Dr. Amir Sagi, a professor at Ben Gurion University of the Negev in Israel, is the recipient of the 2013 Novus Global Aquaculture Innovation Award. In association with the Global Aquaculture Alliance (GAA), this inaugural award, sponsored by Novus, was presented during the GOAL 2013 conference held in Paris, France. The Global Aquaculture Innovation Award was launched at GOAL 2012 to recognize innovative practices that overcome production challenges or mitigate negative environmental or social impacts at aquaculture farms.
\"We are thrilled to recognize the exceptional work of Dr. Sagi and it is our honor to present him with this award,\" noted Dr. Francisco Saraiva Gomes, Executive Manager of the Aqua Business Unit at Novus. \"Aquaculture needs innovation in order to capture its potential. Novus and our partner, the GAA, want to encourage thought leaders in the aquaculture industry to push themselves to continue to develop innovations that address key issues and challenges that affect all areas of aquaculture production.\"
Dr. Sagi\'s innovation was selected from a pool of 16 entries representing 11 countries. The six-member judging committee, which included Dr. Saraiva Gomes as well as Dr. Craig Browdy, Executive Manager of Aquaculture Research at Novus, selected Dr. Sagi\'s innovation because it effectively addressed a key obstacle in the production of Macrobrachium rosenbergii — manual sorting of juveniles by gender. The judges felt that this innovation could stimulate expansion in freshwater prawn production without genetic modification or use of exogenous hormones.
All types of innovations qualified for the award, including wetlands conservation, feed management, water-quality management, effluent reduction, energy reduction, staff training, community relations, animal welfare and health and nutrition. For his winning innovation, Dr. Sagi received an expense-paid trip to GOAL 2013 and was presented a plaque and $1,000 cash prize by Dr. Saraiva Gomes.
