WWW.WAS.ORG • WORLD AQUACULTURE • DECEMBER 13 (pituitary, head kidney, muscle and pancreas). Andre Seale discussed the effects of steady-state and tidallychanging rearing salinities on osmoregulation in the Mozambique tilapia. Additional presentations were made by Luiz Renato de França on spermatogonial stem cell physiology, niche and transplantation in fish, Ishwar Parhar on neuropeptide Kiss2, a novel regulator of reproduction in tilapia, and Moses Inbaraj on sexual dimorphism in the tilapia Oreochromis mossambicus brain at the levels of steroids and its synthetic pathway. Reviews Kevin Fitzsimmons provided a global overview of the tilapia industry, pointing out that tilapias are now the second most-common farmed fish after the carps, and that tilapia has a more varied production and consumption base than carps. In the future, tilapias may supplant carps as the world’s most commonly consumed fish. M.G. Hussain provided an overview of the advances in tilapia production in Bangladesh, documenting the rapid increase in hatcheries and farms to the point that Bangladesh will produce over 125,000 mt in 2013. Antonio Campos-Mendoza provided a review of Mexico’s industry that is seeing a rapid switch from consumption of imported frozen tilapia from China to domestically farmed tilapia. New farms in southern Mexico are starting to export high-quality fresh fillets to the US. Israel Snir presented a 35-year review of advances in the most large-scale industrial farms in Colombia, Ecuador, Honduras, Israel and Poland with which he has been involved. May Myat Noe Lwin (Noe Noe) presented a review of the status and plans for the tilapia industry in Myanmar (Burma). The main hatcheries were destroyed in 2008 by Typhoon Nargis and most farms were flooded. Since then, tilapia have been harvested as part of large-scale pond polycultures with carps, basa and pacu. Plans have been developed to import genetically improved broodstock and start new hatcheries to provide farmers with selectively bred fingerlings rather than depending on random spawning within production ponds, which now accounts for 40,000 mt of annual production. The value chain and significant weaknesses in particular stages, off-flavor, quality feeds and access to quality fingerlings, and consistent power and cold storage were examined by Krishen Rana. David Little provided a further overview on sustainability of various farming practices and the variable role of certification groups to advance more sustainable practices. The most recent advances in sex determination were presented by Jean-Francois Baroiller. ISTA 11 The next ISTA has already been scheduled to take place in Indonesia, although the exact location and dates are not yet determined. Significant interest and offers of support from InfoFish, Regal Springs, Surya University and Pt. Matahari Sakti have inspired confidence that the next ISTA event will be successful. Israel Snir Receives Heijne Award As a tradition established a few ISTA meetings ago, the Tilapia International Foundation (TIF; www.tilapiastichting.nl) presented an award in memory of its founder, the late Dr. Jan D.F. Heijne, who organized and supported several tilapia farming projects in developing countries with his congregation in the Netherlands. The motto of the foundation is “Je dois faire” (I can do it) and its objective is “rearing tilapia to fight malnutrition.” The award recognizes exceptional career service in support of poverty alleviation through tilapia aquaculture. This year’s award went to Israel Snir in “recognition of his outstanding efforts to stimulate sustained improvement of worldwide human living standards” and for his 43 years of playing a vital role in making tilapia reach the top five most consumed species category in the USA and one of the most consumed species in the world today! Israel Snir is widely recognized as a tilapia farming pioneer. He was born in kibbutz Neve Eitan, Israel, started his career on the kibbutz’s fish farm, and later was involved in initiating the first fish processing plant in Israel (Dag Shean), before going to the US to market fish from Israel. Later he worked in Colombia, Ecuador, Honduras, and several other countries to develop and manage some of the biggest and most successful farms yet built. Israel Snir became an internationally renowned entrepreneur and consultant. His “flagship” was the project in Honduras, where he established a complex consisting of a successful large-scale fish farm, housing, education and health services for the community working on the farm. The New Testament’s miracle of “feeding the multitudes” has served as the motto for what he calls the New Tilapia Religion that possesses the power to extinguish poverty, inequality and violence, while building better societies. The motto directing his life-time activities is: “It is not about the fish, it is about the people!” The Heijne Award recognizes the benefits that accrue to the inhabitants of developing countries where tilapia farms are built. This has been a hallmark of the entire Snir family because all family members have contributed to the success of each farm. ABOVE. Israel Snir, recipient of the Heijne Award, addresses ISTA 10 conferees.
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