The Hawaii Aquaculture and Aquaponics Association (HAAA) hosted a banquet on May 24 2016 to honor the work of Dr. Clyde Tamaru and Dr. Harry Ako, who both recently retired from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Each researcher has spent over four decades working to address various aquaculture issues ranging from larval rearing to feed.

At the banquet, the gentlemen were presented with Proclamations from the HAAA and \'Certificates of Appreciation\' from the Center for Tropical and Subtropical Aquaculture, honoring their dedication to public service in support of the Hawaii Aquaculture and Aquaponic Industry. Dr. Tamaru also shared a heartfelt presentation highlighting his and Dr. Ako\'s storied careers.

\"Working together with my colleagues to help people has been the best part of the job for me,\" stated Dr. Tamaru during his presentation. \"The highlight of my career was the work we did to help establish backyard milkfish farms in Indonesia. It was very rewarding because it resulted in the alleviation of poverty for participating farmers.\"

More than 50 people attended the event to share their gratitude and personal stories of how the researchers have impacted their lives. Oahu tilapia farmer Brian Leonida summed it up perfectly: “The aquaculture industry in Hawaii wouldn’t be the same without these two gentlemen, period.”