Prompt action by AwF on UTMarT collaboration

Prompt action by AwF on UTMarT collaboration

New AwF Capacity Building Director,
Antonio Garza de Yta

Following the signing of a Cooperation Agreement between Aquaculture without Frontiers (AwF) and the Universidad Tecnológica Del Mar De Tamaulipas Bicentenario (UTMarT) on 15 September 2013, a number of activities have taken place highlighting the importance that both organisations have placed on the arrangements.

Roy Palmer, AwF Executive Director, said, “AwF has immediately appointed Antonio Garza de Yta as its Capacity Building Director with a specific role to manage the AwF Aquaculture Learning Centre at the International Center for Innovation and Technology Transfer for Aquaculture (CIITTA) project with UTMarT. We recognised the very important role that Antonio played in establishing the agreement and the high regard in which he is held. We note that Antonio has also just become the President of the Capítulo Latino Americano y del Caribe de la Sociedad Mundial de Acuacultura (LACC-WAS) and we are grateful to have him on our team.”

AwF contribution to Forum for Agricultural Risk Management in Development

AwF Executive Director Roy Palmer and Director Dave Conley contributed to the recent edition of the World Bank’s FARMD Focus on Risk Management in the Aquaculture Sector.

From Issue No. 13 – Forum for Agricultural Risk Management in Development –

Dear Colleague,

Aquaculture is one of the fastest growing food production sectors. Aquaculture faces risks similar to those of the agriculture sector, however given the complexity of aquaculture in terms of species, environments, and systems the hazards and risks are higher than the crop sector. This FARMD Featured Topic brings together a selection of resources and authors working in the aquaculture sector to address some of these risks and highlight some of the available risk management options.

To read the articles included in this issue, click here.

To read Risk Management for Smallholders in Aquaculture: The Work of Aquaculture without Frontiers, click here.

Novus internship available for 2014 – apply now!

NOVUS International is offering the chance for an aquaculture student to take part in the Novus World Aquaculture Society (WAS) Internship programme in Vietnam.

The four-week internship will be scheduled from June to August, 2014. The intern will work with The Novus Aquaculture Research team on a current project being carried out at the Novus Aqua Research Center in Vietnam – the third largest aquaculture-producing country in the world. 

AwF signs ALC cooperation agreement in Mexico

AwF’s Roy Palmer & Chancellor of UTMarT,
Dr. Guadalupe Acosta Villarreal
with signed Collaboration Agreement

Aquaculture without Frontiers (AwF) is pleased to announce that we have signed a Cooperation Agreement with the Universidad Tecnológica Del Mar De Tamaulipas Bicentenario (UTMarT) based at La Pesca, Soto la Marina, Tamaulipas, México.

The UTMarT currently offers Technical, Bachelor and Graduate programs in aquaculture and is building a new centre in Tampico. The target of this agreement is to jointly develop food security and personnel training in the International Center for Innovation and Technology Transfer for Aquaculture (CIITTA), which will be AwF’s first Aquaculture Learning Centre (ALC).

AwF Executive Director, Roy Palmer, visiting Tampico during his Mexican business trip said, “AwF is very keen to build a strong relationship with UTMarT and be involved in capacity building, engaging in projects and working with students and establishing a firm base within Mexico. There are 130 million people in Mexico, and of those approximately 30-35 million people are considered to be in extreme poverty. We hope to make a difference in assisting with the growth of aquaculture to assist the alleviation of both poverty and hunger and we see this new partnership as a major step in this direction.” 

Aquaculture – eradicating hunger?

July 2013 issue of International Aquafeed magazine – AwF Blog

Thank you for the comments I have received following the first version of this regular blog/column that aims to bring you news and information about Aquaculture without Frontiers (AwF) and the issues that surround our organisation.

It seems that poverty and hunger are getting put in the limelight for the moment with the G8 summit meeting in Northern Ireland. President Obama will be with the group at the annual meeting of the world’s wealthiest countries. I note that the countries look a bit ‘old school’ with the U.S., Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, and the United Kingdom – China not part of this?

