has a Master's degree in Inland aquaculture from CIFE, India, Aquaculture Marketing and Ph.D. in Aquaculture Economics from the University of Arkansas, Pine Bluff, focused on the economics and risks of alternativeproduction systems for fish growout. His primary focus of research is in the practical application of the principle of aquaculture farm management, mathematical programming, and risk analysis. He is the current Treasurer and Secretary for the International Association of Aquaculture Economics and Management as well as the Associate Editor for the Journal of Aquaculture Economics and Management.
Mr. Soraphat Panakorn (Danny)
Shrimp Culture Specialist/ Novozymes, Thailand
Mr. Soraphat Panakorn (Danny) is a shrimp culture specialist with nearly 25 years of experience. He served as a technical consultant to several national and international projects with his practical experience in the most efficient utilization of inputs in shrimp farming, particularly troubleshooting in complex farming situations. He is a former Vice President of the Thai Aquaculture Business Association and a former Secretary of the Thai Shrimp Farmers Federation. Currently, he is working with the Thai Shrimp Network, Thai DoF PR Team, and Southern Thai Shrimp Club, and serves as a freelance columnist in Aquaculture Asia Pacific Magazine, writing about practical shrimp farm management suitable for Asia.
Mr. Amorn Luengnaruemitchai
Managing Director / Manit Farm, Thailand
Mr. Amorn Luengnaruemitchai recieved Master's degree in Aquaculture and Aquatic Resources Management (AARM) from AIT, Thailand. He is currently the Managing Director of Manit Farm, among the top three tilapia production companies in Thailand providing fry and fingerlings to farms in Thailand and the region. The company supplies high quality tilapia fry (SuperBlack Nile tilapia and SuperRed red tilapia) with attributes of high survival and growth rate, and quality feed under both the Manit Farm and OHO brands.
Dr. Amararatne Yakupitiyage, Ph.D.
Adjunct Professor / Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand
Dr. Amara obtained his Ph.D. from Stirling. He specializes in designing of tropical aquaculture systems, aquaculture nutrition, and feed technology. His research involves aquaculture waste management and Biofloc systems. He has supervised around 130 Masters and 30 Doctoral students, and published over 60 peer-reviewed papers.
Sundeep Nayak IAS
Chairman, NEDAC, Bangkok/New Delhi
Sundeep NAYAK is a member of the Indian civil service (IAS). He has studied three full time Master’s degrees, one each, from the IIT Kharagpur, the London School of Economics & Political Science and the Monterey Institute of International Studies California, dabbling alongside with photography. He has also done short-term academic programs in different institutes of eminence that include the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad and the Goldman School of Public Policy, University of California, Berkeley.
Over his 36 years of professional experience, he has worked in the private sector (Tata Steel), public sector (ONGC) and the Provincial and the Federal Governments in India. He is the elected Chairman of the Network for Development of Agricultural Cooperatives in Asia and the Pacific (NEDAC) which has its headquarters in Bangkok. He is Chairman of Indian Potash Limited a major private sector player in the fertilizer space. His major assignments as a civil servant have included Managing Director of the premier cooperative sector financing behemoth, National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC), in the Government of India; Managing Director of the largest energy generation utility in Jammu and Kashmir, Principal Secretary of Energy, Agriculture Production, Tourism Departments. He has been the Director of major companies like the NALCO, the MECL and the Hindustan Zinc Ltd.
Dr. Krishna R. Salin, Ph.D.
Chair, AARM Program/ Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand
Dr. Salin is currently coordinating the Aquaculture and Aquatic Resources Management (AARM) Program of Asian Institute of Technology as its Chair. He has set a new research focus for AARM, centered on sustainable intensification of aquaculture production and has initiated a series of research and capacity development programs substantially boosting the visibility of AIT's Aquaculture Program in the Asia-Pacific region and beyond.
