APC Board Officer: See our board officer with their contact information

PRESIDENT  – Dr. Bibha Kumari

       

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

 

 

Dr. Bibha Kumari 

Faculty at Magadh Mahila College, Patna University, Patna, India                                 

Tel: +919430465396

Email: bibhak136@gmail.com

Dr. Bibha Kumari (Ph.D. in Zoology), an academician from India, has extensive experience teaching and conducting research in Gender and fishery, Fish Biology, Aquatic Science, Environmental Science, and animal sciences. She has held positions as a member of the Board of Directors (2020-2022) and the Student Director (2016-2019) of the World Aquaculture Society-Asian Pacific Chapter. Dr. Bibha is a proficient master trainer, having provided training for River Life Management and Pollution Monitors, with a particular focus on empowering youth, especially girls and women. She has collaborated with numerous international organizations and has represented different countries as a Session Chair/Speaker and Board member.

With over eighteen years of teaching and research experience in her subjects related to fishery, aquaculture, environmental science, and animal sciences. Dr. Bibha currently serves as a faculty member in the Department of Zoology at Magadh Mahila College, Patna University, Bihar, India.  Since 2012, she has been actively involved in field research concerning the status of women in the fish market of Patna. Dr. Bibha has been honored with the "Women Excellence Award 2022" from NESA (National Environmental Science Association) India and the "Knowledge Excellence (Global Award) for Excellence Faculty Award 2020" for her remarkable contributions to the field of Environmental Science. Additionally, she received a Highly Commended Paper award for her work on gender in aquaculture and Fishery in 2014.

She served as a State Expert Appraisal Committee (SEAC) member for Bihar, appointed by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), Government of India, for a term of three years (12 August 2021- 11 August 2024). Dr. Bibha is currently a member of "The Commission of IUCN (CEC, CEM, CEESP)" and has recently been appointed as a Global Expert Member by IUCN for the Global EBA fund project.  Proficient in Gender in fishery and aquaculture, Environmental toxicology, Aquatic physiology, Ecology, and Biodiversity. Her scholarly works are featured in High Impact factor International Journals. She holds editorial roles in various esteemed International Journals of Elsevier, Springer, Taylor, and Francis, among others.

PAST PRESIDENT  – Dr. Krishna R. Salin

Dr. Krishna R. SALIN is currently an Associate Professor at the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), Thailand, coordinating the AIT’s Aquaculture Program as its Chair. He has been active in the industry as a researcher, entrepreneur, and academic for over 23 years. He holds a Bachelor of Fisheries Science, Master’s in Aquaculture, and Ph.D. in Mariculture from India; and completed the post-doctoral research at the Queensland University of Technology, Australia where he was also appointed as a Visiting Fellow. Dr. Salin was a recipient of the Best Young Scientist Award (2003, India), Australian Endeavour Award (2009, Govt. of Australia); and CREST Biotechnology Award (2012, DBT, Govt. of India).

Teaching and supervising Masters and Doctoral students at AIT, Dr. Salin’s research focus covers innovative aquaculture systems, grow-out and hatchery technologies for fish and shrimp, and applied genetics for stock improvement. Dr. Salin serves as a Technical Consultant and Hon. Advisor to national and international organizations and handles several aquaculture research and development projects in India, Thailand, and East Africa. He is a Visiting Professor at the Shanghai Ocean University, China; and Universidad Juárez Autónoma de Tabasco (UJAT) – one of the biggest public universities in Mexico; and serves as the Associate Editor of international journals including Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences (Springer Nature) and Aquaculture and Fisheries (Elsevier).

Dr. Salin has served as a member of the Affiliation Committee of WAS and also partnered with WAS in organizing international conferences, workshops, and training programs. He brings this experience to the WAS-APC Board for a closer engagement with the Society and support in expanding the presence of WAS in the Asia Pacific region.

PRESIDENT ELECT – Dr. Imad Saoud

    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dr. Imad Saoud (Term ends 2025)

 Proffesor of aquatic science and aquaculture at the American University of Beirut, Lebanon

Email: is08@aub.edu.lb

Dr. Imad Saoud,  a professor of aquatic science and aquaculture at the American University of Beirut. He earned a PhD in Fisheries and Aquaculture and his post doc was in aquatic animal nutrition both at Auburn University. Imad’s research focuses on the eco-physiology of aquatic organisms especially under aquaculture conditions. Dr. Saoud has worked with shrimp, oyster and fish aquaculture both in fresh and salt water. He is the world authority on rabbitfish aquaculture and one of the few experts on arid land aquaculture. Lately, his researched has focused on circular economy in aquaculture and on environmental concerns related to water productivity. He has also diversified into water conservation using aquaculture to improve water productivity. Imad’s work has taken him to the USA, Latin America, West Africa, Southeast Asia and the Middle East. He has previously served on the board of the Asia-Pacific Chapter of the World Aquaculture Society and has served in various committees of WAS. He is presently serving as the president elect of WAS/APC.

TREASURER – Hermin Susiani (Erin)  

Hermin Susiani (Erin) was born in a village in East Java, Indonesia. She is earned bachelor of business management at Binus University. Erin is currently working as an operational manager at CV. Catur Blue Aqua company which is     a leading aquaculture product distributor company with a strong presence in Indonesia, in supporting aquaculture environment based on innovation-research and contributing to increasing the success of shrimp culture in Indonesia and to develop in the world. She has served in the national secretary at the Asian Pacific Aquaculture 2024 event which was held Surabaya. She is presently serving as the treasurer elect of WAS/APC.

