World Aquaculture Safari 2025, Uganda has announced to announce that Dr Melba B. Reantaso, Ph.D. (former FAO Team Leader, Fisheries and Aquaculture Division (NFI) will be a plenary speaker at the conference.
With a distinguished background in aquatic organism health management and aquaculture biosecurity, including co-ordination of various workforce development and research projects on aquatic animal health and biosecurity in Africa and globally, Dr Reantaso is a renowned and revered figure in Africa’s aquaculture domain.
Her keynote address will focus on insights and perspectives on what Africa needs to do to improve its aquatic biosecurity management through a risk-based, collaborative and progressive approaches to safeguard human health, the environment and national economies in the face of a rapidly changing world.
Dr Reantaso has close to 30 years combined experience in research, training, diagnostics, extension and international aid and development work on aquaculture, management of health of aquatic organisms and biosecurity. Dr Reantaso worked for the Network of Aquaculture Centre in Asia and the Pacific (NACA, Bangkok, Thailand) from 1999-2002 as Regional Aquatic Animal Health (AAH) Specialist and Coordinator of an FAO project with 21 countries participating that resulted to the establishment of aquatic animal health programme of NACA; and led the investigation of koi herpesvirus, at that time, in Indonesia. She migrated to the USA and worked (2002-2004) at the Cooperative Oxford Laboratory, a fish health laboratory shared by MD/DNR and NOAA, responsible for the histopathological analyses from an active surveillance for oyster diseases.
She joined FAO in 2004, led international disease investigation task forces on epizootic ulcerative syndrome in Botswana, Zambia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Malawi; white spot syndrome virus of shrimp in Mozambique and Madagascar, and acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease in Viet Nam.
Her work in Africa included national and regional aquatic organism health strategy development, training courses on risk analysis, emergency preparedness and active surveillance for EUS and tilapia lake virus. She has M.Sc., Ph.D. and post-doc credentials all on diseases of aquatic animals: post-doc fellow (Nippon Veterinary and Life Science University, Japan. She earned her B.Sc. in Zoology from the University of the Philippines in Los Banos.
The World Aquaculture Safari 2025 Conference Plenary session will take place during the Opening Ceremony on June 25, 2025, at 9:00am (Uganda time) and will focus on the event theme “Aquaculture on the Rise,†About 2,000 participants from around the world are expected at the Conference.
In addition to regular programme topics of interest to African and global aquaculture, the event will continue to feature unparalleled educational and networking opportunities, facilitating the exchange of knowledge and information. Exciting field trips and touristic adventures are being planned around Lake Victoria and Uganda. Registration and submission of abstract is open. More information on the event.
