Following a successful election period in 2025, Dr Khalid Salie of South Africa has assumed the role of President of the WAS African Chapter for a two-year term, effective from January 2026. Other newly elected board members include Dr Francisca Delgado as President-Elect, Dr Victoria Tarus as Regional Director for Eastern Africa, Professor Daniel Adjei-Boateng as Regional Director for Western Africa, and Professor Maryam El Bakali as Regional Director for North Africa.
These newly elected leaders bring extensive aquaculture experience from across Africa, further strengthening the Chapter’s cross-regional approach to advancing the long-term sustainable development of aquaculture on the continent.
Meet the New Board Members
Dr Khalid Salie is the Head of the Aquaculture Unit, Department of Animal Sciences at Stellenbosch University, South Africa. An ardent WAS member since 1999, Dr Salie is renowned to have steered the formation of the African Chapter prior to 2018. Dr Salie takes on a vibrant chapter with a rapidly growing membership and active programme base which has been greatly advanced by his predecessor, Dr Foluke Areola (Nigeria) – who now moves to the WAS Global Board as President-Elect.
Dr Francisca Delgado, an Angolan aquaculture professional and former National Director at Angolan Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources is now the President-Elect of the Chapter. She has served in the WAS-AC Board of Directors in various capacities since 2018, recently as Chapter Secretary and also assumed the position of Regional Director for Central Africa (2018-2023).
Dr Victoria Tarus, a Kenyan aquaculture professional and Deputy Director of Technical Capacity Building at Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI) has retained her position as Regional Director: Eastern Africa. Dr Tarus has served within the WAS structures for a number of years including being a Director in the WAS Global Board.
Prof Daniel Adjei-Boateng, from the Department of Fisheries and Watershed Management at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Ghana is now the Regional Director: West Africa. He is presently the coordinator for the upcoming World Aquaculture Ghana 2027 and well as Programme Committee Member for World Aquaculture Tanzania 2026.
Prof Maryam ElBakali, the Associate Professor of Biology-Aquaculture at Abdelmalek Essaadi University in Morocco, now takes over as Regional Director: North Africa. A President and Founder of RAISEAqua Foundation, Prof El Bakali takes over the North African regional leadership from Dr Nevine Shabana (Egypt) who held that position since 2018. She desires to motivate the bringing of an AFRAQ to Morocco in the near future.
