AIT’S AQUACULTURE TRAINING PROGRAM SUCCESSFULLY CONCLUDES, PAVING THE WAY FOR FUTURE COLLABORATIONS IN
THE PHILIPPINES
Description:
The Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) recently concluded its innovative Aquaculture Training Program in November 2023, led by Dr. Salin R. Krishna, which has set a precedent for future collaborations in the Philippines’ aquaculture sector. This initiative, designed to impart knowledge on advanced and sustainable aquaculture technologies, successfully brought together professionals across the industry for a week of intensive learning. Through lectures, hands-on sessions, and field visits meticulously curated by AIT’s relevant experts, participants delved into modern practices essential for the environmental sustainability and economic viability of aquaculture. Dr. Krishna’s leadership in the program not only facilitated a rich exchange of ideas and experiences among attendees but also highlighted AIT’s commitment to fostering innovation and sustainable development in aquaculture, paving the way for impactful collaborations in the Philippines and beyond.
MASTERCLASS: CUTTING-EDGE FEED TECHNOLOGIES FOR 21ST CENTURY AQUACULTURE
Description:
AIT successfully organized a comprehensive training program on “Advanced Aquaculture Nutrition and Feed Technology” from April 17th to 28th, 2023. Led by AIT’s distinguished aquaculture experts, the event aimed at equipping industry professionals with the latest insights and practical approaches in nutrition and feed technology crucial for the aquaculture sector’s sustainability and efficiency. Held at AIT’s campus, the program meticulously covered essential topics, including advanced feed formulation techniques, species-specific nutritional requirements, and the adoption of cuttingedge feed technologies. This initiative underscored AIT’s dedication to fostering sustainable aquaculture practices through superior education and collaboration, thereby setting new industry standards in nutrition and feed technology.
AIT
SUCCESSFULLY HOSTED THE
“IFLOCS
2023: MASTERING
THE
ART OF SUSTAINABLE SHRIMP FARMING” PROGRAM
Description:
A landmark event dedicated to advancing sustainable practices in shrimp aquaculture. Conducted from May 15th to 26th, 2023, this specialized training aimed at enhancing the skills and knowledge of aquaculture professionals in the intricacies of sustainable shrimp farming. Participants were immersed in a deep dive into the latest sustainable methodologies, biosecurity measures, and technological innovations in shrimp farming. The program, which drew experts and participants from across the globe, emphasized ecofriendly practices and innovative technologies that align with global sustainability goals. Through a blend of theoretical sessions and practical workshops, IFLOCS 2023 effectively contributed to shaping a future where shrimp farming thrives as a sustainable and profitable sector, reflecting AIT’s commitment to fostering environmental stewardship and economic viability in aquaculture.
GIANT PRAWN CONFERENCE 2023
Description:
Giant Prawn 2023 Conference, organized by AIT in November 2023, significantly underscored the institution’s pivotal role in fostering sustainable advancements within the freshwater prawn farming sector. This renowned event gathered eminent aquaculture experts, researchers, and industry practitioners from around the globe, offering a dynamic platform for the exchange of innovative ideas, cutting-edge research findings, and sustainable practices crucial for the industry’s advancement. Salin R. Krishna, alongside esteemed AIT faculty, contributed significantly to driving the discourse on adopting ecofriendly approaches and technological innovations aimed at enhancing the environmental sustainability of prawn farming. Through engaging discussions, technical sessions, and collaborative initiatives, the conference highlighted AIT’s dedication to leading the aquaculture sector towards a more sustainable and economically viable future. It also spotlighted the critical need for global
cooperation and knowledge sharing in overcoming the challenges facing the aquaculture industry, further establishing AIT as a cornerstone in the pursuit of sustainable aquaculture development.
INTERNATIONAL FISHERIES SYMPOSIUM 2023 CONCLUDES WITH
GLOBAL COLLABORATION FOR SUSTAINABLE AQUACULTURE
AND FISHERIES
24 November 2023: The 11th International Fisheries Symposium (IFS) 2023, hosted by the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) in Bangkok, Thailand, has successfully concluded. Organized from 22-24 November 2023 under the theme “Building Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture for Future Generations,” the symposium witnessed the participation of over 350 delegates from 25 countries, fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange in the realm of responsible fisheries and aquaculture.
