GAA Accepting Applications for 2018 Global Aquaculture Innovation Award
The Global Aquaculture Alliance is now accepting applications for the 2018 Global Aquaculture Innovation Award.
The competition was established by GAA in 2012 to recognize individuals and companies finding new solutions to the key challenges facing aquaculture.
Examples include technologies that mitigate the occurrence of animal diseases or parasites, or that reduce or eliminate the use of antibiotics to treat animals; technologies that improve production efficiencies at the hatchery or farm levels while mitigating environmental impact; advances in offshore or land-based recirculation technology; novel feed ingredients; reductions in carbon footprint through improved energy efficiency or regeneration; and social programs designed to improve living and working conditions at the farm or processing levels.
This year’s award recipient will receive an all-expenses paid trip (including registration, flight and hotel) to GAA’s GOAL 2018 conference in Guayaquil, Ecuador, from Sept. 25 to 27, 2018, as well as the opportunity to present at GOAL 2018 and be featured in the Global Aquaculture Advocate.
Walt Rakitsky of Corbion (formerly TerraVia) won the 2017 competition for TerraVia’s AlgaPrime™ DHA. The aquaculture feed ingredient is manufactured at a facility in Brazil, running off the steam generated by a sugarcane mill, as part of a joint venture with Bunge Oils. The microalgae — which is fermented, converting sugars into oils and other ingredients — is an ideal complement to traditional aquaculture feed ingredients that will enrich the fish’s omega-3 fatty acid levels.
The 2017 competition was the strongest to date. A total of 18 applications were submitted, representing 12 countries — Brazil, Canada, Chile, Ecuador, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Poland, Portugal, South Africa and the United States. Many of the innovations, including AlgaPrime™ DHA, originated from the aquafeed ingredient sector.
The four other award recipients are:
• 2016: Karin Pittman of the University of Bergen in Norway for Quantidoc’s mucosal mapping technology
• 2015: Werner Jost of Camanor Produtos Marinhos Ltda. in Brazil for its AquaScience® technology and high-density, land-based farm
• 2014: Rodrigo Prado of USONIC Ltda. in Chile for its use of ultrasound to control sea lice infestations
• 2013: Amir Sagi of Ben Gurion University in Israel for producing all-male populations of the giant freshwater prawn
Preferred Freezer Services sponsored the competition from 2014 to 2017, while Novus International sponsored the inaugural competition in 2013.
To apply for the 2018 competition, fill out an application form and submit it to GAA’s Dan Lee at dan.lee@globalseafood.org. Include photographs of the innovation. Both individuals and companies performing activities related to aquaculture as well as third parties may submit applications.
