31/05/13: Struggling fishermen in Senegal turn to aquaculture; Michigan aquaculture and the demand for seafood; board changes at Global SeaFarms

Overfishing in the Senegal River has meant dwindling catches for fishermen but thanks to a publicly funded project, fishermen are turning their backs of the river and heading to the aquaculture pond.
The National Agency for Agricultural Intervention and Development is a tilapia pond site in Maraye.
At 25 hectares (62 acres), the Maraye ponds will be the largest fish farming site in Senegal with enough space for 50 private developers to start production in July.  The site is supplied with larvae and fry from the town of Richard Toll, which contains the west African country's main hatchery.
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This is an interesting blog post by Mark Seamon, Michigan State University Extension, on the role Michigan aquaculture can play in meeting increasing demand for seafood. One of the main challenges Seamon discusses is the cost of heating water to raise warm water species such as tilapia and shrimp. Informative and thought-provoking, it is worth a read.
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Global SeaFarms, Canada has announced changes to its management team. Effective immediately, Robert Boisjoli will assume the position of Chief Executive Officer and Cameron McDonald will assume the position of Executive Vice President of Strategic Development. Also, Benoit Forget will assume the role of Chief Financial Officer. The purpose of these changes is to align the strengths and resources of the management team with the business development initiatives of the Company going forward.

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Senegal River Saint Louis 2 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)