KANAPATHIPILLAI SACHITHANANTHAN

KANAPATHIPILLAI SACHITHANANTHAN
Address: 68, Anna Saalai, Chennai 600 005 India.

Date of Birth: 5th December, 1941

Place of Birth: Jaffna, (Sri Lanka).

Education:

1992 M.A Degree in Tamil from the University of Madras.

1966 M.Sc. Degree in Zoology with Marine Biology from the University of Madras, under the Government of India General Scholarship Scheme.

1963 B.Sc. degree with Zoology as main subject and Chemistry as ancillary subject from the University of Madras obtaining a first class pass.

1958 Educated up to secondary school level in Jaffna. (at Maravanpulo, Sakalakalavalli Vidyasalai,1945-1948; at Jaffna Hindu College, 1949-1958)

Employment:

1980- Established Kaanthalakam, a book publishing house, in Chennai, India.

1979 (Aug.-1985 Dec.) Consultant, FAO/UN (Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, South West Indian Ocean)

1977 (Dec.-1979 July) Lecturer (Zoology), University of Jaffna.

1977-93 Established Kaanthalakam, a book publishing house, in Jaffna, after resigning from the Sri Lanka Scientific Service in August 1977, subsequent to the communal disturbances of July 1977.

1971 (Apr. to Aug.) Consultant, FAO/UN (South Pacific)

1967 (Jan. to 1977 Aug.) Research Officer (Sri Lanka Scientific Service), Fisheries Research Station, Colombo.

1966 (October ) Private Secretary to Hon. M. Tiruchelvam, Minister for Local Government

1966 (July-Sept.) Visiting Lecturer (Zoology), Jaffna College Undergraduate department.

1963 (Oct.-1964 Mar.) Government Clerical Service, Government of Ceylon.

Training:

1973 (August) Participated in the UNESCO training programme on Marine Microbiology at Nanyang University, Singapore for one month under the guidance of Professor Ralph A. Lewin (Scripps Institution of Oceanography), University of California.

1969 (June-December) Trained at Tokai Regional Fisheries Research Laboratory, Tokyo, Japan for six
months in Fisheries Biochemistry on a group training programme in Marine Fisheries Research, by the Overseas Technical Corporation Agency, Government of Japan.

Research:

1976 Extended investigations into processing of dried fish in Sri Lanka studying among other things the feasibility of a mechanical device to dry fish, jointly with engineers of Walker Sons Ltd. Colombo.

1969 Investigated into the problems related to the Beche-de-mer fishery of Sri Lanka.

1967 Continued scientific investigations in the Jaffna Lagoon, studying its physical, chemical and biological nature in relation to the revision of the Northern Province Fishery Regulations. Commended by one man committee of inquiry for the contribution, in his report on the revision of the regulations.

1964 (May - June) Accepted a Research Studentship Award to work on the physical and chemical
aspects of Jaffna Lagoon, under the guidence of Dr. K. D. Arudpiragasam, Zoology Department, University of Sri Lanka, Colombo. This study was temporarily terminated to be able to follow a course in India leading to the M.Sc degree.

Projects:

1984-1985 As consultant with FAO/UN - Project for development of Fisheries in the South West Indian Ocean, participated in many projects related to processing and marketing of fish and fishery products, including training programs, in Seychelles, Mauritius, Madagascar, Tanzania, Kenya and Somalia.

1979-1984 As consultant with FAO/UN - Project for development of Fisheries in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, participated in many projects related to processing and marketing of fish and fishery products, including training programs, in South Yemen, North Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, Sudan and Djibouti.

1976 (December) Participated in a field experiment organised by the Association for Science Cooperation
in Asia at Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh on an efficient method in sun drying fish.

1976 (June) Participated in the conference on handling, processing, marketing of tropical fish in London organised by the Tropical Products Institution, London.

1975-1976 Member, working party on Fish Technology Indo-Pacific Fisheries Council, FAO/UN since 1973, and attended its meetings in Bangkok 1975, London 1976, Colombo 1976. Also prepared a report for the working party on the dried fish trade in Sri Lanka.

1975 Organised the Quality Control Laboratory at the Fisheries Department to test check quality of frozen prawns and other fishery products destined for export from Srilanka. As officer in charge of the Quality Control Laboratory, supervised the work of two graduate level students on Fish Technology and the duties of four Laboratory Assistants.

1975 Member, Drafting Committee preparing standard requirements for frozen prawns, frozen lobsters, dried fish, canned fish and other related fishery products of the Bureau of Standards, Colombo.

1973-1975 Designed jointly with the engineers from Walker Sons Co. Ltd., a mechanical device (named de-scummer) for cleaning the scum off the outer surface of holothurians during processing, Prepared feasibility studies and participated in the implementation of Five Bechedemer Processing Factories in Sri Lanka (constructed in Mannar, Manthai, Nachchikudah, Kalpitiya and Triconmalee) by the respective District Development Councils of the Ministry of Planning. Two more feasibility studies (Chilavathurai, Jaffna) were with the Ministry of Planning for approval.

1971 (May-August) FAO/UN consultant in Beche-de-mer fishery in the South Pacific Islands, for four months based in Noumea, New Caledonia, travelling to Fiji, New Herbides, British Soloman Islands, Trust Territory of Pacific Islands, (Ponape, Truk, Marshal Islands Yap, Palau). Trust Territory of Papua and New Guinea, Philippines, Hongkong and Singapore.

Knowledge of Languages:

      Language         Degree of knowledge

• Tamil         - Excellent
• English       - Good
• Sinhalese    - Working knowledge
• Japanese    - Working knowledge
• Arabic        - Working knowledge

Publications other than research contributions:

Frequent contributor of articles in Tamil and English, in periodicals, newspapers and radio in Sri Lanka, India, Singapore and Malaysia on popularisation of Science, Science in Tamil and Tamil research. Translated few English books on Zoology into Tamil for the Education Publication Department of Sri Lanka and other institutions.

Professional Societies:

• General Research Committee, Sri Lanka Association for the Advancement of Science.
• Plankton Society of Japan.
• American Fisheries Society.
• International Association for Tamil Research.
• Marine Biological Association of India.

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