News

Nigel receiving the AFT Earl P. McFee award in 2002

February 2012
On Friday, January 13, 2012, Nigel Allen, a well-known scientist and cherished friend to many passed away in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Nigel was raised in England and earned a Bachelor's degree in Biology as well as a Master's degree in Applied Fish Biology before immigrating to Canada.

Throughout his career, Nigel acquired wide fisheries experience, having worked initially with the seafood industry in the UK and subsequently in Eastern Canada. He was employed from 1992 to 1996 by the National Research Council of Canada as an Industrial Technology Advisor with specialization in seafood. He later moved on to become Director of Centre for the Aquaculture and Seafood Development at the Marine Institute of Memorial University, St. John's Newfoundland. During his time as Director, he established the Centre for Aquaculture and Seafood Development at the University.

Nigel believed strongly in the transfer of scientific principles as tools for improved processes, products, food safety and successfully applied them to the seafood and aquaculture industries. He was truly a devout humanitarian with a big heart and lust for life. He embraced fisheries development in the 3rd world as a key component to prosperity and overall improvement of the human condition. Nigel was fascinated with international development and as such, decided to devote all of his time in recent years to bringing modern processing technologies to underdeveloped countries.

He spent extended periods of time in Thailand, Malawi, Viet Nam and most recently, Tanzania although he also worked on a variety of other projects in Europe, North America, Southern Africa, South East Asia and China.

Nigel met his wife, Nid in Thailand and had been living with her in Tanzania for the past few years, working on behalf of the Marine Institute and the Association of Canadian Community Colleges of Canada. Nigel was a unique individual, with a highly contagious personality. He successfully mentored scores of students, staff and industry personnel. He was both highly energetic and highly personable. He was passionate about three things in life: his family, his international development work and his golf!

As a faithful supporter of AFTC, he received the Earl P. McFee award for his achievements in 2002. We all learned a lot from his great experience and work all over the world. Nigel embraced and celebrated life and all its adventures each and every day of his 57 years.

A memorial service was held at the Marine Institute on Friday February 3, 2012 followed by a reception attended by hundreds of his family, friends and colleagues. Nigel will be sorely missed by all.

Nigel is survived by his wife Nid, his daughter Steffanie and his step children Tanya, Matthew and Michael.

October 2010
During the 55th Atlantic Fisheries Technology Conference in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador in September, the 2010 Earl P. McFee Award Committee announced this year's highly deserving laureate: Dr. Pierre Blier, who has been awarded in recognition of outstanding achievements and excellence in the field of seafood science and technology including research, education and development in the industry. The committee was composed of Dr. Charles A. Crapo, Professor of seafood technology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Pamela Tom, Seafood Extension Program Manager, University of California at Davis, and Ken Gall, Cornell University and New York Sea Grant, chairman of the committee.

After a Ph.D. in Biology at Laval University, Pierre Blier did a post-doctoral internship at the Canadian Institute of Fisheries Technology in Food Science and Technology in Halifax working with Tom Gill. Since this time, Pierre Blier has been involved in research on valorisation of marine biomass as well as fish physiology, conservation and aquaculture. He has been among the few pioners who developped the field of marine biotechnology in eastern Canada and participated to the start up of one of the first marine biotechnology company in Quebec province. As full Professor at Université du Québec à Rimouski since 1992 and as actual director of the graduate programs in biology, he has been highly active in research and student training in the field of physiology and biochemistry of aquatic organisms. As such, much of his innovative scientifc work has been applied to the Aquaculture industry and coproduct valorisation. He is one of the co-editor of an authoritative book on the diversification of finfish aquaculture that has recently been launched by CABI editors in London. Moreover, he has been a Visiting Professor at both the University of California in San Diego and at the Institute of Evolutionary Sciences in Montpellier (France).

September 2010
The AFTC 2010, held in St. John's, Canada, September 7-10 was preceded with a short course on Marine Nutraceuticals that was organized by International Society for Nutraceuticals and Functional foods (ISNFF). The meeting which attracted nearly 100 participants from nine countries was addressed by honourable Mr. Jackman, the minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture of Newfoundland and Labrador.

The participants were quite enthusiastic and the meeting met the highest standard in science, technology and their application that covered a wide range of topics. The meeting was chaired by Heather Manuel of Marine Institute and Fereidoon Shahidi was its program and scientific chair. One of the highlights of the meeting was presentation of the McFee Award. The award recipient this year was Pierre Blier from Université du Québec à Rimouski.

The organizers were particularly grateful to sponsors of the conference and pre-conference events, Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture of Newfoundland and Labrador, Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, Canadian Centre for Fisheries Innovation, Fisheries and Marine Institute, Memorial University of NL and Ocean Choice International.

October 2009
The Pacific Fisheries Technologists Conference is an annual event held on the West Coast of Canada, United States and Mexico, designed to provide a forum to broaden professional networks and exchange information and current research in seafood technology among industry, government, and university researchers. The 61st Pacific Fisheries Technologists Conference will be held February 21-24, 2010 in Seattle, Washington, USA.

September 2009
During the 3rd TAFT Conference in Copenhagen in September, the 2009 Earl P. McFee Award Committee, composed of Ken Gall, Cornell University and New York Sea Grant, Pamela Tom, Seafood Extension Program Manager, University of California at Davis, and Guðrun Ólafsdóttir, University of Iceland, chairman of the committee, announced this year's highly deserving laureate: Dr. Charles A. Crapo. Professor of seafood technology, and seafood quality specialist with the University of Alaska Fairbanks, Dr. Crapo is the consummate seafood technologist and scientist who reflects the principles of AFTC by fostering of better understanding and greater cooperation among seafood industry members, government officials and academics concerned with human health, welfare and fisheries.

The recipient's 35-year career cuts across many areas of seafood safety, quality, process and product development. Dr. Crapo has 10 years of solid industry experience having management responsibilities in five seafood companies with titles such as quality assurance manager, plant manager, and general manager. Like Earl P. McFee, the recipient has been involved with fishmeal production, canned and frozen foods and is even a thermal processing authority. Chrales Crapo has extensive knowledge on species both on the east and west coast by receiving undergraduate and graduate food science degrees from both the East and West coasts of the US. Over the years, he has given numerous presentations at the AFT Conferences starting in 1985.

The recipient's name and reputation are synonymous in the United States with improving seafood quality. In 2000, the US National Marine Fisheries Service presented Dr Crapo with the Jerry Jurkovich Award for outstanding contributions to the seafood industry. He is an accomplished educator and full professor who has studied numerous processes and west coast species. His industrial experience allows him to recognize commercially feasible projects in processing technology development and most importantly in raising salmon quality. The recipient is well published and focuses research and training on assisting seafood processors and fishermen in solving their technical problems, producing high quality products, and utilizing by-catch for new products.

Charles Crapo enjoys traveling and has been to many parts of the world. He is an avid bike rider and has ridden in Vietnam, Cambodia, and elsewhere across the globe