12 SEPTEMBER 2013 • WORLD AQUACULTURE • WWW.WAS.ORG of Canada and the Aquaculture Association of South Africa, a joint session with Aquaculture without Frontiers at APC 2013, a special session at World Aquaculture 2014, and a joint session with AQUABIO and LACC. We have also engaged as a Foundation Partner, the Global Forum for Innovations in Agriculture (GFIA), which is scheduled for 3-5 February 2014. Global communication, collaborations, and programming require ongoing and consistent time and energies from all sides. To this end I am ever-thankful for the hard work and time commitments of all WAS Chapters, committees, and committee-members. If you have the time and energy to contribute to the WAS mission, please let any of the officers or board members know and we will gladly engage you as appropriate and best able. Our next scheduled conferences through 2014 include: • LACQUA’13: Villavicencio, Colombia, October 8-11 • ASIAN PACIFIC AQUACULTURE 2013: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, December 10-13 • AQUACULTURE AMERICA 2014: Seattle, Washington, USA, Februuary 9-12 • WORLD AQUACULTURE 2014: Adelaide, South Australia, June 7-11. Review your 2013-2014 travel agendas and make room to attend these conferences if you are able. The ASIAN PACIFIC AQUACULTURE 2013 will also serve as the mid-year WAS Board meeting. With appreciation to a detail-oriented reader of World Aquaculture, my column in the June issue contained an error in the membership table, suggesting that we experienced a tremendous attrition rate of our Lifetime members between 2011 and 2012. I am happy to report that indeed our Lifetime Members are alive and well, and that the incorrect number resulted from an error in spreadsheet formatting. (Specifically, the number of Lifetime Members at the May 2011 meeting in Natal was 53 rather than the reported 282.). So, with thanks to the very observant reader, my apologies for the incorrect data, and let’s remember to “eat more seafood” so that we continue to retain our Lifetime Members, as well as those in other membership categories. —Michael Schwarz, President President’s Column, continued from page 2 “Summertime … catfish are jumping” but livin’ ain’t easy! Early morning dissolved oxygen checks, algae blooms, and keeping feeders full while watching feed prices continue to soar. Such is the life of many of our fish farmers. While we look to a future of intensive systems and other advanced technologies, we often forget that most aquaculture production comes from ponds operated by farmers. Commercial farming of fish, livestock, or vegetables is not glamorous. It is hard work with uncertain financial returns. I am more than pleased to see the increasing interest in backyard aquaponics and other small-scale systems. They can make an important addition to our food supply. But we need to focus most of our attention on making our commercial aquaculture farmers economically viable if we are going to reduce our reliance on imports of aquaculture products. When you are working 12+ hour days during the heat of summer, the last thing you want to read is another request for help. But USAS needs your help. We are a volunteer organization. Our officers, committee members and other volunteers do not get paid in cash. But there are benefits to volunteering! One can learn an enormous amount about our industry and, by combining your voice with other members, have a positive impact on government programs that will affect the future of our industry. Luckily for us, aquaculture managers in USDA, NOAA and FDA actively ask for input into their plans. We often might feel overwhelmed by the requests for input (there have been at least three requests in the last couple of months), but it is extremely important to respond to as many as you can. In addition to giving your professional U.S. Aquaculture Society affiliation, mention that you are a member of USAS. And lastly re: volunteering, now is the time that we are putting together our nominations for Board members and officers. Step up and let us know that you are willing to help. Email me at Hopkins@ hawaii.edu and I will pass your name on to the elections committee. Aquaculture certification has been on my mind lately. As Barry Costa-Pierce stated in a recent article, the multiplicity and cross-over of certification programs causes considerable confusion and the benefits are often not passed down to farmers (but the costs of certification are!). Although there is a significant population that will pay a premium for certified product, the vast majority of consumers do not look for certification. Does that mean we do not certify? No, but I suggest that certification be looked at from a different perspective. We should consider certifications that serve the needs of the farms, farmers and the industry, not just the consumer. Regulators are becoming more and more demanding but do not have the resources to properly implement those regulations. We need to self-regulate like many other professional groups. I am not saying that we immediately try to implement an ISO9001 system but USAS needs to start the process so that we can eventually self-regulate. Otherwise, well meaning, but untrained and overworked government regulators will do it for us. A first step in this process may be to develop certification programs for aquaculture managers in cooperation with universities and community colleges. — Kevin Hopkins, President CHAPTER REPORTS
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