WWW.WAS.ORG • WORLD AQUACULTURE • MARCH 2014 3 CHAPTER REPORTS I am writing this column just a few days before the start of Aquaculture America 2014 in Seattle. In contrast to my funk when writing my last column (because of dead fish), I am like a child shortly before Christmas. Although I truly look forward to the technical presentations, I get most excited by the prospect of seeing all the new advances in equipment at the trade show. Although my excitement could be dismissed as “boys and their toys,” I learned many things at the trade show that have led to marked improvements in my aquaculture practices and courses. The Aquaculture America annual meetings are invaluable to our members and should be on all of our travel schedules (if at possible). Organizing our annual meetings requires an enormous amount of work, by our professional staff, headed by John Cooksey, and our volunteers. For Aquaculture America 2014, we owe particular gratitude to Wendy Sealey, who willingly took on the roles of both Conference Chair and Program Chair. Whoever said, “When the going gets tough, ask a woman” must have had Wendy in mind. One of the most pleasant roles that the USAS President has is to present the USAS professional achievement awards. I am very pleased that our Professional Awards Subcommittee selected two long-time friends and former classmates. Carole Engle will receive the USAS Distinguished Service Award in recognition of her outstanding personal contributions to the USAS and the US aquaculture industry. She is a USAS Past-President and has served on numerous Society committees. Further, Carole has made many contributions to the field of aquaculture economics and was instrumental in the development of the world-class aquaculture program at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. Gary Jensen is this year’s recipient of USAS Lifetime Achievement Award that recognizes an individual who has made contributions and broad impacts throughout their career to aquaculture in the United States through research, education, extension and/or industry development. Gary has been active in fisheries and aquaculture since 1970, first as a Peace Corps volunteer in El Salvador, to several university posts and then on to USDA. He was appointed in 2010 to serve as chair of the federal Interagency Working Group on Aquaculture. Gary’s work and dedication to US aquaculture exemplifies commitment and passion. I am proud to call Carole and Gary friends and colleagues. This is my last column as USAS President and I will be passing the gavel to the able hands of Kathleen Hartman. I want to thank everyone who helped me during my term of office. Some of the goals I set as President were met and others just started. We are financially stable, thanks in large part to Secretary/Treasurer Reg Blaylock. We are moving more rapidly into social media by teaming up with AquacultureHub and are in the process of improving our website. The future of our industry is looking more positive as government officials and many of our friends in the environmental community have recognized that aquaculture can play a significant role in the sustainable production of food and energy. This change is due, in large part, to the efforts of our members in promoting our industry and dispelling falsehoods. I look forward to continuing to serve USAS in other capacities. — Kevin Hopkins, President U.S. Aquaculture Society I am really happy about the results of the WAS Mid-Year Board Meeting that took place in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), Vietnam, during the Asian Pacific Chapter regional meeting (Asian Pacific Aquaculture 2013). I would like to formally congratulate the APC and the Home Office for their incredible job organizing such a significant event. I am looking forward to further cooperation between the LACC and APC. During the conference in HCMC, I was able to participate in a meeting between authorities from Mexico and Thailand, seeking to exchange experiences on the way both governments are facing the Early Mortality Syndrome that has affected shrimp culture in both countries. This kind of exchange should happen more often and WAS should be a big promoter of it. Interregional workshops and experiences are extremely valuable, especially on topics as sensitive as the one treated in Vietnam. Coming back to the results that took place in HCMC, the most important of which is that, starting July 1, the Latin America and Caribbean Chapter and the APC will each have an Executive Officer to support chapter activities. The role of this Executive Officer will be crucial to improve the organization of our regional meetings and especially the services offered to our members. The main tasks of this permanent member of LACC will be to open channels of communication between the membership and the Board and to promote WAS and LACC membership in the region. As has been said repeatedly worldwide, our region is where new aquaculture is going to develop, and the LACC must provide an array of high-quality services to support members in their day-to-day activities of facing new challenges. In the near future, we will be organizing the committees that will perform the main activities of the LACC during the Latin American and Caribbean Chapter (CONTINUED ON PAGE 4)
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