121. On behalf of the Committee, Dr. Thiraphan Bhukaswan, the representative of Thailand expressed deep appreciation for the untiring effort of Dr. Pillay in playing the key role of establishing the Network of Aquaculture Centres in Asia. Naming Dr. Pillay as the father of NACA, he praised him for his foresight and conviction, and his technical skill, perseverance and energy which have enabled the aquaculture sector to receive the present level of support from both the national and international policy makers, in spite of the great odds encountered.
122. In wishing Dr. Pillay a happy and a well-deserved retirement from FAO, the Committee joined Dr. Bhukaswan in giving him a standing ovation and hoping that he would continue to contribute actively his services to the global development of aquaculture in another capacity. Dr. Bhukaswan's statement of appreciation appears in Annex VII.
123. In expressing his appreciation for the warm gesture and kind words, Dr. Pillay recounted his 22 years of service with FAO in which he devoted the entire period to the aquaculture sector and witnessed its steadily increasing importance, both within the Organization and in fisheries development world-wide. He thanked the Committee and his colleagues in FAO and in the many institutions and agencies for their cooperation, support, assistance and friendship. Although he had his share of frustrations, he said that these seemed so insignificant in comparison with the encouragement and the satisfaction that these years had offered. He assured the Committee that he planned to be professionally active after his retirement from FAO which he considered as the beginning of another phase of work.
124. Dr. Dwivedi, the Director of CIFE, India, in recounting his association with Dr. Pillay as a colleague in ICAR and FAO, highlighted Dr. Pillay's achievements both in India and other parts of the world, especially in bringing modern science into the age-old practice of fish farming.
