News

Image Alternative Text: Director General of the Department of Fisheries, Kh. Mahbubul Haque, remarked on the research findings.

Video: Harnessing Machine Learning Activity's Dhaka Outreach Workshop

In this video, the Fish Innovation Lab's Harnessing Machine Learning activity shows highlights from an outreach workshop in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Watch to learn more about this event and what policymakers and development partners had to say about the work the activity accomplished.

Image Alternative Text: A screenshot of both the original page in Bangla and then translated to English

The Harnessing Machine Learning Activity Receives Government Website Link

The Harnessing Machine Learning activity in Bangladesh recently achieved government buy-in to further scale the activity's work. The Department of Fisheries' website provides a link to the Harnessing Machine Learning activity's data portal to provide more people with the research team's tool to estimate the total aquaculture farm area using images from remote sensing in conjunction with a survey to collect data.

Image Alternative Text: Here is a photo of Chhoeun Sreynuch, a fisherwoman from the village of Bak Angrut in Cambodia.

Fishing is for Girls: Rural Matriarch Fishes for Family and Research

Chhoeun Sreynuch is one of the 15 fishers who participate in a fisheries research program with the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) in Cambodia. The USAID-funded Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Fish activity is working to collect fisheries data to understand the issues facing the fishery, so policymakers can make informed rules and regulations to protect the river and its resources.

Image Alternative Text: Arnold Irabor is taking samples from catfish in Warri, Delta State, Nigeria.

e-AquaHealth Web Platform: An Aquaculture Intervention

In a study on aquaculture biosecurity, a Fish Innovation Lab research team identified numerous gaps in fish health management in Nigeria, such as poor communication between fish farmers and veterinarians. To help address this, the team created e-AquaHealth, a web-based platform designed to bridge the gap between fish farmers and aquatic veterinary professionals to enhance the delivery of quality services and improve the wellbeing of fish.

Image Alternative Text: A group photo of the participants for the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Fish Annual Meeting in February 2023.

The Fish Innovation Lab's First Ever, In-Person Annual Meeting

Bringing together partners from around the world for the first time, the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Fish held its Annual Meeting in New Orleans from February 27 through March 1. The internal meeting was a way for the teams to not only reflect on the work that has been accomplished, but it was also an opportunity for research teams to collaborate about potential ways the teams can help one another to have the most impact in Asia, Africa, and beyond.

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Development and Validation of Nutrition and Food Safety Educational Material for Fish Processors in Nigeria

The Nourishing Nations activity developed and validated a low-literacy flipbook designed to teach women fish processors in Nigeria about nutrition and food safety. Learn more in this article from the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.

Image Alternative Text: Abdul Alim (right) is handing over a bag of WorldFish G3 rohu spawn to a customer.

Genetically-Improved Rohu is Commercially Available and in High Demand in Bangladesh

Abdul Alim, owner of Mukteshary Fish Hatchery in Jashore, Bangladesh, received G3 rohu in 2020, developed them as broodstock, and produced seed in 2022 for the first time thanks to the Advancing Aquaculture Systems Productivity Through Carp Genetic Improvement activity. “I produced 68 kilograms of spawn in 2022 and sold them for a premium price—three times the conventional rohu seed,’’ Alim said.

Image Alternative Text: Miniver Kampamba, one of the female fish farmers, is directing the research team to one of her cages that was experiencing fish mortalities.

Fish Disease Investigation Increases Disease Awareness Among Small-Scale Fish Farmers

Miniver Kampamba, a young, female farmer in Zambia, experienced severe fish loss, which she suspected was due to disease. To address these challenges for fish farmers like Kampamba, the Development and Investigation of the Delivery Mode of a Multivalent Bacterial Fish Vaccine team from the University of Zambia embarked on research to develop a local fish vaccine, which may improve productivity by reducing mortalities for fish farmers.

Image Alternative Text: Here, a training facilitator is demonstrating how to make fish-frying batter.

Fish Processors in Nigeria Apply New Skills From Training to Improve Their Products and Businesses

The Nourishing Nations activity led a training during December 2022 to further fish processors' skills to become more profitable and provide Nigerians with nutritious fish. The 75 fish processors (54 women and 21 men) from three senatorial zones in Delta State, Nigeria, learned about entrepreneurship, access to financial space and funding for fish, fish business plan development, cooperative societies, fish handling techniques such as traditional and modern fish smoking and drying techniques, fish value addition, and fish packaging techniques.

Image Alternative Text: a headshot photo of Joanna Springer

Meet the Resilience Specialist: Joanna Springer

Meet Joanna Springer, the Fish Innovation Lab's Resilience Specialist. "In my work with the lab, I am always thinking about how activities are fitting into an overall system with many players and actors who have different levels of influence, power, and access."