The annual conference, organized by the ASEANFisheries Education Network (ASEAN-FEN), brought together 37 universities from the ASEAN region, featuring core members and associates dedicated to fisheries and aquaculture education programs.
H.E Dr. Suwit Khunkitti, AIT’s Vice Chair of the Board, emphasized the importance of achieving sustainable development goals, focusing on SDG 14’s imperative for conserving and sustainably using oceans. Stressing the relevance of fisheries and aquaculture, he urged that sustainable practices should address the inequality in marine resource distribution and contribute to alleviating poverty in coastal regions. He further underscored the imperative of considering human rights, democracy, and the well-being of those reliant on fisheries and aquaculture as a livelihood opportunity.
Acknowledging the vital significance of responsible fisheries and aquaculture practices, Prof Kazuo Yamamoto, AIT President, stressed that this event served as a key platform for global scientists, practitioners, and policymakers. It facilitates the exploration of cuttingedge research and initiatives contributing to the sustainable management of our oceans and public resources. He further said that the symposium served as a hub for dynamic discussions, idea exchange, and a catalyst for meaningful action.
Dr. Krishna R. Salin, Chair of AITs Aquaculture and Aquatic Resources Management Program and
President of the World Aquaculture Society-Asian Pacific Chapter (WAS-APC) highlighted that the fisheries and aquaculture sector is increasingly becoming crucial for global food security but faces the challenge of meeting the rising demand for food with a growing population. He stressed that the event aims at industry growth, emphasizing the importance of collaboration and knowledge exchange.
Throughout the event, attendees engaged in discussions and explored cutting-edge research on responsible and environmentally sound practices in fisheries and aquaculture. The symposium addressed the challenges and opportunities in maintaining healthy fish stocks, conserving biodiversity, and promoting responsible aquaculture for sustainable livelihoods in
coastal communities.
The ten technical sessions, including Aquaculture Biotechnology and Engineering, Aquaculture Nutrition and Physiology, and Fisheries Resources Technology and Management, provided a platform for scholars, experts, and industry professionals to share advancements in the field.
Countries such as Belgium, Cambodia, China, Denmark, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Peru, Philippines, Spain, Sri Lanka, Thailand, UK, USA, Vietnam, and others were represented, highlighting the global nature of the discussions. The symposium also featured farm tours on Aquaculture and Fisheries Technology, providing participants with hands-on experiences in the field.
MARINE DEBRIS FIELD SURVEYS AND DATA ANALYSIS IN THAILAND
AIT Research Theme: Technology, Policy and Society
AIT Unit: EEM / SERD
Project Duration: 1 May 2023 to 30 June 2024
Project Sponsor/Client: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)
Project Partners: Prince of Songkla University (PSU), Thailand and Burapha University (BUU), Thailand
Expected Social Impact: Reduce the amount of litter entering the oceans.
Description:
Marine debris has been identified as a significant risk to biodiversity, economies, human health, fisheries management, tourism, and invasive species transport. Most marine debris, with estimates up to 80% or more, comes from land-based sources. We are therefore better poised to understand where, why and when plastic is leaked into the environment when we have information from across the landscape.
H.E Dr. Suwit Khunkitti
Prof. Kazuo Yamamoto
Dr. Krishna R. Salin
SUPPORTING DEVELOPMENT OF NATIONAL PLASTIC ACTION PLAN IN MYANMAR
AIT Research Theme: Food-Energy-Water; Technology, Policy and Society
AIT Unit: GIC
Project Duration: 6 June 2022 to 30 June 2023
Project Sponsor/Client: Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES), Japan
Social Impact or Outcomes: Strengthening Capacity for Marine Debris Reduction in ASEAN Region under Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund
Description:
JAIP (Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund) has engaged GIC as a Consultant (Service Provider) for the implementing the JAIF Myanmar Phase II project (Strengthening
Capacity for Marine Debris Reduction in ASEAN Region through Formation of National Action Plans for ASEAN Member States and Integrated Land-to-Sea Policy Approach Phase 2.
