Dr. Curtis Lind, a senior scientist from Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Organization (CSIRO), Australia, delivered the talk online on “Development of Selective Breeding Programs for Aquaculture: Transforming Theory into Application” on May 14, 2021. Faculty and researchers from the Philippines, Indonesia, and Thailand actively participated in the open forum held after the lecture.
Senior students from the College of Fisheries also attended the online discussion and were introduced into best practices in selective breeding of commercially important aquaculture species.
Dr. Curtis Lind, a senior scientist from Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Organization (CSIRO), Australia, delivered the talk online on “Development of Selective Breeding Programs for Aquaculture: Transforming Theory into Application” on May 14, 2021. Faculty and researchers from the Philippines, Indonesia, and Thailand actively participated in the open forum held after the lecture.
Senior students from the College of Fisheries also attended the online discussion and were introduced into best practices in selective breeding of commercially important aquaculture species.
Dr. Lind has 15 years of experience in aquaculture selective programs in Australia and the Asia-Pacific region. He is a longtime partner in the Philippine selective breeding initiatives for tilapia. He earned his Ph.D. in Aquaculture from James Cook University and worked at the WorldFish Center on breeding and quantitative genetics, risk analysis, and conservation of genetic resources in aquaculture. At CSIRO, aside from selective breeding, Dr. Lind is involved in project management, client engagement, and team leadership.
Dr. Ravelina R. Velasco, and Dr. Lorenz J. Fajardo hosted the event. Dr. Tereso A. Abella, Professor Emeritus, was also in attendance. The faculty and senior researchers of the College of Fisheries and Freshwater Aquaculture Center were also present either as participants or members of the support committees.
The Central Luzon State University thru the Freshwater Aquaculture Center (FAC) and the College of Fisheries, in partnership with other research institutions in the Philippines, Norway, and the WorldFish Center, is one of the pioneers in selective breeding of Nile Tilapia with Genetically Improved Farmed Tilapia (GIFT) project in 1988. The GIFT strain was developed from within- and between-family selection. This project targeted the breeding of tilapia with a fast growth rate and delayed sexual maturity. The strain was propagated in several Asian and Pacific Island Countries and is one of the popular tilapia strains for tropical freshwater aquaculture.
At present, CLSU supports the Philippine tilapia industry by producing fingerlings and breeders from FAC Selected Tilapia (FaST) strain.
The College of Fisheries' online seminar on selective breeding in aquaculture is just one of its many activities. The college also offers seminars aimed at enhancing lives and well-being. Dr. Suzi Salwah Binti Jikan of Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia Pagoh Campus spoke at an international webinar on "3 Steps to Achieving Your Greatest Potential as a Student" on March 23, 2021.
The webinar activities are consistent with CLSU's internationalization efforts.
