The Team
Biography: Dr. Albert Tacon, founder of AQUAHANA LLC, is a leading expert in aquaculture and aquatic nutrition with over 50 years of global experience. He has served with the FAO (1984-1998), held academic and advisory roles in the UK, Brazil, and Mexico, conducted aquaculture projects in 49 countries, authored 277 publications and holds one patent. He is Editor-in-Chief of Critical Insights in Aquaculture, and on editorial boards of multiple journals. His professional affiliations include Scientific Advisor on Aquatic Resources, International Foundation for Science; Honorary Professor, Universidad Tecnológica del Mar de Tamaulipas Bicentenario, Mexico; Member, Singapore Food Story (SFS) Advisory Panel; Editor in Chief, Critical Insights in Aquaculture (Taylor & Francis).
Biography: Dr. Steve Leeson, Professor Emeritus at the University of Guelph is one of the most prominent figures in poultry nutrition. Dr. Leeson’s main area of research was potential for manipulation of eggs and poultry meat as it impacts human health. He worked on incorporating omega-3 and other polyunsaturates into eggs for 10 years and studied the transfer efficiency of lutein into eggs. Lutein is known to sustain eye health in humans, and eggs will likely become a major dietary source of this nutraceutical. Other research involves the use of medium-chain triglycerides to impact gut health in the absence of antibiotic growth promoters. These natural fats are bactericidal, and some are important in sustaining intestinal integrity and development.
Biography: Dr. Dominique P. Bureau, a globally known expert in fish and crustacean nutrition, is a Professor at the Department of Animal Biosciences of the University of Guelph, Canada. Dr. Bureau manages the Fish Nutrition Research Laboratory where he leads a dynamic research program focusing on nutrients metabolism and utilization, feedstuff evaluation and feed formulation, managing environmental impacts of aquaculture operations, integration and valorization of published scientific information, and development of mathematical models of digestion, growth and nutrient utilization for aquaculture species. Dr. Bureau, a member of the US NRC Committee on Nutrient Requirements of Fish and Shrimp (2009-2011), currently leads the International Aquaculture Feed Formulation Data base (IAFFD, www.iaffd.com) project. Also, an entrepreneur, Dr. Bureau is co-founder of Wittaya Aqua International (wittaya-aqua.ca), a thriving start-up developing a suite of cutting-edge online tools for aquaculture operations, feed manufacturers and ingredient suppliers.
Biography: Peter completed his Bachelor of Science in South Africa under Professor Rob Gous and PhD in poultry nutrition at the University of Sydney, investigating reduced protein diets in broiler chickens. Peter has extensive commercial experience in both monogastric feeds and vitamin and trace mineral premix manufacture. He has worked as a nutritionist for the largest poultry integrators in South Africa, New Zealand and Australia, where he currently works for Baiada Poultry, based in Sydney. Peter has presented at a number of conferences around the globe and been both author and co-author of several peer reviewed publications. He has successfully used the Mechanistic EFG broiler Model as a tool to improve broiler performance and profitability for a number of different broiler companies. Current challenges in Australia include nutritional strategies for growing broilers in a reduced antibiotic environment and deciding on what alternatives (if any) should be used. In addition, his interest in reducing crude protein in commercial broiler diets, without sacrificing broiler performance, to achieve a reduction of litter moisture (and nitrogen excretion) and ultimately improve bird welfare and sustainability outcomes is receiving a great deal of attention.
Biography: Natalie completed both her BSc. Agriculture and MSc. Agriculture at the University of Natal, South Africa. She began her commercial career working with a major premix manufacturer in South Africa and has subsequently worked in Southern Africa, Europe, New Zealand, Australia, Asia and the South Pacific. In previous roles within industry bodies, Natalie has also worked closely with industry and government organisations in the development and implementation of exotic disease response plans, food safety strategies and import health standards. Based in Auckland, New Zealand, Natalie currently works for Complete Feed Solutions, providing independent technical and nutrition support to her customers which include feed mills, poultry producers, farmers and suppliers of feed ingredients to the animal feed and livestock industry.
Biography: Lesley Nernberg is an animal nutritionist with over 25 years of experience in poultry and swine feed industries across North America and Asia. He holds a B. Sc. In Agriculture and an M. Sc. In Animal Nutrition from the University of Manitoba. His career includes key roles at Landmark Feeds, Maple Leaf Foods, Nutreco/Trouw Nutrition, and ADM. He also served as Canola Meal Manager for the Canola Council of Canada. Since 2012, he has worked extensively across Asia in technical and business development roles. In 2021, he founded Lighthouse Agri-Solutions in Bangkok, providing consulting services that connect ingredient suppliers with end users through technical support, formulation expertise, and market development.
Biography: Mr Shamsul Hadi Khan brings forth over 30 years of dedicated experience in the aquaculture industry, specializing in black tiger shrimp (Penaeus monodon) and freshwater Giant Prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii) in Bangladesh and Myanmar. His specific focus revolves around the development of shrimp broodstock through meticulous field-based research, demonstrating a keen interest in advancing the industry. As a Founding Partner of PentaGreen Marketing, a prominent commercial importer and distributor of Aquaculture and Animal Nutritional Products in Bangladesh, he contributes to the growth and success of the business. His involvement with WorldFish in the “Feed the Future Aquaculture (FtF AQ) Project,” funded by USAID, allowed him to conduct a comprehensive analysis of feasibility, leading to the design and successful implementation of an innovative shrimp hatchery concept known as “one mother one tank.” In collaboration with FAO, he served as a national consultant to develop a national shrimp seed certification system, specifically focusing on brood collection and management. He enthusiastically enjoys learning from new experiences through trial and error and seeks insights from foreign experts.
Biography: A passionate aquaculturist, Mr. Aurpon built the first commercially successful freshwater Recirculating Aquaculture System farm, Oliza Monowar Fisheries and Agro, in Ashulia, near Dhaka. He has also helped building several other RAS facilities in Bangladesh. Main characteristic of his farms is that about 80% of the equipment are locally built.
Biography: He has over two decades of experience in animal nutrition, feed formulation and quality assurance. He is a founder of ‘Agro Solution’, a dedicated and mission-driven entity that offers IT based technological solutions for animal nutrition, feed process management, raw materials evaluation and farm-based technical support. He also provides technical support to the leading commercial animal feed companies in Bangladesh. With the proven track record, he has built trust, partnership and professional networks to overcome any challenges intertwine with animal biology, feed and nutrition, and quality assurance in agro-sector.
Biography: He has Bachelor and Master’s in Chemistry from the University of Chittagong, Bangladesh. With 20+ years’ experience in laboratory chemical analysis and feed technology research, he also provides technical support to several animal feed producing companies in Bangladesh.
