Rhodes University (South Africa)
Rhodes University (RhU) is a ‘research intensive’ university with a primary focus on producing quality postgraduate students and research. Rhodes’ research output per staff member is one of the highest nationally. The Department of Ichthyology and Fisheries Science (DIFS) at RhU is the only department in the country that specialises in Ichthyology, Fisheries Science and aquaculture. Although it is small, the DIFS has developed strategic partnerships with key research institutions, government departments and industry, that make it possible to host a school of more than 30 PhD and 30 MSc students, and 40 undergraduate and honours students.
The DIFS has a partnership with the aquaculture industry in South Africa which enables most of its post-graduate aquaculture students to carry out their projects on aquaculture farms. This has the advantage of making the research more applicable to industry and it gives the students exposure to industry. The department also has experience in running/partnering in numerous multi-institutional, multi-national projects (e.g. ACP-EU’s Edulink II, EuropeAid/I32023/D/ACT/ACPTPS DCI-AFS/20 I3/320-302); EU’s Intra-Africa Mobility Scheme, Grant Agreement 2017-2929/001-11), and UNDP Benguela Current Commission ecosystem projects involving South Africa, Namibia and Angola.
Partners / Researchers
Clifford Jones
Cliff Jones is a Senior Lecturer at RhU with a research focus on sustainable aquaculture in partnership with the South African aquaculture industry. He has led four local aquaculture research programmes with industry for the past 15 years, represents RhU on two multi-institutional, multi-national educational/research development projects, published 28 peer reviewed papers, authored/co-authored 96 papers at international conferences, and has raised and administered over ZAR 19-million in research funds over last 10 years.
Peter Britz
Peter Britz is a full Professor who has made extensive contributions to aquaculture research and development, policy and sector planning in southern Africa. His research group has played a key role in the development of technology for the local abalone farming industry.
Other research interests include in the development of marine finfish farming technology, abalone ranching, recycling of organic effluents for aquaponics and fishery and aquaculture value chain development. He provides regular advice on aquaculture and fisheries sector development and policy to industry, government, and development agencies in the region. Pete currently serves as Chair of the Aquaculture Association of Southern Africa. He has published 73 peer reviewed scientific articles and graduated 32 MSc and 7 PhD students.
