Dr. Colin Shelley
Aquaculture Consultant
BSc (Honours), Swansea University
PhD, James Cook University
Domain Interest and Expertise: Mud Crab Hatcheries and Production, Aquaculture, Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS), Research and Development
Dr. Colin Shelley has worked for over 30 years in tropical aquaculture, in the private sector, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), academic and Government sectors, with significant experience in leading Research & Development projects. His notable appointments include being the Director of Aquaculture of the Northern Territory Government, Australia, at the Darwin Aquaculture Centre where he worked with species such as barramundi, mud crab and snappers. Dr. Shelley also worked at the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries in Queensland, Australia, where he was involved in policy, industry support and development. He is also involved as a Project Leader at World Fish, an NGO based out of Penang, Malaysia.
He is skilled in design and development of aquaculture facilities, farm management, industry planning, post-harvest systems development, quality control, trouble-shooting aquaculture enterprises, supporting systematic change and driving innovation. He has an extensive network throughout the aquaculture and fisheries sectors which he uses to assist in problem solving and providing professional advice.
A pioneer and recognised international expert in mud crab (Scylla spp.) aquaculture and fisheries since the early 1990s, Dr. Shelley has led R&D and industry development, managed both hard and soft shell crab farming ventures, and also designed a RAS mud crab hatchery.
Dr. Shelley is also the author of the Food and Agriculture Organisation’s (FAO) mud crab farming manual titled 'Mud Crab Aquaculture - A Practical Manual' as part of the FAO's Fisheries and Aquaculture Technical Paper No. 567; the publication is seen as the global reference standard for mud crab aquaculture.
Dr. Shelley has worked in several countries including Australia, Vietnam, Philippines, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Tanzania, Mauritius, Fiji, Indonesia, Malaysia and a number of South Pacific countries, consulting for various organisations such as the FAO, WorldFish, the Wildlife Conservation Society, Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), as well as in the private sector.