New leadership for African aquaculture
Aquaculture society's elected officials begin two-year terms
Four recently elected senior officers of the African Chapter of the World Aquaculture Society (WAS-AC) have begun their two-year terms in the Chapter’s top jobs.
Dr Khalid Salie, head of the Aquaculture Unit, Department of Animal Sciences, at Stellenbosch University, is the chapter's new president.
Salie was the founding WAS-AC regional director for Southern Africa 2018-2023 and an active council member of the Aquaculture Association of Southern Africa.
The WAS-AC said Salie has steered the formation of the African Chapter since its beginning, and takes on a vibrant organisation with a rapidly growing membership and active programme base which has been greatly advanced by his predecessor, Dr Foluke Areola (Nigeria), who now moves to the WAS Global Board as President-Elect. Foluke will stay in the WAS-AC board as immediate past president.
New directors
Other newly elected board members taking up their roles this month include president-elect Dr Francisca Delgado; Professor Daniel Adjei-Boateng (regional director for Western Africa); Professor Maryam El Bakali (regional director for North Africa).
Dr Victoria Tarus has started her second term as regional director for Eastern Africa after her re-election to the post.
Delgado is an Angolan aquaculture professional and former national director at the Angolan Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources. She has served in the WAS-AC Board of Directors in various capacities since 2018, and is currently the vice president of the African Women in Maritime (WIMAfrica).
Adjei-Boateng, from the Department of Fisheries and Watershed Management at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Ghana, takes over one of the most vibrant regions of the WAS-AC, containing the largest membership base. He replaces Lanre Badmus (Nigeria) who has been the Western Africa regional director since 2018.
El Bakali is associate professor of Biology-Aquaculture at Abdelmalek Essaadi University in Morocco, and is expected to bring a wealth of energy and professionalism to a region that is very active on aquaculture research. She takes over the North African regional leadership from Dr Nevine Shabana (Egypt) who held that position since 2018.
Tarus, who remains regional director for Eastern Africa, is a Kenyan aquaculture professional and deputy director of technical capacity building at Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI).
WAS-AC said Tarus was instrumental in steering the organisation of the World Aquaculture Safari 2025 Uganda, and will be strongly involved in the organisation of World Aquaculture 2026 in Tanzania. The conference takes place in Dar es Salaam from December 1-4.
The Board of Directors structure for 2026 now stands as follows:
- Dr Khalid Salie - President (South Africa), Executive committee (Excom)
- Dr Francisca Delgado - President Elect/Secretary (Angola), Excom
- Dr Foluke Areola - Immediate Past President (Nigeria), Excom
- Dr Bernice Mclean - Treasurer (South Africa), Excom
- Dr Victoria Tarus - Regional Director (Eastern Africa), Kenya
- Dr Judith Makombu - Regional Director (Central Africa), Cameroon
- Ms Alushe Hitula - Regional Director (Southern Africa), Namibia
- Dr Daniel Adjei-Boateng - Regional Director (West Africa), Ghana
- Professor Maryam Elbakali - Regional Director (North Africa), Morocco
- Dr Kevan Main - WAS AC Strategic Advisor (USA)
- Mr Blessing Mapfumo - Executive Officer: Secretariat (Zimbabwe)
- Dr John Walakira - President Emeritus (Uganda)
- Dr Sherif Sadek - President Emeritus (Egypt)
- Dr Nevine Shabana - Regional Director Emeritus (Egypt)
- Mr Lanre Badmus - Regional Director Emeritus (Nigeria)
Executive Board Members 2026, EMERITUS
