World Aquaculture Society News
Editor's Note - Antimicrobial Resistance and Aquaculture
The spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has been classified by the World Health Organization (WHO) as one of the major threats facing the human population this century. It could become the leading cause of death, exceeding cancer, and result in as many as 10 million mostly premature deaths a year by 2050. The development of AMR limits the effectiveness of antibiotic treatments of bacterial infections in humans and species produced in aquaculture.
[More..]2018 WAS Election Results
As Chair of the Elections Committee, I am happy to report that we have just finished our yearly election process for 2018 with new officers coming into the Board. I would like to welcome and congratulate our new President-elect Dr. Jimmy Avery, our elected Secretary, Dr. Kathleen Hartman, and our two new Directors; Dr. Noe Noe Lwin and Dr. Albert Tacon. I am sure they will do a splendid job to further promote the objectives of WAS. I thank the Elections Committee for their due process in this task and thank you for voting. Hope to see everyone in Montpellier.
Best regards,
Juan Pablo Lazo
Elections Committee Chair
WAS
Fulfilling the Potential of Probiotics, Prebiotics, and Enzymes as Feed Additives for Aquaculture
Aquatic animal nutrition research began in the mid-1960s with the development of semipurified diets to investigate and determine both qualitative and quantitative nutritional requirements. This information was then applied to the development of practical feeds composed of highly digestible ingredients selected to satisfy those nutritional requirements. Prompted by the desire to produce economically and environmentally sustainable feeds, focus evolved to the identification of feedstuffs that could serve as alternatives to replace fishmeal and fish oil ingredients and progress and application continue. With mounting emphasis on sustainability and efficiency, focus has naturally progressed into and intensified within the realm of feed additives, that is, probiotics (bacteria) and prebiotics (chemical compounds), added individually or in combination, to manage populations of intestinal bacteria, as well as the inclusion of exogenous enzymes. Ultimately, these feed additives offer the poten
[More..]Functional Aquafeeds Special Issue Call for Papers
Aquaculture is now the fastest growing segment of the animal production industry. Indeed, the aquaculture industry has benefited from the growing demand for seafood products, coupled with a dramatic decrease in supply of fisheries-based products. Aquafeeds are among the most important drivers for the aquaculture industry. Not only the nutritional requirements of target species must be satisfied, but a wide range of feed additives have been developed to improve growth, a more sustainable use of feed ingredients, an optimal use of feed, along with health enhancement and stress resistance. The field of functional feeds has been constantly evolving, and it has rapidly expanded into an economically important industry. Such feed additives are very diverse in nature and functional properties, but they all share a thorough R&D background often inspired in nature-based and biotechnological solutions. Given the rapid evolution of functional feed additives in the aquaculture industry, often fuele
[More..]Progress in Aquaculture Genetics and Breeding in China
China is a leading country in aquaculture, contributing around two thirds of the world's production (FAO 2017). In 2016, the aquaculture production of China reached 51.42 million tons, which was about three times that of its capture production (MOA 2017). Given China's leading position in aquaculture, adopting the breeding technologies of China would be of great benefit for the sustainable development of future aquaculture globally (Gjedrem et al. 2012). In fact, many aquaculture species, including fish, crustaceans, mollusks, and edible algae, are involved in some breeding programs in China, resulting in 182 novel varieties approved by the Ministry of Agriculture of China by 2017. The total value of China's aquaculture seed production was 64.09 billion RMB (1.01 billion USD) in 2016 (MOA 2017). Many traditional and new technologies have been adopted in these breeding programs, including selective breeding, hybridization, gynogenesis, sex control, transgenesis, genome selection, and ma
[More..]Aquaculture America 2018 Plenary Talks Now Online
The plenary session of the February 2018 Las Vegas meeting were recorded. We are pleased to offer these excellent talks to the visitors of our site. If you were not in attendance this is your opportunity to experience the plenary session. If you were fortunate enough to attend you can refresh your memory. Enjoy.
