Category Archives: Updates

Dr. M.C. Nandeesha, 1957-2012

It is with a heavy heart that we announce the passing of our dear friend and colleague, Dr. Mudnakudu Nandeesha, who succumbed on Dec 27th to complications resulting from a severe heart attack he suffered on November 23rd.

Words do not adequately express our feelings at his loss but the Board of Directors would like to express our deepest sympathy to his wife and family at this time of their greatest sorrow. Know that Nandeesha was loved and respected by many in the aquaculture and fisheries community in India, Southeast Asia, and beyond.

We encourage you to make a donation to the Nandeesha Medical Assistance Fund in his memory. In addition to the loss of her husband, Mrs. Nandeesha must now deal with a substantial medical bill resulting from a month-long effort to save his life. Let us all offer our help and comfort in this time of need.

The Board of Directors, AwF

Farewell Dr Nandeesha by Dr Mohan Joseph Modayil

Donations sought for Dr. Mudnakudu Nandeesha

Prof. Mudnakudu Nandeesha

Prof. Mudnakudu Nandeesha, widely and affectionately known as “Nandeesha” is a special officer at Tamil Nadu Fisheries University in India, recipient of the World Aquaculture Society fellow award in 2012, board chairman for the Indian Branch of the Asian Fisheries Society and Aquaculture without Frontiers, and member of the Best Aquaculture Practices Standards Oversight Committee at the Global Aquaculture Alliance.

Nandeesha recently suffered a massive heart attack. Due to complications, he is now hospitalized in critical condition in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.  He is on a heart/lung machine and dialysis and may need a heart transplant. The cost of his ongoing treatment has surpassed the resources available to him and his family.

Aquaculture without Frontiers, World Aquaculture Society, Global Aquaculture Alliance, Asian Fisheries Society and Network of Aquaculture Centres in Asia-Pacific are therefore collecting monetary donations to assist Nandeesha. 

Student fundraiser nets $700 for AwF at AQUA 2012 in Prague

AwF director David Little and Benedikt Frenzl, president of the EAS student section, reported that the student fundraising raffle netted $712 for AwF’s mission in support of poverty alleviation through aquaculture.

Björn Suckow from ttz Bremerhaven won the first prize, a book donated by Nigel Balmforth, Senior Publisher: Life Sciences at Wiley-Blackwell.

Turker Bodur from Akdeniz University in Turkey won the book Tilapia Aquaculture in the Americas II, published by the World Aquaculture Society (WAS).

Other prizes included 3 more books on aquaculture and a T-shirt donated by WAS. 

Tilapia aquaculture in Haiti workshop proceedings now available

After the devastating earthquake in Haiti in 2010, a number of individuals and groups had informal discussions to explore various options for the recovery and redevelopment process. Of specific interest was how aquaculture might be implemented to feed the people and develop commercial enterprises that would enhance the long-term food security of Haiti.

A one-day meeting was organized to take place in New Orleans, LA on the day prior to the start of Aquaculture America 2011. The meeting, organized and supported by Novus International, the Marine Biological Laboratory at Woods Hole, Aquaculture without Frontiers, and the World Aquaculture Society, attracted over 50 representatives from various organizations with interests in helping the Haitian recovery. 

Sanjay Pradhan: How open data is changing international aid

How do we make sure that development and aid money actually goes to the people who most need it? Sanjay Pradhan of the World Bank Institute lays out three guidelines to help relief efforts make the most impact — while curbing corruption. One key: connecting the players who are working to change broken systems with the data they need. Watch the video on TED: Ideas worth spreading.

Sanjay Pradhan is vice president of the World Bank Institute, helping leaders in developing countries learn skills for reform, development and good governance.

International Aquafeed interviews AwF executive director Dave Conley

I am really excited about the next issue of International Aquafeed, in particular the interview with Dave Conley, Executive Director, Aquaculture without Frontiers, Canada.

We chatted for ages and it was a real struggle to edit the piece down to just one page. So I thought I’d share the whole interview here.

2nd Announcement – Global Symposium on Aquatic Resources for Eradicating Hunger and Malnutrition

The Global Symposium on Aquatic Resources for Eradicating Hunger and Malnutrition – Opportunities and Challenges will be held on 4-6 December 2012 at the Milagris Convention Centre, Hampanakatta, Mangalore, Karnataka, India.

Keynote speakers include Prof. M.S.Swaminathan, Dr. S. Ayyappan, Dr. Meryl Williams, and Mr. Jiansan Jia.

All conference details are provided in this poster, or visit the conference website.

AwF Chair Prof. M.C. Nandeesha, who is also Special Officer, Tamil Nadu Fisheries University, is the Conference Chairman.

New global partnership to promote aquaculture in fighting hunger

European Union takes the lead in three-year initiative

A major international initiative has been launched to better understand the role of aquaculture in food security in poor countries.

Bringing together a global alliance of development agencies, governments and universities, the initiative will help low-income food-deficit countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America to develop sustainable policies for improving the livelihoods of millions of poor people.

The European Union (EU) is funding the three-year project with one million Euros, which is managed by FAO in partnership with a global alliance of 20 development agencies, governments and universities. 

Noe Noe Lwin’s story of her journey to become an aquaculture businesswoman published in World Aquaculture

May Myat Noe Lwin, AwF Volunteer and owner of CNN Soft Shell Crab Farm and CNN Aquaculture Supply Company, attended the Aquaculture America 2012 conference in Las Vegas, USA in March to present in the special session – Aquaculture Pioneers: Life & Times and Lessons Learned. The session was organized and hosted by Dave Conley, ACG Senior Consultant and Founding Partner and AwF executive director.

Ms Lwin, who prefers to be called Noe Noe, was the last speaker of the session, and of the conference. The delegates that stayed to hear her speak heard an inspiring story of courage and determination to overcome many challenges in her path to become a successful entrepreneur in a foreign country. Noe Noe, a young Burmese woman, developed an aquaculture supply business with her uncle in Yangon, Myanmar and then purchased an abandoned shrimp farm in Ranong, Thailand to begin a soft shell crab farming venture. Her story so impressed the audience that John Hargreaves, editor-in-chief of the World Aquaculture Society’s magazine – World Aquaculture –  immediately asked for an article to be written for publication in the September issue.

Click here to read this article.

CGIAR research program on livestock and fish

Milk, meat, eggs and fish are key components of a balanced and nutritious diet. In developing countries with inland or coastal waters, fish is the dominant source of animal protein and supplies critical micronutrients. This high quality nutrition is especially important for vulnerable groups such as children, pregnant women and people living with HIV/AIDS.

Driven by rising population, increasing wealth and urbanization, especially in the developing countries of Asia, there has been an explosive growth in demand for these animal source foods.

With our wild capture fisheries either fully exploited or over exploited, any further increases in fish production will require continued growth from aquaculture. This is especially true for Africa which only supplies 2% of global aquaculture production.