Aqua Bounty Technologies, Inc., a Waltham, Massachusetts-based company focused on enhancing aquaculture productivity through the application of advanced biotechnologies, is pleased to announce the appointment of Henry C. Clifford to the Animal Health and Productivity Division of its Aqua Bounty Pacific subsidiary.
Clifford, a 25 year veteran of the $6-billion global shrimp farming industry, will direct the deployment of the company’s portfolio of therapeutics, diagnostic tools and health management products into the marketplace as the ABT Vice President of Marketing and Sales.
Clifford brings a broad experience in commercial shrimp culture to his new position, having played an instrumental role in the development and technical direction of several of the largest shrimp farming ventures in the western hemisphere. He pioneered the concept of shrimp domestication and genetic stock improvement at a time when the industry was still dependent on wild-caught broodstock and larvae. His contributions to advancing the science of aquatic animal health management include upgrades in pond preparation and feed management, and promoting the use of disease-resistant and disease-free shrimp stocks.
“Henry Clifford brings energy, experience and in-depth knowledge to the task of advanced technology diffusion to the farm level,” said Dr. Kurt Klimpel, the Chief Technology Officer at Aqua Bounty Pacific. “His practical understanding of animal husbandry and farm operations demonstrates Aqua Bounty’s commitment to support the farmer in achieving superior results through productivity improvements.”
“Aqua Bounty has achieved an important product launch with the take-off of its Shrimp IMS immunostimulant in Mexico,” Clifford said. “Our farm clients report very significant survival improvements with the recommended dosage and treatment timing, even in farms which have suffered an infection of Taura Syndrome or White Spot virus. I look forward to working directly with farmers to optimize their performance with the product and to build on the Mexican success to establish brand recognition for Aqua Bounty as a world leader in aquatic animal health and productivity enhancement.”
In addition to Shrimp IMS, Aqua Bounty Pacific provides high-sensitivity diagnostic kits designed to detect as little as a single copy of target nucleic acids under the SYBR Shrimp brand. Currently available in conventional or real-time PCR configurations targeting 5 major shrimp viruses, the company expects to add new kits targeting finfish pathogens in the near future. A vaccine-like receptor blocker to prevent White Spot infection is scheduled to enter field trials later this year.