[Schubel Video][Lieber Video]Aquaculture in Occitanie, France
The upcoming AQUA 2018 event #We R Aquaculture, co-organised by EAS and WAS, will take place in Occitanie. This is the name given to one of the new ‘super regions’ of France, created in 2016 from the former regions of Languedoc-Roussillon and Midi-Pyrénées. Occitanie comes from the historical name of the broader region of southern France and the historic use of the Occitan language and its various dialects.
Its aquaculture activities cover the production of marine and freshwater fish and shellfish cultivated in the Thau lagoon, a special focus of this article. The region also produces Spirulina and more recently other microalgae and macroalgae
[More..]AQUA 2018 to be Held in Montpellier France
Montpellier is a very conference-friendly city and provides very easy access from many hotels in all price ranges and excellent post-conference networking. AQUA 2018 will be held in the Le Corum Conference Center, which is in the centre of Montpellier and just a 10-min walk from the TGV station and the famous Place de la Comédie.
Montpellier is the ideal place to stay and take advantage of the many treasures of the Occitanie Region. Nestled between sea, vineyards and mountains and considered to be one of the top five French cities in organizing congresses and international exhibitions, Montpellier is the very definition of the Mediterranean city. With its rich historical heritage and idyllic location just a few kilometers from the coast, it is a key international city for business tourism.
[More..]Editor's Note - Tipping Points and Aquaculture
The concept of a tipping point or turning point was first used by social scientists in the 1950s but gained currency with the publication of a popular book on the subject by Malcolm Gladwell in 2000. The Merriam-Webster definition is “the critical point in a situation, process, or system beyond which a significant and often unstoppable effect or change takes place.” The basic idea is that a transition to a state of disequilibrium, sometimes called a “non-linear regime shift,” occurs after a threshold of conditions is passed.
The subtitle to Gladwell’s book is “how little things make a big difference.” Metaphorically a tipping point can be considered the straw that breaks the camel’s back, the point of no return. There may be some value in considering the various ways tipping points apply to aquaculture at various scales.
[More..]Aquaculture Research Priorities for the Next Decade: A Global Perspective
Setting future research priorities is a risky business; the chances are very high that somewhere, someone is likely to feel that a specific priority has not been addressed. We attempt to define seven research areas that we believe can yield the greatest impact on improving and increasing commercial aquaculture outputs over the coming decade. Research efforts must be integrated across disciplines by teams of researchers who work together effectively to meet the future needs of aquaculture worldwide.
Ultimately, consumers will drive what aquaculture products, which supply chains, and which product attributes they are willing to support with their buying power. Ongoing studies that measure changes and point to emerging market opportunities will provide the type of guidance that aquaculture businesses need to avoid costly decisions based on incorrect assessments of market trends and what consumers really want. For example, while much is written about the growing demand for l
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June 2018 President's Column
Since my last President’s column, Aquaculture America 2018 was held in Las Vegas, Nevada, with the strong support of our partners the US Aquaculture Society, the National Aquaculture Association and the Aquaculture Suppliers Association. This year’s AA18 was hosted by the California Aquaculture Association. Despite the cold and often windy weather, AA18 was another success with 2,078 participants from 61 countries and 732 oral and poster presentations. APA18 Taipei, Taiwan (April 23-26) has also concluded with 1890 participants from 48 countries and 445 oral and poster presentations. Thanks to those who participated in making these great successes. Let’s keep the momentum going with another great meeting in Montpellier, France with AQUA 2018 (August 25-29). AQUA 2018 will be our joint meeting with the European Aquaculture Society (EAS). If you can’t make it to France, then consider attending LACQUA18-Aquaculture for Peace in Bogotá, Colombia this October 23 - 26. These are great meetings to learn about the latest aquaculture discoveries and technologies, explore the tradeshow for new supplies and equipment, and make new friends and visit with old acquaintances. I look forward to seeing you at our upcoming conferences.
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