Darlington Besa is a Senior Researcher at the Aquaculture Research Institute of Zambia (ARIZ), under the Department of Fisheries, where he leads the Molecular Biology and Food Safety Laboratories. With expertise in aquaculture genetics, fish breeding, bioinformatics, fish nutrition, aquatic health, and pond limnology, he has a keen interest in advancing sustainable aquaculture practices. He holds a Master’s degree in Limnology and Wetland Management, with a thesis focusing on the population genetics of key Oreochromis species. He is passionate about integrating fish welfare into production systems and remains dedicated to improving aquaculture productivity while addressing environmental and animal health concerns.