We are deeply sorry to announce that our long-time colleague and friend prof. Ing. Petr Ráb, DrSc., dr.h.c. passed away after a serious illness on November 16, 2024 at the age of 73 years. He educated a whole generation of very outstanding scientific personalities in his laboratory of fish genetics at the Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences. During more than 40 years of cooperation with us at the Research Institute of Fish Culture and Hydrobiology and later at the faculty, he significantly contributed to the formation of scientific level of many of us, students, PhD students and staff of the institute. In countless spontaneous discussions, he has often proved to be an effective catalyst, if not outright initiator, of the future direction of fisheries research, joint projects and grants. Petr was the first professor to be appointed at the RIFCH after obtaining habilitation and professorship rights, and since then he has participated in all faculty habilitation and professorship review committees, in most cases chairing these committees. At the University of South Bohemia, he has also served as a member of the university's scientific council, the scientific council of our faculty and a member of several doctoral study boards. In 2017, he received an honorary doctorate from the Rector of the University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice for his long-standing contribution to the development of fisheries sciences in cooperation with our institute and faculty.
In Petr we lose an eminent mentor, an understanding colleague, a critical reader of many of our manuscripts, and above all a good man and friend. Please pay a silent tribute to his memory.
