Dr. Rolando R. Platon Director SEAFDEC Aquaculture Department Tigbauan, Iloilo 5021 Philippines e-mail: aqdchief@aqd.seafdec.org.ph rrplaton@aqd.seafdec.org.ph

Dr. Platon obtained his Ph.D in Bio-Resource Engineering from the University of British Columbia in 1985.

He joined the Aquaculture Department of the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center (SEAFDEC AQD) in 1975. He initiated the development of the small-scale backyard concept to scale down the prawn hatchery technology within the reach of fish farmers; following this up with the provision of extension services to the pioneers of the prawn hatchery operations in different places in the Philippines in the late 1970's.

He was Director of Research of SEAFDEC AQD from 1984 until he joined the aquaculture industry in 1986. He was founding President of a private consultancy firm with major projects that cover planning, development and management of different aspects of prawn culture in the Philippines, Indonesia, India and Australia.

In 1996 he was appointed Chief of SEAFDEC AQD. While continuing the efforts to generate research-based information to bridge technology gaps in aquaculture, he has made a major shift by intensifying the Department's thrust in the verification, packaging and commercialization of aquaculture technologies. Regional collaboration was also intensified during his term through conduct of on-site training and techno-demonstration projects in a number of SEAFDEC member countries.

He has just been re-appointed as Chief for his fourth term, for another two years.