SUPPORTING DEVELOPMENT OF NATIONAL PLASTIC ACTION PLAN IN MYANMAR
AIT Research Theme: Food-Energy-Water
AIT Unit: NRM (DDS) and FINH (DFAB) of SERD; AIT EEO
Project Duration: August 2023 to March 2024
Project Partners: Mekong River Commission, Institute of Strategy and Policy on Natural Resources and Environment (ISPONRE, Vietnam), International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN, Sri Lanka), Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sport (Cambodia), Ministry of Environment (Sri Lanka), Living Indus (Pakistan), UN Resident Coordinator Office (Pakistan), Mahidol University, Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, Pollution Control Department (Thailand)
Project Sponsors/Clients:
UNEP and the Government of Japan
Social Impact or Outcomes: Strengthening Capacity for Marine Debris Reduction in ASEAN Region under Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund
Description:
The online capacity building session was organized on 13th December 2023 by AIT, led by Takuji W. Tsusaka and Anil Kumar Anal in collaboration with UNEP as part of the CounterMEASURE II extension project, formally titled ‘’Promotion of Action Against Marine Plastic Litter in Asia’’, which aims to promote science-based and evidence-driven action to reduce and prevent the influx of plastic into Asian rivers through the development of roadmaps for plastic pollution monitoring in rivers, and the formulation of bankable project proposals in five project countries, namely, Cambodia, Pakistan, Thailand, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam. The online training was intended
to provide tips and guidelines to the partners in the five project countries for drafting bankable project proposals to tackle marine plastic pollution.
REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE TO PROTECT THE MARINE ENVIRONMENT AND CORAL REEFS (3RPROMAR)
AIT Research Theme: Health and Environment
AIT Unit: Regional Resource Center for Asia and the Pacific
Project Duration: 1 November 2022 to 30 June 2025
Project Sponsor/ Client: The German Agency for International Cooperation or (GIZ)
Project Partner: ASEAN Secretariat, Environmental Division - Deutsche Gesellschaft Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH - ERIA - NIVA
Expected Social Impact: Health and Environment
Project Description:
To provide a common platform for information and knowledge sharing for enhanced capacity on information decision making in combating marine litter in the ASEAN.
1. Enhancement of knowledge platform features and knowledge content for strategic focus on Marine Litter
INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS
AIT Research Theme: Climate change
AIT Unit: Geoinformatics Center
2. Partnership building for effective legitimate sourcing and endorsing of data on marine plastic litter data and knowledge
3. Capacity building of AMS focal points on waste data management
4. Knowledge dissemination activities on marine debris and circular economy
FOR PLASTIC FREE EUROPEAN RIVERS
Project Duration: 30 May 2023 to 31 August 2027
Project Sponsors/Clients: European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency
Expected Social Impact: Clean a few European rivers from plastic and provide clean water to the population living along these rivers.
Description:
INSPIRE’s main objective is to contribute to the drastic reduction of litter, macro and microplastics in European rivers in a holistic approach, by bringing together 20 technologies and actions for: DETECTION of the pollution present in the river and at the riverbank, COLLECTION of litter and macroplastics at the river bank and litter, macro and microplastics in the river, PREVENTION of litter, macro and microplastics to enter the river by collecting it from its waste stream before it can enter the river and by developing biodegradable alternatives for currently non-degradable polluting products, to avoid them will further be used and arrive in the river as litter. Six use cases are defined in INSPIRE to install and test the technologies and actions, to model the processes related to the water purification activities, to obtain 7 well defined solutions at detection, collection or
prevention level and combinations thereof. The technical feasibility is backboned by a techno-economical analysis with the development of business cases for the solutions, action plans towards upscaling and replication and together with mapping and modeling all elements are brought together to develop a Master Plan for tackling the challenges of the mission and contributing to the objectives of the mission. The INSPIRE project will be very visible due to its well developed dissemination and communication plan and strategy for community engagement. Apart from the general dissemination and communication tools and activities, specific activities will be set up on festivals, promoting 100% biodegradable products as a result of INSPIRE. INSPIRE’s consortium is composed of 26 partners with complementary expertise and a good balance of academia, industry, communication specialists and soft skills organizations is obtained, who all together will work towards the target of having a number of successful solutions that can find their way to the market and put INSPIRE on the radar.
