Nikkei Asia Prizes honors 82-year-old Taiwan prawn farming pioneer

2019/06/03

The winner of the 2019 Nikkei Asia Prizes science and technology category is Liao I-chiu, an 82-year-old chair professor from National Taiwan Ocean University in the northern port city of Keelung, for his decadeslong efforts in developing the prawn farming industry.
 
 During the presentation ceremony May 29 in Tokyo, Liao said he is grateful for the recognition and proud to be regarded as one of the key shapers of the lucrative aquaculture sector. There is more work to be done in taking this business to the next level and ensuring people across the region have access to affordable seafood, he added.
 
 Liao made a splash in the industry over 50 years ago when his team from the Taiwan Fisheries Research Institute, under the Cabinet-level Council of Agriculture, raised the world’s first farmed giant tiger prawn. He went on to rack up a long list of aquaculture accomplishments, many of which have contributed to advancing prosperity and sustainable development in Southeast Asia.
 
 Organizers also credited Liao for helping establish systems to cultivate a number of commercially profitable fish species such as striped mullet and tilapia. This is in line with the citation for his Order of the Rising Sun awarded in 2014 by the Japanese government.
 
 According to NTOU, Liao graduated from Taipei City-based National Taiwan University in 1960 with a degree in zoology and obtained a doctorate in fisheries studies from the University of Tokyo eight years later. To date, he has published more than 470 academic papers and shows no sign of slowing down.

 Established in 1996 by Japanese media outfit Nikkei Inc., the annual prizes recognize individuals or organizations situated in Asia with outstanding achievements in culture and community, economic and business innovation, and science and technology.
 
 Past winners from Taiwan include Morris Chang, founder of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd., Dr. Chen Ding-shinn from NTU College of Medicine, and Shi Wen-long, founder of Taiwan’s petrochemical conglomerate Chi Mei Corp.

Source: Taiwan Today (https://taiwantoday.tw/index.php)