WWW.WAS.ORG • WORLD AQUACULTURE • MARCH 2013 9 groups. Regular communication channels were not as prevalent as they are today, and our interactions were mostly at meetings or seminars in different parts of India. Personally Nandeesha was a great supporter and motivator. This was mostly visible when we organized the first WAS meeting in India, the AsianPacific Aquaculture (APA 2011) at Kochi. It was not surprising that his talents were recognized worldwide in the form of several national and international awards. One of the most significant was the Sahameitrei Award from the Royal Government of Cambodia in 2008 for his commitment to fisheries development in that country. He also received the Prof. H.P.C. Shetty Award (2008), Best Teacher Award (2004-2007), Dr. K.C. Naik Award, AFS Gold Medal Award, several best paper awards, young scientist awards, among many others. Some of these awards also recognized his contributions to social development using aquaculture as a tool, and for development of human resources in fisheries sector. He was also a life member of the Indian Red Cross Society. His passion for the aquaculture profession and concern for those in the lower strata of the sector was mostly evident in his contributions as he worked mostly on development of smallscale aquaculture, farmer participatory approach as a tool for research and development, gender issues, and food security through aquaculture. His regular column in Aquaculture Asia magazine on farmer innovations in aquaculture was widely acclaimed. Development of human resources in aquaculture was his top priority all along. He systematically studied the manpower requirement for the fisheries sector in India and proposed many ideas to improve the academic and research capacity of Fisheries Colleges in the Country. He also founded the Professional Fisheries Graduates Forum (PFGF) of India as a flagship society to develop into a professionally committed academic group. The numerous seminars and conferences he organized were dedicated to his passion for the development of aquaculture technology, communities, and human resources in the fisheries sector. Nandeesha was a dynamic leader. He was extremely efficient in setting targets and getting his men exactly pulling themselves to their goals. In his eagerness to get things done, some might by annoyed by his persistent persuasion, but most of his associates equally enjoyed working with him. Being a self-made man, Nandeesha strongly believed in himself and strived hard to diligently follow his principles throughout his life. All along he was a staunch fighter and committed guardian of his values. Nothing stopped him from expressing what he believed in. His dynamism, foresight and commitment to perfection will endure in our minds for many years. He left many of his dreams unfulfilled and many of his admirers desperate. To many of the scientists of his age in India he was a great source of scientific and personal inspiration. Even though he is with us today no more, the legacy he left behind will remain immortal forever. C. Mohanakumaran Nair Pro Vice-Chancellor Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies Kochi, India “The key to immortality is living a life worth remembering,” a quote oft attributed to Jesus, St. Augustine, and Bruce Lee, is how I choose to honor the passing of my friend Nandeesha. We first met in the 1980s in Malang, Indonesia, in the highlands of East Java at a symposium sponsored by the Netherlands on small-scale aquaculture for the poor. We bonded quickly as friends and colleagues and then, for the next 20 years, across our very different cultures and backgrounds. Nandeesha reached out and held my hand at many events where we were together, and sometimes we would spend our entire time together at meetings holding hands and talking about the world, our lives, jobs, and sharing our pain about the injustices befalling the people of our world who had too little to eat. Imagine, me, a rich Westerner, but a person of a working class fishing family from Portuguese New England, holding hands all week with a man from India. On his passing I think now of all Nandeesha gave to me and thousands of others: the wonderful opportunity for cross-cultural learning. I was just so blessed to meet this man. Over the years it became the social-cultural aspects of our relationship that were so very special to me, and it became what I wanted when I saw him; to me he became what aquaculture is all about. It wasn’t the zooplankton we found so important (CONTINUED ON PAGE 10)
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