3.1.2 Ministry of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development (MOFARD)

Aquaculture Development Division (AQD)

Mr. M. Kulatilake, Fish Health Officer, has recently received an M. Sc. degree through the Tropical Fish Health Programme at the Universiti Pertanian Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur. In 1997, he undertook short-term training in the form of the Shrimp Health Management Training Course (one week) and training in PCR given by the Aquatic Animal Health Research Institute (AAHRI) in Bangkok and training in the use of the Rapid Cycler (PCR) machine (two weeks) given in Dr. Mhd. Shariff’s laboratory, UPM under Project TCP/SRL/6614(A). Mr. Kulatilake is currently assigned to the Aquaculture Extension Centre at Chilaw.

National Aquatic Resources Agency (NARA)

Ms. Priyanalie Wijegoonawardena has a B.Sc. in Science and M. Sc. in ecotoxicology. She received short-term training related to shrimp diseases, including the two week Shrimp Pathology Short Course given by Dr. Donald Lightner at the University of Arizona, Tucson; the Shrimp Health Management Training Course (one week) and training in PCR given in Bangkok in 1997 and training in the use of the Rapid Cycler (PCR) machine (two weeks) given in Dr. Shariff’s laboratory, UPM. Ms. Wijegoonawardena is the principal technical staff responsible for conducting the research program of Project TCP/SRL/6614(A).

Mr. Palitha Kithsiri has an M. Sc. in larval rearing of molluscs. He is primarily involved in water quality analyses.

One other NARA staff, Mr. Kumarasena Godagedar, participated in the AAHRI Shrimp Health Management Training Course under Project TCP/SRL/6614(A). Bacteriological expertise exists in the Post Harvest Division of NARA, however no work is presently conducted on bacterial diseases of aquatic animals.