Speakers
keynote speaker
Shakuntala Haraksingh Thilsted
Chair, Scientific Advisory Committee, UN Food Systems Coordination Hub
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Wildan Ghiffary Turmudi
Ocean Technology Advisor, Yayasan Konservasi Alam Nusantara, Indonesia
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Bryce Duc Lu
Vice President, Research and Development, Viet Uc Seafood Corporation, Vietnam
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Yahira Piedrahita F
Executive Director CNA, Ecuador
Yahira Piedrahita is Aquaculture Engineer from ESPOL, holding a diploma in Fisheries Economics and a Master’s in Bioaquatic Resource Management and Environment. With over 30 years of experience in shrimp aquaculture, expertise covers production, health management, water and soil quality, and quality control. Certified instructor in HACCP and SCP, with extensive knowledge of EU, U.S., and Chinese food safety legislation, market access requirements, and audit procedures. Professional background includes leadership roles in Ecuador’s government as Director General of Aquaculture and of the National Fisheries Institute, university teaching, and consultancy for multinational companies and international organizations such as CBI, the EU, UNIDO, and FAO. Founding member of CIDEEA, Advisory Council member of USSEC’s Soy Excellence Center, and Board Member of the World Aquaculture Society (2023–2026). Since 2011, serving as Executive Director of Ecuador’s National Chamber of Aquaculture.
Speaker Biography
Wildan Ghiffary Turmud
Ocean Technology Advisor, Yayasan Konservasi Alam Nusantara, Indonesia
Wildan brings over 10 years of experience in ocean conservation technology, small-scale fisheries, and transparency governance practices in the marine and fisheries sector in Asia Pacific. His knowledge and expertise in the ocean monitoring technology have helped a lot in providing, proposing, and choosing adaptive solutions to marine protected areas management.
Prior to joining Yayasan Konservasi Alam Nusantara (YKAN), Wildan leads Global Fishing Watch’s small-scale fisheries initiatives program. He is based in Indonesia and His role as part of the global transparency program, working closely with governments, fishing associations, NGOs and other institutions to support the sustainable management of capture fisheries resources by increasing transparency of human activities at sea. Wildan has a bachelor of science in marine science from the Universitas Padjadjaran in Indonesia and a master of science in aquaculture and marine resource management from Wageningen University and Research in the Netherlands.
Speaker Biography
Bobbi Hudson
Executive Director, Pacific Shellfish Institute (PSI), USA
Bobbi Hudson is Executive Director of the Pacific Shellfish Institute (PSI), a non-profit research organization with a diverse portfolio of biological, oceanographic, and social science projects along the U.S. West Coast. PSI provides the shellfish industry, resource managers, and the general public with practical tools and information to support healthy shellfish populations. Bobbi manages research studies and general operations of the Institute, and frequently serves as principal investigator for multi-institutional research studies. She also serves on various state and regional working groups related to marine water quality and shellfish production in the U.S., and sits on the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) Expert Working Group on Ecological Carrying Capacity in Aquaculture. Bobbi holds B.S. and M.S. degrees in Environmental Science, and splits her time between Washington, Alaska, and Vancouver Island, British Columbia.
Speaker Biography
Soparat Bamrungsak
BDM ( Certification and Inspection), Control Union Thailand
Soparat Bamrungsak is a Business Development Manager and Senior Auditor at Control Union Thailand, with more than 15 years of experience in aquaculture, seafood certification and responsible supply chains. Her professional experience spans aquaculture production, fisheries, seafood processing and chain of custody, encompassing international certification programmes such as ASC, BAP , MSC , SMETA and FTUSA.
Through her auditing and industry engagement across the Asia-Pacific region, Soparat brings practical expertise in environmental sustainability, social responsibility, labour rights, traceability and responsible sourcing. Her work involves assessing how international standards are implemented across seafood supply chains, with particular attention to the challenges faced by producers, processors and exporters in meeting certification and buyer requirements.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in Fisheries, specialising in Aquaculture and MBA.
Speaker Biography
Heysel Calderón Gómez
Manager for Fisheries and Aquaculture, FAO, Colombia
Heysel Calderón Gómez is a Marine Biologist with a Master’s degree in Sustainability and postgraduate specializations in Project Management and Business Intelligence. She currently serves as National Fisheries and Aquaculture Manager at FAO Colombia, where she leads strategic initiatives at the intersection of aquatic foods, nutrition, sustainability, resilient livelihoods, and food systems transformation.
Her career bridges science, public policy, international cooperation, and on-the-ground action, with extensive experience in small-scale fisheries, sustainable aquaculture, value chains, inclusive markets, governance, social protection, resilience, and the blue bioeconomy. Her work brings together fishing and aquaculture communities, governments, academia, the private sector, and international partners to translate global commitments into practical solutions for people and territories.
At FAO, Heysel has contributed to key national processes shaping the future of Colombia’s fisheries and aquaculture sector, including public policy development, implementation of the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries, sustainable value chain development, food loss reduction, value addition, and improved access to nutritious aquatic foods.
At the heart of her work is a powerful idea: aquatic foods are far more than a source of protein. They are a critical link between human health, nutrition, biodiversity, culture, livelihoods, and thriving coastal and inland communities. Through this lens, she champions Blue Transformation as an opportunity to build aquatic food systems that are healthier, more inclusive, resilient, and sustainable delivering lasting benefits for both people and the planet.
Speaker Biography
Bryce Duc Lu
Vice President Research And Development, Viet Uc Seafood Corporation, Vietnam
Dr. Bryce Duc Lu serves as the Vice President of Genetic & Genomic Research and Development at Viet Uc Group. With more than 18 years of experience applying genomics to animal genetic improvement, he leads the selective breeding programs for whiteleg shrimp, black tiger shrimp, and Tra catfish at Viet Uc Group.
Dr. Lu holds a PhD in Animal Breeding and Genetics from the University of Guelph, Canada and has focused on improving the genetics of traits related to growth, reproduction, meat and milk quality, health, and environmental adaptation across both livestock and aquatic species. In the curent role, he is dedicated to delivering high quality, resilient broodstock that secures long term economic prosperity and predictable harvests for shrimp and fish farmers.
Speaker Biography
Shakuntala Haraksingh Thilsted
Chair, Scientific Advisory Committee, UN Food Systems Coordination Hub
Shakuntala Haraksingh Thilsted was the Director for Nutrition, Health and Food Security Impact Area Platform, CGIAR until mid 2025. She was previously the Global Lead for Nutrition and Public Health at WorldFish. She was awarded the 2021 World Food Prize for her ground-breaking research, critical insights, and landmark innovations in developing holistic, nutrition-sensitive approaches to aquatic food systems. She was awarded the 2021 Arrell Global Food Innovation Award for research innovation. She is Chair of the Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) of the UN Food Systems Coordination Hub and a member of the Food Systems Advisory Board of the UN Food Systems Hub. She was a member of the Steering Committee of the High Level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition (HLPE) of the United Nations Committee on World Food Security (CFS). She was Vice Chair of the UN Food Systems Summit 2021: Action Track 4 - Advance Equitable Livelihoods, and also a Food Systems Champion. In 2022, Shakuntala was appointed co-chair of the EAT-Lancet 2.0 Commission. Shakuntala holds a PhD from the Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, Denmark. She holds Honorary Doctorates from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and The University of the West Indies.
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