Tilapia breeder promotes 'outstanding' fish health expert to global role

Tilapia breeder GenoMar Genetics Group has appointed veterinarian Marina Delphino as its global fish health and quality solutions manager for Latin America and Asia.

GenoMar, which supplies fingerlings and juvenile fish to tilapia farmers, said one of Delphino’s tasks would be to develop and implement a unified vision and strategy in fish health, welfare, and quality for all our global operations.

Delphino has been with GenoMar since October 2020, when she took the job of fish health and welfare manager at the company’s Brazilian Breeding Centre.

Uncompromising attitude

“Marina has done an outstanding job setting up and maintaining a whole new standard in biosecurity and health management at our tilapia breeding centre in LATAM,” said GenoMar chief executive Alejandro Tola Alvarez.

“We want to replicate similar standards across all our operations and lead the way in the biosecurity as much as we do in genetic performance. Her skills, experiences and uncompromising attitude will provide great leadership to our global teams to reach that goal.”

Delphino said she would be dedicating her efforts to maintaining top-tier biosecurity and health standards across all units.

“Furthermore, my focus will be on achieving crucial certifications and building systems for quality control of the final product. This move represents a major step forward in the company’s collective pursuit of sustainable, high-quality aquaculture,” she added.

Disease risks

Delphino holds a PhD in Veterinary Epidemiology from the University of Brasilia, Brazil. During her PhD, she engaged in an aquaculture project to identify the key disease risks of tilapia farming in a tropical reservoir. This involved a comprehensive study, characterising the dynamics of prevalent pathogens. The findings served as a foundation for the development of effective control measures, influencing tilapia health and enhancing surveillance programs.

 Later she became a postdoctoral fellow, working with the Canada Excellence Research Chair in Aquatic Epidemiology at the University of Prince Edward Island, Canada.

GenoMar is a subsidiary of German poultry and aquaculture breeding specialist EW Group, which also owns Norway and Scotland salmon breeder AquaGen.