AQUATIC CONFERENCE – SPEAKERS

Dr. SD Gopakumar | Chief Executive Officer of Pristine Farms, UAE

Dr. Gopakumar is a leading figure in the aquaculture field and the pioneer behind the UAE’s first commercial shrimp farming initiative. With over 28 years of experience, his
journey began in India before moving to the UAE, where he helped establish Al Jaraf Fisheries, the country’s first integrated aquaculture farm.

He holds a Master’s degree in Mariculture from CIFE and a Ph.D. in Marine Biology from CUSAT. He is credited with developing the UAE Model RAS — a cost-effective, sustainable Recirculating Aquaculture System for Fresh, marine and brackish water finfish.

Dr. Gopakumar has worked as an international consultant across the Middle East and has published numerous technical papers on aquaculture. He is recognised for his professional excellence by IPEF and ISC Professionals, and is also a member of the Journal of Marine Biological Association (JMBA). He was featured in *The Business Year* (2015) and a part of the UAE delegations to Seychelles, Belarus, and the Netherlands. Dr. Gopakumar continues to shape the future of sustainable aquaculture in the region.

Hay Kleuskens | Director for Middle East for Skretting and Trouw Nutrition

Hay Kleuskens graduated in Life Sciences from HAS in the Netherlands in 1986 and began his career working in the animal nutrition sector, focusing on nutrition and farm management. In 1995, he joined Selko, a feed additives company that later became part of Nutreco following its acquisition in 2002.

Over the years, he took on responsibility for feed additive activities across multiple key regions, including Europe, Latin America and the Middle East. Since 2018, he has served as Director for the Middle East, where he leads the business and supports the growth of nutrition and feed solutions in the region.

Dr. Asmaa M. El Nokrashy | Lecturer & Technical Consultant in Aquaculture Nutrition (DVM, MSc, MBA, PhD)

Dr. Asmaa El Nokrashy brings extensive experience and specialized knowledge in Aquaculture Nutrition. Her academic background is robust, featuring a Ph.D. in Aquaculture Nutrition from Cairo University (2020), a Master’s degree in the same field from Universidad Politécnica de Valencia (2013), and an MBA in International Business (2018). This combination provides a unique skill set merging deep technical expertise with strategic commercial acumen.

Dr. El Nokrashy’s career is distinguished by diverse and impactful roles. She served as a Consultant-Technical Assistant for the Regional Director of Fisheries at the FAO and acted as an Aquaculture Technical Consultant for various private and national projects in Egypt. She also held an academic post as a Lecturer of Aquaculture Nutrition at Kafr El Sheikh University, where she represented Egypt at international conferences.

Recognized for her expertise, Dr. El Nokrashy was recently selected to join the Skretting team at Nutreco. In her current role, she leverages her knowledge and comprehensive industry experience to contribute to the organization’s strategic goals in aquaculture.

Mohammed Dawood Sait | President of the Indian Marine Ingredients Association (IMIA)

Mr. Mohammed Dawood Sait is an accomplished professional with extensive experience in the feed, fisheries, and marine ingredients industry. As President of the Indian Marine Ingredients Association (IMIA), he focuses on sustainability and innovation, promoting the use of small pelagic fish and environmentally sound practices. His leadership has driven regulatory changes and industry growth, including supporting the removal of restrictions on new fishmeal units and advocating for reduced Goods and Services Tax. These efforts have reinforced India’s position as a top global producer and exporter of fishmeal, benefitting both coastal communities and international markets. Mr. Sait effectively aligns economic goals with environmental sustainability.

Additionally, Mr. Sait advocates for the utilization of sustainable fishmeal as a key element in advancing sustainable seafood production, emphasizing its vital role in ensuring the long-term health of marine ecosystems and responsible aquaculture practices.

Alexander van Halteren | Global Business Development Manager Aquaculture

Alexander has over 20 years of experience in the aquaculture feed-milling industry, specializing in ingredient selection, formulation, feed processing, and quality control. He began his career in 1994 at the Artemia Reference Centre in Ghent before joining the INVE group, where he established and managed R&D facilities for feed preparation and in-vivo testing.

From 2000 to 2008, he served as a nutritional engineer on INVE Aquaculture’s global expert team, auditing feed mills and advising producers worldwide on processing technology and feed performance. After managing production at INVE’s Belgian plant, he joined Nutriad (now Adisseo) in 2009, taking on regional and global business development roles.

Between 2018 and 2025, he served as Global Commercial Manager Aqua, driving growth through strategic alignment across regions and teams. In his current role as Global Business Development Manager Aquaculture, he leads key growth projects, product launches, and strategic initiatives while maintaining close coordination with regional Aqua Sales teams.

