World Aquaculture 3 President’s column Over the last few decades, aquaculture has become an important component of the food production sector. The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture published by the Food Agriculture Organization of the United Nations indicates that 52.5 million t of fish were produced in aquaculture in 2008, corresponding to 46 percent of the total fish supply of the world, and representing an estimated value of US$ 98.4 billion. The annual production of fish coming from capture fisheries has been stable at about 90 million t, at least over the last three decades. On the other hand, the demand for human fish consumption continues to grow and must remain on that course for the next decades. Consequently this increased demand must be met by aquaculture, which remains the fastest-growing animalfood production sector. In parallel, the World Aquaculture Society has been playing a very important role in development of aquaculture. Through its missions to a) gather and disseminate technical and other information on aquaculture worldwide; b) hold meetings for the presentation, exchange, and discussion of information, findings, and experiences on all subjects and techniques related to aquaculture; c) encourage aquaculture research, development and education activities by international, national, and private agencies, among others, it has been contributing to the progressive and sustainable development of aquaculture throughout the world. The Society is represented in more than 80 countries and the number of members exceeds 2800. However, in considering these statistics, the number of WAS members might be considered unsatisfactory. To increase the number of members, the WAS Board of Directors and the various committees have been updating and implementing new programs and benefits to attract more members. However, from my perspective, the participation of our current members in recruiting new members is essential. If each current member convinces one person to join WAS, in one year the number of members would double. Let’s do it! Before finishing, I would like to give my impression about the USAS Chapter conference that was held in Las Vegas from February 29 to March 2. The conference was very successful, and the number of attendees from different countries exceeded 1,100. Several world-renowned participants from academia and the commercial sector were present. The technical sessions, which covered a wide range of aquaculture topics, were well attended and they served as an excellent forum for discussion. The trade show was also great and it was nice to see the interaction between academic and industry participants. I would like to express my congratulations to all those people involved in the organization of this successful conference. Moreover, during the conference in Las Vegas, the contract for World Aquaculture 2015, which will be held Jeju, South Korea, was signed by me and the governor of Jeju Province, in the presence of several South Korean dignitaries. Finally I hope to meet all of you at our upcoming annual conference that will be held in conjunction with the European Aquaculture Society and other associates in Prague, Czech Republic, later this year (September 1 - 5). More information about the conference can be found in this issue of World Aquaculture magazine or obtained from the WAS website (www.was.org). — Ricardo C. Martino President Awards presented by NAA President of the National Aquaculture Alliance, Mike Freeze, presented two awards at Aquaculture America 2012 in Las Vegas. The McCraren Award, in memory of Joseph P. McCraren, was presented to Bob Robinson, in recognition for his Outstanding Contributions in Promoting the Growth of Aquaculture. Betsy Hart received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the NAA.
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