AwF special session at Aquaculture 2013 in Nashville, USA

AwF special session at Aquaculture 2013 in Nashville, USA

If you are going to Nashville, TN for the Aquaculture 2013 conference, please join us on Friday 22 February at 3:30-5:30 PM for the Aquaculture without Frontiers Special Session chaired by co-executive director, Dave Conley.

Session Agenda:

3:30:  Dave Conley – AQUACULTURE WITHOUT FRONTIERS: PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE

3:45:  Kevin Fitzsimmons – AQUACULTURE WITHOUT FRONTIERS FARMER TO FARMER PROGRAMS

4:00:  Patricia Moraes-Valenti – POSSIBILITIES OF AwF COLLABORATION WITH BRAZILIAN ORGANIZATIONS WORKING ON POVERTY ALLEVIATION

4:14:  Dave Little – TILAPIA HATCHERY STRATEGIES IN ASIA – SPANNING THE INTENSITY CONTINUUM

4:30:  William N. Mebane – LOW RESOURCE TILAPIA CULTURE IN HAITI, LIMITATIONS, OPPORTUNITIES, AND POSSIBLE STRATEGIES FOR INTENSIFICATION

4:45:  May Myat Moe Lwin – AWF’S ROLE IN DEVELOPING MYANMAR’S AQUACULTURE POTENTIAL

5:00:  Roy Palmer – MARKETING AwF INTO THE FUTURE

5:15:  Dave Conley & Roy Palmer – Q&A SESSION + TILAPIA AQUACULTURE IN HAITI WORKSHOP 2011: HIGHLIGHTS AND OUTCOMES 

Appeal for Nandeesha Medical Assistance Fund halfway to goal

The appeal to help pay for the medical expenses incurred by Dr. M.C. Nandeesha’s family in the struggle to save his life has raised a total of USD 42,295 to date; this is 55% of our target amount of USD 77,000.

The appeal, launched December 21^st, is a combined effort by Aquaculture without Frontiers, World Aquaculture Society, Global Aquaculture Alliance, Asian Fisheries Society and Network of Aquaculture Centers in Asia-Pacific.

We have heard today from our colleague, Prathapa Chandra Shetty in Dubai, that Mrs. Rajeshwari Nandeesha is slowly recovering from the unimaginable and sudden events in her life. Now that she is back in Bangalore, after having participated in the Funeral Celebrations at Nandeesha’s home town, she has started looking at the many letters and emails received from Nandeesha’s friends and colleagues around the world. She is overwhelmed by the support and kind messages of condolence that she has received. She wants you all to know that she has no words to express her gratitude for the kind of support she has received during these difficult times and that she is extremely grateful to everyone.

We encourage you, if you have not done so already, to help us achieve our goal of collecting USD 77,000 by making a donation either online via the WAS website or by cheque. Details are provided by clicking here.

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.