MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Falklands' scientist president of Cephalopod Council

The Falkland Islands Fisheries Department's Chief Scientist Doctor Alexander “Sasha” Arkhipkin has been elected President of the Cephalopod International Advisory Council.

CIAC hold meetings every 3 years, most recently in Hobart, Australia between February 6 and 10.

This is one of the main scientific events for squid experts, and scientists from the Islands Fisheries Department participated in the Hobart symposium, "Cephalopod Life-cycles: biology, management & conservation", with a number of papers presented.

Founded in 1983, the aims of CIAC are to stimulate, accelerate and influence the direction of cephalopod research, to provide help and advice on aspects of cephalopod biology, including those relevant to the management of the increasingly important cephalopod fisheries, and to spread information on past and current research.

The means by which the aims will be achieved include among others: holding of CIAC Workshop/Symposia every 2-3 years and the publication of the results in book form; organisation of CIAC Joint Meetings with fisheries organisations, societies, or laboratories for exchange of information and usually the publication of papers and/or training manuals; endorsement of meetings organised by any cephalopod workers who provide evidence to CIAC of the value and feasibility of a meeting being planned; production of a Newsletter which will be distributed via the Internet.

Director of Fisheries John Barton says that being nominated and elected to the presidency of CIAC recognizes the volume and variety of research which Sasha has undertaken on a number of squid species in different geographic areas, although most recently on Loligo and Illex in the Falklands fishery.(PN)