It is with great sadness that the aquaculture community learned of the passing of Dr. Mudnakudu Nandeesha on Dec. 26. Nandeesha had been hospitalized in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, after suffering a massive heart attack in late November.

The Global Aquaculture Alliance (GAA) joins the aquaculture community in extending its sincere condolences to the wife, family and friends of Nandeesha. A very kind and caring man, Nandeesha will be sorely missed. His passion for aquaculture was unparalleled, especially as it pertained to alleviating hunger and improving social conditions in India and throughout Asia.

A fund has been established to assist Nandeesha’s family, as his medical expenses had surpassed the resources available to him, his wife and his family. Monetary donations are encouraged. To donate, please click here and follow the instructions on the World Aquaculture Society (WAS) site.

A special officer at Tamil Nadu Fisheries University in India, Nandeesha was a member of GAA’s Best Aquaculture Practices Standards Oversight Committee. He was also the 2012 recipient of the WAS fellow award and chairman of the Indian branch of the Asian Fisheries Society (AFS) and Aquaculture without Frontiers (AwF).

Nandeesha had three decades of experience in aquaculture education, research and development in India, Cambodia and Bangladesh, with nearly a decade at the grass-roots level on projects supported by OXFAM, CARE, FAO, World Bank, NACA and JICA.

2011 Global Aquaculture Alliance