Dr. Ameena Al Tenaiji | Freelance expert in the Water-Food Nexus

Dr. Ameena Al Tenaiji is a freelance expert in the Water-Food Nexus with a diverse background in the water and power sectors. She holds a bachelor’s degree in geology from Kuwait University, a master’s in hydrology from the University of South Carolina (USA), and a PhD in civil engineering from Brunel University London. She is also a member of the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM), UK, afellow in Arab Women Leaders in Agriculture (AWLA) and a founding member of Abu Dhabi agriculture club chaired by Sheik Ahmed Ben Hamdan Al Nahyan.  

Driven by a deep commitment to conserving the UAE’s scarce natural resources—particularly water—Dr. Ameena has dedicated her time, expertise, and resources to demonstrating practical, sustainable food production solutions. She now focuses on knowledge-sharing through collaboration with farmers, scholars, and universities, bridging science and practice to advance local sustainability efforts. 

Efstathios Lampakis | COO of Asmak Al Emarat in Kalba, Sharjah

Efstathios Lampakis is an aquaculture specialist with over 34 years of experience in hatchery operations, offshore farming, RAS design, and aquaponics. As COO of Asmak Al Emarat in Kalba, Sharjah, he leads the Emirate’s first aquaculture project—a land-based RAS farm cultivating native species like grouper (Hammour), red snapper, gabbit, and sheim, designed for performance in arid, resource-limited conditions.

Previously, he launched and operated the Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Marine Hatchery in Umm Al Quwain, achieving a national milestone with 22 million juvenile local fish produced in a single cycle.

His career spans the GCC and Europe, with a proven track record in high-efficiency aquaculture, sustainable RAS systems, and integrated aquaponics for both freshwater and marine species. An award-winning consultant and R&D contributor, he holds a BSc in Aquaculture and is completing an MBA in Sustainability and Strategic Leadership.

Dr. Manoj Sharma | Shrimp farmer and an aquaculture expert by profession having 30 years of experience in shrimp farming

Dr. Manoj Sharma is a shrimp farmer and an aquaculture expert by profession having 30 years of experience in shrimp farming. Dr. Manoj has played a major role in the development of the shrimp farming in the coastal regions of Gujarat, India. He has played a key role in the development of the Gujarat Aquaculture Association where all the shrimp farmers have united under one umbrella and are practicing shrimp farming. His work has provided a source of livelihood to lakhs of individuals as the salt-affected wasteland has been converted into the best productive land. His works have been appreciated across many national and international platforms and he has been invited as a speaker across many programs for the “Sustainable Shrimp Farming Practices”.

Dr. Manoj is a World Aquaculture Society award – Industry Impact Award winner for creating a technical foundation for shrimp industry in South Gujarat which gave livelihood opportunities to coastal rural people and fishermen. He is also a national awardee recipient from National Fisheries Development Board, Government of India for “Best Technology Infusion/ Innovative Idea”.

Dr. Dinesh Kaippilly | Professor, Department of Aquaculture | Dean, Faculty of Fisheries Science | Registrar, Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies

Dr. Dinesh Kaippilly is a recipient of World Aquaculture Society (WAS) Fellow Award as on 2018; the second Indian to receive this prestigious award after (Late) Dr. MC Nandeesha. He served as the Director of WAS Asian Pacific Chapter from 2016-18. Dinesh has a professional experience of more than 25 years in aquaculture in various institutions including teaching experience of about 22 years in College of Fisheries and KUFOS. He was the Head of Fisheries Station, Puduveypu under KUFOS for more than 6 years where he has initiated the first Litopenaeus vannamei farm and hatchery with the support of Government of Kerala which has attracted the attention of the farming fraternity, public and scientific fraternity across India.

He has played a pivotal role in popularizing Vannamei shrimp culture in Kerala by training hundreds of shrimp farmers all over the State. He propagated the concept of organic shrimp culture among the farming community with the support of COOP, Switzerland.

Areas of research and collaborative interest include fisheries management, fisheries education, fisheries extension, carbon neutral aquaculture, water resilient aquaculture, alternative protein sources for aquafeed industry including guar meal, organic aquaculture, climate smart aquaculture, mangrove based aquaculture. 

Nana Thorringer | Technical Development Manager – Unibio A/S

Nana Thorringer is a specialist in sustainable animal nutrition with over 9 years of experience in the feed industry, including 3 years at Unibio. She holds a PhD from the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU) and an MSc in Animal Science from the University of Copenhagen, which included an Erasmus exchange at Wageningen University.

Nana Thorringer has worked broadly in the feed sector, focusing on the development of innovative, sustainable solutions for both monogastric animals and aquaculture. Her work supports the transition toward more resource-efficient, environmentally responsible ingredients.

At the core of Nana Thorringer’s expertise are:

• Sustainable bacterial single-cell protein
• Business development and new product innovation
• Nutrition strategies for aquaculture and monogastric species

Combining deep technical knowledge with commercial insight, Nana Thorringer plays a key role in enhancing sustainable aquafeed solutions that align with both performance and environmental goals.