This is from Dr. Udeni Edirisinghe. I am a Senior Lecturer of the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, and I am in charge of the Fisheries Curriculum of the Faculty of Agriculture. I have been involved in biotechnology research during the past 20 years.
I find the conference very interesting though some of the important issues are not discussed at all.
We, who represent the developing world, wish to know success stories from fish biotechnology, which have been applied with good results. These are places which we can adopt in our countries.
It is important to indicate that in most of the conference, very much interesting things are discussed. Yet at the end, when one tries to evaluate, nothing useful has taken place. Therefore, if at least some beneficial aspects of biotechnology, which can be applied in our countries could be summerized in this, it would be very much useful. I wish to reiterate that it would be of enormous benefit, if a technology to prevent the entry of tilapia to coastal waters could be informed please.
Udeni Edirisinghe
B.Sc., M.Sc, Ph.D., /L.L.B.
Senior Lecturer in Fisheries,
University of Peradeniya,
Sri Lanka.
udeni@ansci.pdn.ac.lk
[We will also use this opportunity to post a message sent by Dr. Edirisinghe to the Forum Administrator in August and which was held while waiting for further details. We would appreciate comments on it from anyone who has worked with monosex cultures and methyl testosterone (especially for tilapia).....Moderator. Dr. Edirisinghe wrote "I wish to indicate that, there is a published paper co-authored by me with respect to monosex culture of tilapia using methyl testosterone. It was found that, the results could not be extended to farmer level due to the difficulties experienced in making a suitable feed with the hormone. If there is technology in this respect it would be most welcome. I will write further in time to come."]
[To contribute to this conference, send your message to biotech-room4@mailserv.fao.org For further information on the FAO Electronic Forum on Biotechnology in Food and Agriculture see http://www.fao.org/biotech/forum.asp ]