In the U.S. the farm bill and food aid reform is on the domestic U.S. agenda so the President has a rare chance to return to theme of last year and make a lasting impact on world hunger once and for all. 

Giving hope and empowering through aquaculture

May 2013 issue of International Aquafeed magazine – AwF Blog

This is the first of what will be a regular blog/column that will bring you news and information about Aquaculture without Frontiers (AwF) and the issues that surround our organisation. We are grateful to the magazine in giving us this opportunity.

AwF is an organization of global volunteer aquaculture professionals who network; who are passionate about aquaculture and its ability to engage, train and feed the disadvantaged; and who create initiatives, projects and programs.

AwF was the brainchild of Michael New OBE, CBiol, FSB, BSc, ARCS, FIFST; Past President World Aquaculture Society (WAS) and European Aquaculture Society (EAS). Michael is still alive and well and is much revered person globally but he is trying to take a backseat and allow others to drive AwF. 

Developing country student support for advanced fisheries and aquaculture economics course

A Tribute to Prof. M.C. Nandeesha (1957 – 2012)

Under the Sponsorship of FAO-FIPM, the organizers will provide 8 bursaries for students from developing countries according to the following specifications:

a) Contribution to cover travel, lodging, meals and incidental expenses of four participants from developing countries from the Mediterranean countries, in particular North Africa and the Near East.
b) Contribution to cover travel and living expenses of four participants from other developing countries (Africa, Asia and South America).

Deadline for applications is May 17th.

For further information and applications please send CV to:
Mr. Ignacio Llorente García
Grupo-IDES
Universidad de Cantabria (Spain)
Email: Ignacio.Llorente@unican.es

Aquaculture takes off inTimor-Leste to tackle poverty

The government of Timor-Leste has developed a National Aquaculture Development Strategy, designed to help reduce high levels of poverty and chronic malnutrition throughout the country.

Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Mariano Assanami Sabino, endorsed the strategy stating that combating poverty and malnutrition has been a foremost priority of the government since its independence in 2002.

Developed with assistance from WorldFish, the strategy spans from 2012 to 2030 and will focus on building new infrastructure and technical ability to support aquaculture enterprises, which will also lead to improved economic growth.

Excellency Assanami says that developing aquaculture will bring much needed benefits to the country.

“Aquaculture contributes to food and nutrition security and resilience, diversification of livelihoods of inland and coastal communities, and economic growth in Timor-Leste,” he says. Read more …

Nandeesha Medical Assistance Fund update

Prof. M.C. Nandeesha

Courtesy of several colleagues and friends, we have the following update on our efforts to raise funds to pay Dr Nandeesha’s medical expenses after his unfortunate passing last December 2012.

Recent details provided by Ms Nandeesha indicate that total contributions from all sources amounted to INR 3.5 million (USD 64,800 approx) and were applied to the hospital bill of INR 4.0 million (USD 74,000 approx). Apparently the Hospital reduced the bill from INR 4.5 million to INR 4.0 million. We are not able to discern from statements how much has come from different sources/countries. The balance owing was paid off from other contributions received.

Ms Nandeesha is grateful to all those who contributed and indicated that she would not require further assistance. She requested that we post this tribute so that all who gave so generously would know of her gratitude. 

Wiley Online Books made available in developing countries via Research4Life

John Wiley & Sons, Inc., recently announced that its 12,200 Online Books would be made available through the Research4Life initiatives of HINARI, AGORA and OARE, benefitting research and academic communities in 80 low- and middle-income countries including Malawi, Cambodia, and Bolivia.

Research4Life provides 6,000 institutions in developing countries with free or low cost access to peer-reviewed online content from the world’s leading scientific, technical and medical publishers. The addition of Wiley’s Online Books brings the total number of peer reviewed scientific journals, books and databases now available through the public-private Research4life partnership to almost 30,000.