• Currently providing long-term project management services for a private investor for a new shrimp hatchery and intensive growout operation to be developed in the Turks & Caicos Islands, BWI. Completed work to date includes an extensive site search, site analysis and local interface with key government officials. Work is now underway to secure the land concession from the Crown;

• Currently providing project management services to a developing shrimp farming operation for a private investor in Venezuela. Once online, this state-of-the-art intensive recirculating shrimp farming operation will be capable of producing more than 200,000 kilograms of shrimp from less than 20 hectares. This operation has been under development for more than one year and is preparing to enter the full-scale design phase. Expertise provided thus far includes in-depth site search & analyses work, technical advisement, development of the innovative production strategy, US market analysis, financial feasibility analyses, financial sensitivity analysis and preliminary design work;

• Investigated the feasibility of converting two of the largest vertically integrated Ecuadorian shrimp farming operations, either wholly or in part, to tilapia farming operations. Together, these two farms consist of more than 4,000 hectares of farming area and are some of the most important farms in Ecuador. Recommendations were made on how to improve production of tilapia farming activities that were already underway. A strategic plan was developed that would increase production from tilapia farming by several orders of magnitude over existing production levels. Recommendations were also provided on hatchery, feed and processing plants associated with the farms with specific reference to improvements that would be required for the major expansion into tilapia farming;

• Provided technical consulting services for Industrias Petrolero, C.A. of Caracas, Venezuela. This client was interested in investing in an existing shrimp farming operation and retained our firm's technical expertise to determine the quality and value of the investment opportunity. Responsibilities included client consultation, valuation of an existing shrimp farming operation and submission of our expert opinion;

• Site search, site analysis and preliminary feasibility analysis for several different private Venezuelan clients. All clients had the similar goal of seeking to establish commercial shrimp farming projects in the coastal zones of Venezuela. Responsibilities varied from client to client but generally included technical advisement, site search, site analysis and determination of financial feasibility;

• Advisor to an established South Florida importer and producer of African Cichlids. Over the course of nearly one year, areas of focus for this client included refinement of farm and business management practices, disease diagnosis and the development of effective disease treatment protocols;

• Complete project development and project management services for El Chao, C.A., an intensive tilapia farming project in Venezuela. Over a three-year period, the consultant managed this project through all phases of development. This tilapia farming operation is currently producing in excess of 150 tons of fish annually and there are plans to triple the size of the farm over the next three years. This is a highly successful project and is currently one of the largest of its kind in Venezuela. The consultant continues to be an advisor to this project and will be facilitating the expansion and planned export of this farm's tilapia fillet products into the US beginning in early 2002.

Site Analysis
Feasibility Analyses
Market Analyses
Farm Design
Materials Sourcing
Farm Construction
Production Manual
Financial Analyses

• Preliminary project development for a proposed 1,000-hectare tilapia farming project in Surinam for a community development company. Work on this ambitious project included a comprehensive site analysis, feasibility study, preliminary design work and development of production protocols;

• Developer and moderator of the Tilapia Mailing List on Yahoo!Groups.com. The list currently has more than 940 active members and has grown into a valuable resource for tilapia farmers worldwide;

• Prepared a comparative production cost analysis for one of the largest fish processing equipment manufacturers in the United States. Mr. Frese was commissioned to investigate the financial feasibility of producing value-added tilapia fillets in the US;

• Complete analysis of the largest freshwater shrimp farming operation in the Dominican Republic. Efforts on this investigative mission included water quality analysis and an independent assessment of current management practices. A report to the client was issued with recommendations on how to improve the efficiency and profitability of the overall operation;

• Advisor to Nova Companies (Belize), the largest shrimp farming operation in Belize. Areas of involvement with this farm included strategic planning, financial analysis, production analysis, business plan development and equity capital sourcing;

• Founder and team leader of a proposed startup shrimp farming venture in Costa Rica. Conducted comprehensive research into all relevant areas pertaining to starting a semi-intensive shrimp farming project. Considerable effort was devoted to country analysis, actual site analysis and selection, development of a production plan, team selection and leadership. An in-depth US market study for farm-raised shrimp and a complete financial feasibility analysis were also prepared. These efforts were documented in a comprehensive business plan and subsequently presented to prospective investors both here in the US and abroad. The business plan received high praise in both venture capital and aquaculture circles throughout the United States and Latin America.

• Assisted in the construction and management of an intensive Redfish (Sciaenops ocellatus) production facility. The facility was constructed as part of an overall effort to restock Biscayne Bay with Redfish. The State of Florida's Department of Environmental Protection funded the project. Mr. Frese, along with his Advisor and fellow student, built the facility in its entirety with minimal subcontracting. Upon completion of construction, responsibilities shifted to operational management. Responsibilities included day-to-day management and supervision of employees, fish husbandry, water quality monitoring, records management and the development of experimental design procedures. During the six years working at the lab, Mr. Frese gained extensive experience in all phases of Redfish culture and aquaculture practices in general. Graduate research focused on designing and statistical testing of effective disease treatment regimens for larval and juvenile Redfish.

Malcolm Dickson, Senior Aquatic Scientist, has a strong background in research, training, extension and project management. He has worked in a variety of long-term aquaculture and fisheries situations from small-scale, rural fish farming to large-scale commercial enterprises in Africa, Europe, CIS and Asia. He has performed a wide variety of consultancy work on behalf of The World Bank, DFID, CDI as well as private clients. He holds a Ph.D. in Aquaculture from the prestigious University of Stirling in Scotland.