 

DIRECTOR – Dr. Leila Basti

Dr Leila Basti  (Term ends 2025)

a Laureate Engineer in Agronomy, specialized in Marine Environment and Aquatic Resources (Tunisia)           

Email:  bastileila@gmail.com

Dr Leila Basti is a Laureate Engineer in Agronomy, specialized in Marine Environment and Aquatic Resources (Tunisia) . She obtained her Master of Marine Science and Doctor of Marine Science from Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology (TUMSAT) as a MEXT Scholar, in Japan where she is permanently residing. She was a Strategic Young Researcher at TUMSAT and a JSPS International Research Fellow at the National Institute of Fisheries Science (Fisheries Research and Education Agency; Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, now under MEXT). She then was appointed Assistant Professor in Ocean Science at TUMSAT (2015–2020), under a governmental program, funded by MEXT, TUMSAT and JSPS. In 2022, she was asked to join UAEU as an Assistant Professor (Ocean Science, Fisheries and Aquaculture), Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, to help with the academic program and research in Aquaculture and Aquaponics (currently Academic Program Coordinator). Leila Basti research interests span the fields of Coastal Ecosystems, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Aquaculture, Fisheries, and Food and Water security. She has been conducting inter-disciplinary research, with international experts, on the environment-aquaculture interactions and environment-fisheries interactions, within the contexts of anthropogenic pressures and climate change, to improve the sustainability of aquatic food production systems. She is also a subtheme lead in a food security project in UAE and is building research on sustainable aquaculture production systems, integration of AI in aquaculture production, IMTA as well as sustainable aquafeed. She was selected as an Expert for a National Program on Seafood Safety (Private Sector) and served as a Delegate and a Reviewer for the National Strategy on Sustainable Marine Environment and Fisheries (including Aquaculture), MOCCAE (Gov.), UAE. Dr Leila Basti was a member of the Asia-Pacific Aquaculture Committee and served as an International Program Chair (2017–2022) for World Aquaculture Singapore 2022 (WAS/SFA). She has been publishing several peer-reviewed papers and book chapters in leading journals, has been a presenter at over 50 International Events in North America, South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Oceania, and is on the editorial board of several journals, including Reviews in Aquaculture. She has been an invited researcher, scientist, and professor to several world-leading universities and institutions in USA, Europe, Africa, and Asia. She also served as a keynote speaker, an invited expert speaker, an invited consulting speaker, and an invited guest to conferences, governmental and continental union events as well as world forums.    

DIRECTOR – Dr. Alastair Smart

Dr. Alastair Smart grew up on a mountainous wool growing property in the Flinders Ranges of South Australia with views to the sea – which clearly did the trick. This precipitated into 3 decades of working in aquaculture in numerous countries, species and all aspects of the fish farming process. Variety is the spice of life so Alastair started this journey by making feed for bluefin tuna and crocodiles, farming mussels in Port Lincoln before heading overseas and immersing into the salmon industry throughout Scotland, Norway, Chile, Canada, Ireland and Australia. He hasn’t stopped and most recently was CEO of Australia’s only ocean grown barramundi operation.  

 

DIRECTOR – Dr. Loc Tran

Loc Huu Tran, Ph.D is the Assistant Professor at Faculty of Fisheries, Nong Lam University at Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Founder and CEO, Minh Phu Aquamekong ShrimpVet Laboratory, ShrimpVet Food Co. LtD: Chairman & CEO, Luxneo Biologicals Jointstock Co. LtD: Chairman & CEO.

Leading a young team of 80+ people, Loc and his co-workers have been working on various field related to aquaculture including: genetics, diagnostics, aquaculture products testing, disease prevention technologies, hatchery technologies, and farming technologies. ShrimpVet, a private independent research Lab, is now recognized as an international research team that serves the industry in Vietnam and several other aquaculture countries.

 

DIRECTOR – Dr. Lilian Wong

Associate Professor Dr Lilian Wong is currently affiliated with the Institute of Marine Biotechnology (IMB), Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT), specializing in Fisheries Genomics. She graduated with a Bachelor of Applied Science (Fisheries) from UMT and PhD in Fish Genetics from Auburn University, USA. She was appointed as the Final Year Project Coordinator in the Faculty of Fisheries and Food Sciences (2012-2015) and the Head of Biotechnology Section in the Institute of Tropical Aquaculture and Fisheries (2016-2019). She has taught 14 different courses of diploma, undergraduate and post-graduate levels. She has also closely monitored a total number of 41 students for their academic projects.

 

STUDENT DIRECTOR – Dr. Fanny Ayumi Yasumaru

Dr. Fanny Ayumi Yasumaru Background aquaculture engineering, with emphasis in aquaculture nutrition, including in vitro protein digestion for quality assessment in feedstuffs and finished feeds, aiming at industrial application for marine shrimp from early larval to juvenile stages, and freshwater and marine fish species. Additionally, technical expertise in feed formulation, feed making, in vivo digestibility and feeding trials with fish and shrimp species, proximate analysis of ingredients and finished feeds. Joined Aquaculture Innovation Centre (Singapore) in July 2019 as Research Scientist and since December 2020 is Manager of Research and Services, participating in research projects with aquaculture industry partners. Also involved in providing training on entrepreneurship in aquaculture, good aquaculture practices, and responsible care and use of fish for research purposes. Recently, has been involved in co-organizing the webinar series “Talking with Titans” with Dr. Albert Tacon and Dr. Kabir Chowdhury, from the Aquaculture Nutritionists Network.