The 15th Aquaculture Association of Southern Africa (AASA) Conference
Dr. Thierry Chopin
In Memory of Professor Thierry Chopin
It is with great sadness that we mourn the loss of Professor Thierry Chopin, who sadly passed away on July 18, 2024, at his home in New Brunswick, Canada. Professor Chopin was a leading partner and inspiration in the EU ASTRAL project on sustainable aquaculture, who are co-sponsoring our conference this year. Thierry was passionate about the ocean, seaweeds and an enthusiastic advocate for Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA). He was a world class scientist, earning great respect from the aquaculture community, and inspired many generations of young scientists.
Our thoughts are with his family, friends, and colleagues during this difficult time.
Aquaculture Association of Southern Africa (AASA)
Pascal Raux
Senior economist at the University of Brest (France), European Institute for Marine Studies (www-iuem.univ-brest.fr) and member of the Joined Research Unit AMURE Centre for Law and Economics of the Sea (www.umr-amure.fr). Researcher in environmental economics with extensive experience in social and economic analysis of marine aquaculture. His research experience focuses on aquaculture sustainability, evaluation of public policies, ICZM and economic assessment of marine related activities. Pascal Raux has a long experience in the study of a diversity of coastal and marine aquaculture systems from local to regional scales, from extensive to intensive systems, from temperate to tropical systems as well as in terms of species.
From technical and economic assessment of aquaculture production systems to assessing the social acceptability of aquaculture developments. Member of the editorial board of Aquaculture Economics and Management journal from 2002 to 2014. Involvement and work package eader in a number of European projects since the mid-90s dealing with aquaculture development policies, integrated assessments and participatory approaches in the field of ICZM (e.g. STD3 DG12, FP4 GAMBAS, FP4 ELSA Pêche, FP5 PORESSFA, FP6 SEACASE and SPICOSA, FP7 PEGASO and KNOWSEAS, H2020 ResponSEAble and MedAID).
Barry Antonio Costa-Pierce
Barry Antonio Costa-Pierce (aka “BCP”, “Pierce”) is currently Professor II at the Faculty of Biosciences & Aquaculture, Nord University, Norway, and President/CEO and Chief Scientific Officer of Ecological Aquaculture LLC. BCP has a Ph.D. in Oceanography/Aquaculture from the University of Hawai’i and a M.Sc. in Zoology/Limnology from the University of Vermont. He is an Emeritus Professor at the University of Rhode Island (2012) and the University of New England (2022).
BCP is an aquatic/marine ecologist with a 40+ year career in transdisciplinary research in ocean aquatic food systems: how fisheries, aquaculture and marine/aquatic food value chains throughout the world interact locally with marine/aquatic ecosystems, economies, and people.He has worked as an aquaculture/fisheries research scientist and policy expert for education and research organizations, banks, and industries throughout the World living long-term in Asia, the Pacific Islands, Africa, the Americas, and Europe, with commercial experiences in shrimp/prawns, oysters/clams, seaweeds, tilapias, carps, salmon/trout.
BCP is a proud Azorean/Portuguese American born into the Portuguese diaspora of SE Mass, with a Costa family of many generations from Ilha do Pico e Faial, Açores.
BCP was team member that developed the FAO “Ecosystem Approach to Aquaculture”. He was a co-PI on the 5-year, US$20 mil NSF award that established the Sustainable Ecological Aquaculture Network (SEANET) in Maine. He was selected by the Swedish Royal Academy of Agriculture & Forestry as the Knut & Alice Wallenberg Professor at the University of Gothenburg. As a Fulbright Specialist at the University of Akureyri, Iceland he designed a new, international ocean foods systems graduate program in partnership with universities in Iceland that graduated over 30 master’s students. He is a science advisor to Kaua’i Sea Farm, OLAMUR and NIBIO (Norway), and the Blue Food Centre (Sweden). In 2021 he served as co-organizer with Dr. Max Troell of Sweden on a global thematic review on “Aquaculture’s Contribution to the SDGs” (published in 2023). BCP is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).
Foluke Omotayo Areola
Foluke Omotayo Areola has been a prolific fisheries and aquaculture professional for
over 40 years, providing technical guidance in fisheries, aquaculture, research, and
development, and strengthening institutional and partnership capacities across the
fishery, aquaculture, and support sectors. Ms. Areola is the President of the World Aquaculture Society African Chapter (WAS-AC), the first Federal Director of Fisheries Quarantine in Nigeria, as well as the first female Acting Federal Director of Fisheries; Aquaculture and Fisheries. She is a distinguished fellow of the Fisheries Society of Nigeria (FISON), and the first Female National President. She holds professional roles as a consultant, administrator, facilitator, mentor, and researcher. She has participated in high-level national, regional, and continental initiatives, including as a facilitator of the Agriculture and Food Security Policy Commission of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG). She is passionate about local and global economic development and growth.
EXHIBITORS
