WWW.WAS.ORG • WORLD AQUACULTURE • JUNE 2014 5 CHAPTER REPORTS Ik-Kyo Cheong has completed his excellent service as the president of the Korean Chapter of WAS in November 2013 and I have become chapter president. Farewell Ik-Kyo, for your excellent job as chapter president from 2011-2013. On behalf of all members of the Korean Chapter, I would like to express my sincere gratitude for your incredible job and contributions to the Chapter. As the past chapter president, I am also expecting your help to host World Aquaculture 2015 in Jeju as an organizing committee member. The Korean Federation of Fisheries Science and Technology and Societies (KOFFST) International Conference 2013 was held on November 22, 2013 in Busan, Korea under the theme of “Climate Change and the Trends in Demand and Supply of Aquatic Products.” This event was co-organized by Korean Society of Fisheries and Aquatic Science (KOSFAS), Ichthyological Society of Korea (ISK), Korean Society of Fish Pathology (KSFP), Korean Society of Fisheries Technology (KSFT), and Malacological Society of Korea (MSK) and supported by Busan Metropolitan City. The conference was attended by about 500 participants from 28 different countries. There were 74 oral and 331 poster presentations by scientists from Korea and other countries. Three keynote speeches were delivered by three distinguished invited speakers, Mr. Son Jae Hak (Vice-Minister of Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, Republic of Korea) on “The Direction of Oceans and Fisheries Policies in the Era of Climate Change,” Dr. Wang Qingtain (Former Director, Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute, China) on “The Status, Challenges and Prospects of Mariculture Industry in China,” and Dr. Robert Mason Hughes (President of American Fisheries Society) on “Bioassessment in Water Resources Management to Study of Global and Regional States and Change.” Outstanding invited and general speakers from Korea and other countries gave presentations on various topics in five workshop sessions organized by each society of KOFFST including KOSFAS, ISK, KSFP, KSFT and MSK. This international conference provided an excellent opportunity to share understanding and knowledge on the effects of climate change on global fisheries and aquaculture. — Albert Kwang-Sik Choi, President It It has been a very active year for the aquaculture sector in the Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) region. Important plans are cooking in many countries and hopefully we all can participate in building the industry that we deserve and need. During May 28-29, in Mexico City, parliament members in charge of fisheries and aquaculture committees of several LAC countries will participate in a regional meeting coordinated by FAO in conjunction with the Mexican government. I hope this is the first of many meetings targeted to promote cooperation and better understanding among all countries in our region. I am fully confident that, working together, we can achieve a lot more than acting individually. We share many problems and needs and finding regional solutions will be the most cost-effective way in many cases. Changing topics to a more internal matter; during the past election of the new WAS Board, several members of our chapter agreed to stand for election and asked me to support them. I sent an email to the LACC membership introducing the members who asked for support. These members have proposals to improve the relationship between the Chapter and its members. This email was strongly criticized by many, including people who are not members of this Chapter. I think it is my right as LACC President to support members who ask for support and have proposals. It is the least I can do. I have always been open to receiving emails from any chapter member and would share with all members anything that would be of interest, even if it does not reflect my personal point of view. Please fill free to send anything; the more participation we have from you, the more the chapter will grow. Finally and most dearly, during Aquaculture America 2014 in Seattle we had the opportunity to sign a cooperation agreement with Panorama Acuícola Magazine to jointly organize LACQUA 14. This event will take place in Guadalajara, Mexico from 4 to 7 November. Guadalajara is known for its amazing beauty and excellent weather year round, and will be the perfect location to host LACQUA 14. Once again we will have the opportunity to interact with aquaculture experts from around the globe but, most importantly, we will be able to exchange experiences among the many producers from the region. This mixture of scientists, producers and decision makers is exactly what is enabling LACQUA to position itself as the most important aquaculture event in the LAC region. Remember that LACQUA encourages the presentation of papers in Spanish and Portuguese, although English papers are also accepted. So, mark your calendar and pack your bags to visit the homeland of tequila and mariachi music – Guadalajara. — Antonio Garza de Yta, President Latin American and Caribbean Chapter ABOVE. Participants of the KOFFST International Conference 2013. Korean Chapter
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