This week, the shrimp aquaculture industry lost one of its pioneers. Dr Dean M Akiyama passed away on 13 October in Jakarta, Indonesia where he had been living most of his life. Dean always insisted that we should not miss out the M, his Japanese middle name Mikio which many of us would just know with his death.
In 1988, immediately after his PhD, Dean, and wife Mignonne came to live in Singapore. His mission under the American Soybean Association (ASA) was to demonstrate the use of US soy in aquafeeds. There was extensive travel. In shrimp feed formulation, his contribution to shrimp nutrition was his work on the amino acids requirement of Penaeus vannamei, under the late Addison Lawrence.
At that time industry in Asia was farming black tiger shrimp. None in industry would have guessed the importance of this information, until vannamei shrimp made its impact in farms in Southeast Asia in the 2000s. What became his trait was the pelleting technology for shrimp feeds, whose commercial production was at its peak.
Hawaii- born Dean, continued to make Asia his home and led aquaculture programs at JAPFA Comfeed and Central Proteina Prima or CP Prima. At the time of his death, Dean was President of Aquaculture Technology & Research Division at CP Prima, a leading shrimp and fish integrator in Indonesia. Interspersed were independent consultancies, from India to Ecuador. During his 15 years at CP Prima, he directed and managed technology and research programs for the group including aquafeeds technology, aquaculture R&D, animal health, quality assurance, and genetic improvement at a subsidiary, Shrimp Improvement Systems, one of the global leaders in shrimp genetics and breeding.
Dean promoted soybeans for shrimp feed at a time when fish meal dominated the market. He provided vital information to the global industry through newsletters, reports, workshops, and events, sharing insights on soybean meal in shrimp feeds, nutrition, formulation, processing, and ingredient evaluation—resources that became essential for shrimp nutritionists and feed formulators.
Working alongside Dean in ASA in the 1990s, Ronnie Tan, now with the US Grains & Biotechnology Council said, “I met Dean in 1986 when I was the nutritionist with Gold Coin. He would always challenge me on shrimp feed nutrition based on feed ingredients vs meeting amino acid requirements. We had lively debates but above all, he was like an older brother.”
For Dean, it was important to nurture the young shrimp farmers in Indonesia, organized under Petambak Muda Indonesia, while playing golf with them or in serious one to one talks. Rizky Darmawan, CEO at Delta Marine Group and PMI President had his to say about Dean, “Dean Akiyama is a true pioneer of the shrimp industry. A man whose vision, humility, and dedication have left an enduring mark on all of us. To me, he was a mentor and a guiding light who helped me shape PMI into what it is today. Through his wisdom and encouragement, I learned what it means to lead with purpose, to build with integrity, and to always give back to the community. His relentless passion to contribute and uplift others continues to inspire me and everyone who had the privilege to learn from him.”
Dean’s message was simple, “I am passionate about this industry. I love it and I have been fortunate to be together with them to succeed in this industry.”
News of his passing spread quickly, and tributes came from from industry all over the world attesting to his immense contribution and impact. At The Waterbase Group in India it was, “As advisor, Dr Akiyama played a pivotal role in helping The Waterbase build its aquafeed technology division. His deep technical expertise, scientific rigour and passion for aquaculture was instrumental in formulating some of the best shrimp feeds in India. He will be remembered for his warmth, humility and dedication in advancing sustainable practices.”
For Rubi Haliman, AVP Technology R&D at CP Prima, Dean was a superior, mentor, teacher and friend who was dedicated to the shrimp industry for decades and showed the simple example of integrity. There is no doubt that the young and old generations will miss Dean.
Many, including yours truly, had a chance spend time with Dean and Mignonne at the recent TCRS Shrimp Summit in Bali, where he received a lifetime achievement award. Others will remember the laughter from Dean and the man shuffling around without shoes on stage as he did during TARS 2015, just as he would do back in Hawaii. Dean leaves behind his wife Mignonne, daughters Dionne and Taryn, son Justin and son-in law, Sams. -Zuridah Merican