Some of Dr. Dickson's most important assignments to date include the following:

• Training Adviser for the Fourth Fisheries Project in Bangladesh. The World Bank, DFID and the Government of Bangladesh are funding the Fourth Fisheries Project. The aim is to support the development of the fisheries sector in Bangladesh in four main areas; aquaculture extension and training, shrimp culture, open-water fisheries and institutional strengthening. The post of training adviser provides 15 months of short-term inputs over a period of 5 years;

• Aquaculture Specialist for the Liwonde Aquaculture Project in Malawi. The Liwonde Aquaculture Project is a small fish farm on the Shire River. The promoters wanted to expand to 1000+ ton/yr. capacity. This feasibility study involved technical design and financial analysis of the expansion. This was a 6-week consultancy input supported by the EU organisation, CDI;

• Scientific and Technical Coordinator for the CTA Study Visit on Sustainable Agro-Pisciculture Systems in Malawi. This 2-week study visit involved designing the programme, identifying suitable participants, leading the group of 14 African fisheries scientists during the visit, facilitating their discussions and reporting;

• Aquaculture Consultant/ Sturgeon Hatchery Component Supervisor working under the Azerbaijan Urgent Environmental Investment Project of The World Bank. Involved in design of a new sturgeon hatchery to be built as part of a World Bank funded UEIP. Retained as Component Supervisor during procurement, construction and initial management;

• Aquaculture Consultant performing feasibility studies for private fish farms in Uganda. Conducted technical and financial feasibility studies for 2 new fish farms, a tank-based farm growing catfish and a cage based farm growing tilapia, both near Kampala, Uganda;

• Aquaculture Consultant for the DFID/Uganda Smallholder Aquaculture Project in Uganda. Two missions to Uganda; the first was for the development of a Project Concept Note for a new smallholder aquaculture project in Uganda, the second was as team leader of the Project Design Mission for the same project;

• Aquaculture Consultant to a privately fish farming concern in Botswana. Work included preparation of a feasibility study and development of plans for a crayfish and tilapia farm in Botswana;

• Aquaculture Specialist representing the Commonwealth Development Corporation who were performing due diligence work for the now fully operational Lake Harvest Tilapia Farm in Kariba, Zimbabwe. Part of a three-man team compiling an Environmental Impact Assessment report for a 5000t tilapia cage farm;

• Resource Officer for the Bangladesh Aquaculture and Fisheries Resource Unit. Responsible for implementation of activities in support of the DFID (ODA) Fisheries programme in Bangladesh. The main project was the design, delivery, supervision and evaluation of technical and training of trainer courses for Dept. of Fisheries Officers and NGO staff in Bangladesh and Stirling. These practically based courses involved field training of rural fish farmers and NGO groups, following assessment of their training needs. Also involved in the development and production of aquaculture extension and training materials, writing project documents, editing technical reports, organisation of missions to Bangladesh and the development of other BAFRU activities;

• Project Co-Manager for the Central and Northern Regions Fish Farming Project in Malawi. Served as team leader of a three man expatriate team implementing a 3.9 million ECU fish farming research, development, extension and training project covering two thirds of Malawi. Project funding was from the European Development Fund of the Commission of the European Communities. The project encouraged smallholder farmers to add fish culture to their mixed farms as part of an integrated farming systems approach. It established an extension service that developed a group extension approach, allowing farmers to become more independent in their main activities such as stocking and harvesting. The role of Project Co-Manager was to coordinate activities, reporting and planning. This included acting as liaison between the EC Delegation, the Malawi Dept. of Fisheries and other institutions such as NGOs in Malawi;

• Research Officer for the Nakambala Tilapia Farm in Zambia. Efforts here centered on research of tilapia culture and algae culture at a new, intensive tilapia farm attached to the Nakambala Sugar Estate. The main area of research was the investigation and production of tilapia feeds based on locally available raw materials. These feeds were then produced in commercial quantities for the 50 ton/annum tank based tilapia farm. Key research topics were the supply of vitamins and the identification of alternative protein sources for the feeds. This work formed the basis of his Ph.D. dissertation.

Steve Shultz, Farm Design Engineer, has been designing aquaculture farms since the early 1970's. Most of his work has been in the catfish farming industry centered along the Mississippi Delta region of the United States. He is one of the most widely respected farm design consultant in the catfish farming industry. At the present time, Mr. Shultz is working on expansion projects for Quiver River Aquaculture and Bear Creek Fisheries. Previous to this work, Mr. Shultz performed site survey, farm design and construction supervision work for Gold Kist Farms, one of the largest catfish farms in the US. Some of the other recent work of Mr. Shultz included the survey, design and construction of a 600-acre expansion of a shrimp farm in Belize. He has also worked on many other projects that are too numerous to list here.

Mr. Shultz is fully versed in site survey techniques. He uses the technically advanced Total Stations System surveying equipment for all his survey work. He is also well-versed in CAD techniques and uses this software extensively in the design of aquaculture facilities. Mr. Shultz is also a highly effective estimator and planner of earth movement and an experienced construction supervisor. His experiences with construction machinery, particularly pan scrapers drawn by laser guided tractors, is considerable.