DR SLOANS CHIMATIRO has played a leading role in formulation of fisheries
and aquaculture policy and governance programmes for the African Union. He
has been instrumental in building African research institutions and networks in
support of fisheries and aquaculture development, and influential in raising ‘the
African voice’ at international fisheries and aquaculture forums. He is currently
Programme Manager: Fish Trade at the World Fish Centre, Zambia, where he
is responsible for the a Pan-African Fish Trade Research Program, aimed at
generating evidence to inform intra-regional fish trade in Africa.

He has worked as a manager for a number of development programmes at
regional and continental levels; and advising national fisheries institutions, as
well as Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and Regional Fisheries
Bodies (RFBs) on issues of fisheries and aquaculture development. As Senior
Fisheries Advisor to the NEPAD Planning and Coordinating Agency, he was
responsible for the NEPAD Fisheries and Aquaculture Action Plan in 2005 that
was endorsed by African Union Heads of State and Governments during the
Abuja Summit in August 2005, as a precursor to the current AU Fisheries
Policy. Between 2006 and September 2014, he was the Head of Fisheries at
NEPAD, where he was responsible for (i) the development of the African Union
Policy Framework & Reform Strategy (or the Common African Union
Fisheries Policy); and (ii) assisting African countries to design and implement
fisheries policy and governance reforms in order to enable the sector to
contribute towards the 6% CAADP annual growth target. Program Manager for
FishTrade Program, he coordinated the development of the Comprehensive
African Fisheries Reform Strategy (CAFRS) for the African Union. Dr Chimatiro
previously served as Director of Fisheries in Malawi.

TOM HECHT has played a lead role in the development of aquaculture in
southern Africa in a career spanning research, policy, development and
commercial involvement. He is an emeritus Professor of Rhodes University
where he helped to position the Department of Ichthyology and Fisheries
Science as a regional centre of excellence in aquaculture. Tom’s graduates (a
remarkable 60 MScs and 28 PhDs) occupy key positions in aquaculture and
fisheries in African countries and internationally. His extensive research outputs
include pioneering work on African catfish and abalone culture. He has made
extensive contributions to African aquaculture development including small
farmer development in Malawi, a landmark review of African aquaculture for the
FAO, and the establishment of the Aquaculture Association of Southern Africa.
He is a former board member of the World Aquaculture Society. In recent years
he has been active in aquaculture development and commercialization through
Advance Africa Ltd which is establishing a trout farm in the Lesotho Highlands
and facillitating the formulation of a Marine Aquaculture Masterplan for the
Seychelles