ISUFST REPRESENT.
Six faculty of the Iloilo State University of Fisheries Science and Technology join the 1st International Conference on Responsible Fisheries and Sustainable Aquaculture (ICORFASA) set this July 3-5, 2024, at the Limketkai Luxe Hotel in Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental, Philippines. Hosted by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and Mindanao State University (MSU) Naawan, the conference is organized in collaboration with the ISUFST, the University of the Philippines Visayas (UPV), and ten other universities and colleges from the Philippines and the Republic of Turkey.
This conference is an offshoot of the participation of six (6) universities and colleges in the Philippines and six (6) universities in the Republic of Turkey—which includes ISUFST’s Dr. Noel A. Armada, Dr. Roy C. Villanueva, and Dr. Jescel B. Bito-onon—in the MOU-signing and benchmarking activities held in Turkey from September 17 to 28, 2022. These activities were part of the “Development of Academic and Exchange Programs among Universities in the Philippines and Turkey” project, which led to the conceptualization and organization of ICORFASA.
ICORFASA 2024 aims to influence the future direction of responsible fisheries and sustainable aquaculture globally. The conference will cover key topics such as Aquaculture Sustainability and Innovation, Responsible Fisheries Management, Aquatic Health and Disease Management, Environmental Conservation and Biodiversity, and Socioeconomic and Community Aspects. Keynote speakers include CHED Chair Prospero de Vera III, Turkish Higher Education Council (YOK) President Prof. Dr. Erol Oscar, and His Excellency Niyazi Evren Akyol. Plenary speakers are Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University Prof. Dr. Murat Yigit (Unlocking the Secrets of Aquatic Harmony: Exploring Physics-Chemical Properties of Water for Sustainable Aquaculture), Ankara University Dr. Emre Keskin (Genetic Guardians: Harnessing Environmental DNA for Sustainable Aquaculture and Responsible Fisheries), University Malaysia Terengganu Prof. Khor Waiho (Adapting to the Heat: Understanding Climate Change Impacts on Mud Crabs for Sustainable Aquaculture), and Asian Institute of Technology Prof. Kyoto Kusakabe (Empowering Women for Sustainable Seas: Gender-Inclusive Strategies in Fisheries and Aquaculture Management). Scores of scientists, innovators, industry experts, fisheries and marine biology technologists are also set to present their research findings and best practices in the said event.
Aside from ISUFST and UPV, the other partner schools for this international event include Kastamonu University, Ankara University, Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University, Ege University, Isparta University of Applied Sciences, and Karadeniz Technical University from Turkey. Philippine collaborators include Mindanao State University-Marawi City, Zamboanga State College of Marine Sciences and Technology, Western Philippine University, and Southern Philippines Agri-Business and Marine and Aquatic School of Technology. (Herman Lagon/PAMMCO)
