Alex Rose-Innes
Dr Simão Zacarias of Mozambique had won the prestigious Global Aquaculture Innovation Award, the first African to be honoured in this field.
As one of 30 finalists, Dr Zacaria’s work had been considered by leading academic peer groups from across the globe to be ground-breaking with his aquaculture research which would benefit animal welfare and ensure sustainable food production.
Nominees from 17 countries including the UK, Canada, Denmark, the USA and Israel had vied for this international award from the Global Aquaculture Alliance (GAA), but ultimately, Dr Zacarias was chosen as the best among the crème de la crème of this industry.
He completed his doctoral thesis at the renowned Sterling College in Scotland and credits his abilities for having studied at this institution which provided him with many international opportunities. At the award ceremony, he said that he never gave up on his dream, even when it seemed impossible.
As the first African to receive the GAA Award, Dr Zacharias did not only bring honour to his country and the continent as a whole, but also changed how the future of shrimp hatchery. His ground-breaking researched showed how current tendencies and thinking had become out dated and debunked beliefs regarding egg production and disease vulnerability. Shrimp hatchery had for a long time been a contentious issue among hatchers and scientists, but Dr Zacharia’s work had now proved beyond any doubt that providing high-quality nutritious feed to brood stocks would result in better egg yields. In the process he turned age-old thinking in the aquaculture industry on its proverbial head. He maintains that stronger animal welfare practises are of cardinal importance.
The GAA was established eight years ago as the organisation searched for new solutions to continuous problems faced in aquaculture. The president of GAA, George Chamberlain, lauded Dr Zacharias for his ground-breaking work. The organisation also assists in funding and supporting exceptional work across the globe.
This African post-doctoral researcher had also successfully completed his Marine Biology Honours degree in his home country. The adjudicators agreed that the research of Dr Zacharia would provide long awaited answers to the challenges in the private and commercial shrimp industry.
With the seas around the world and especially African oceans being overfished and depleted, commercial and private shrimp hatchery is believed to be the gateway to the future of seafood supply to a growing population.
- The GAA is an international, non-profit trade association dedicated to advancing environmentally and socially responsible aquaculture. Through the development of its Best Aquaculture Practices certification standards, GAA had become the leading standards-setting organisation for aquaculture seafood.
