The Global Aquaculture Alliance (GAA) has announced that it will salute Vietnamese seafood champion Dr. Nguyen Huu Dzung with a Lifetime Achievement Award at its upcoming GOAL 2014 conference in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. He will accept the honor on October 8 at the Sheraton Saigon Hotel & Towers, the location of the four-day GOAL 2014 confab.
“For many, the face of the Vietnamese seafood industry has been Dr. Dzung,” said GAA Executive Director Wally Stevens. “He has tirelessly advocated for farmed shrimp and Pangasius exports to not only traditional markets, but also to new markets around the world. No country, to my knowledge, has such a devoted ‘salesperson.’ He is a truly special man.”
GAA President George Chamberlain added: “Dr. Dzung’s passion for aquaculture and his sincere, tireless, heartfelt approach has greatly advanced the image of Vietnam and of aquaculture in general. We’re thrilled to recognize him with the Lifetime Achievement Award at GOAL 2014.”
Dzung’s career in seafood spans more than four decades. Best known for work with the Vietnamese Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), he became the organization’s general secretary upon its establishment in 1998 and currently serves as vice president. In that time, Vietnam’s aquaculture industry has grown tremendously. Last year, the country exported US $6.72 billion worth of seafood, with shrimp and Pangasius sent to customers in 91 and 148 countries, respectively.
“Aquaculture’s role in the diversification of Vietnam’s economy in a mere 30-year span is a testament to the foresight and intuition of Dr. Dzung,” said Stevens.
Prior to his position with VASEP, Dzung was deputy director of the Ministry of Fisheries’ Department for Science and Technology, where he worked from 1984-98. He was also a senior lecturer at the National Fisheries University of Vietnam from 1971-84. Dzung has a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the National Fisheries University and a Ph.D. in mechanical sciences from the Lodz Technical University in Poland.
Held from October 7-10, GOAL 2014 will feature more than 50 speakers from around the world. This year’s theme is “Celebrating Leadership.” The conference is attended by a cross-section of representatives from the fish and seafood industry, retail and foodservice sectors, government, academia, the investment community and representatives from non-government organizations.
Among the species addressed that will be focused on are shrimp, tilapia, Pangasius, catfish, salmon, trout, barramundi, milkfish, cobia, seriola, sea bass and sea bream. Exclusive to GOAL is the production data analyzed and presented by Jim Anderson of the World Bank and Ragnar Tveteras of the University of Stavanger. Their report is based on statistics gathered by GAA Development Manager Darryl Jory, who surveys dozens of producers worldwide annually.
GOAL 2014 retail and foodservice industry panelists will include representatives of ASDA, Marks & Spencer, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons, Tesco, Davigel/Nestlé, Delhaize, M&J/Brakes, Seafood Direct, Wegmans Food Markets, Schnuks Markets, Meijer, Long John Silver’s and Red Lobster/Darden Restaurants.
More details about the conference, as well as registration information, are available by logging on to the organizers website: http: www.gaalliance.org.
