Honorary Life Membership is the highest EAS award and is given to those persons that have had a marked impact on the development of European aquaculture. Since 1981, EAS has bestowed this award on only 9 persons, including G. Ravagnan (Italy, since 1981), Dr. E. Monten (Sweden, since 1987 †), Dr. Bernard Chevassus-au-Louis (France, since 1989), Dr. Eric Edwards (UK, since 1991), Peter Hjul (UK, since 1993 †), Prof. Trygve Gjedrem (Norway, since 1995), Mr. J. Bally (Martinique, since 1997), Dr. Colin Nash (USA, since 2000) and Mr. Courtney Hough (Belgium, since 2010).
The award was presented by the EAS 2010-2012 President Yves Harache, who expressed his own personal pleasure in the nomination, that had been approved by the EAS Board of Directors during AE2011, and fittingly presented to Dr. Divanach on his ‘home soil’.
His HCMR colleague and associate researcher at the Institute of Aquaculture, Dr. Nikos Papandroulakis, introduced the awardee...
“When the EAS president asked me to speak about this person, I thought it was easy until I actually started thinking what to say. Then I realized how difficult is to speak about a person that has done many things and actually marked Greek and I would dare to say European aquaculture.This person has been working in the academia for his entire career but was/is always speaking about commercial production. When he produced the first million juvenile sea bass, he used wild plankton and since then many millions have been produced. The migration of this person through the Mediterranean region can be associated with the "movement" of the aquaculture production from West to East. A characteristic of this person is his dedication to understand the logic behind the biology and the technology that led him to develop rearing methods that match perfectly the physiological needs of the fish as for example the mesocosm larval rearing technique and self-feeders.Most probably you have already understood to whom I am referring. Ladies and Gentlemen, it is my great honour and pleasure to present you the Director of the Institute of Aquaculture of the Hellenic Center for Marine Research, Dr Pascal Divanach”.
Yves Harache added his own personal appreciation of Pascal’s work and the way in which is set the standard to larval rearing of Mediterranean species. He therefore found it fitting to present “Pascal the tenth” with a signed copy of a previous HLM award, Dr. Colin Nash’s book “The History of Aquaculture”. He added that a more formal commemorative plaque is being prepared for Pascal.
Judging from the appreciation showed by the audience, Pascal Divanach was a deserving and popular awardee.
Left photo caption: New EAS Honorary Life Member Pascal Divanach (left), being congratulated by EAS 2010-2012 President Yves Harache, with a signed copy of “The History of Aquaculture”.