WWW.WAS.ORG • WORLD AQUACULTURE • JUNE 2015 23 that has been officially mandated or sanctioned by the national or state office of professions. Such a board certifies its professionals following specific criteria in accordance with national and state laws and regulations. Irrespective of country, examples of registered professions include lawyers, medical doctors, engineers and agronomists. Professional certification validates the education and training of professionals, and insures the continuing training of these certified professionals throughout their career. Professional certification may increase professional credibility because it suggests that the certified professional knows what s/he is talking about, is the right person for the job and works with integrity. Professional certification may thus create trust and confidence in society, employers and investors. A certified professional bears a professional title that supports her/her professional competence and integrity. To maintain the status of his/her professional certification as valid, a professional should demonstrate continuing work and training, which are usually evaluated by the certifying professional board on a regular basis (biennially or quinquennially for instance). In this manner, the professional board keeps control of the education, training and professional experience of its certified professionals. Certified Professional Aquaculturist? Despite the fact that anyone can produce aquatic organisms and scientists from all disciplines can contribute to aquaculture research and development, not every aquatic farmer or aquatic scientist should automatically be considered to be an aquaculture specialist or aquaculturist. By analogy, a botanist is not automatically an agronomist, nor a holder of a degree in medical science a medical doctor, nor a holder of law degree a lawyer. Moreover, although it is not expected that only people who have received formal education and training in aquaculture become aquaculture producers, it is clear that the sustainable development of aquaculture can be supported by innovations performed by true aquaculture professionals. In addition, investors might be more inclined to provide funds for aquaculture projects involving certified aquaculturists. In this context, the professionalization of aquaculture appears to be more of a need than an option for sustainable development of the aquaculture sector. The benefits of professional aquaculture certification to the public and for sustainable development of the aquaculture sector, in combination with farm certification, can be anticipated by making an analogy to terrestrial agriculture. In the western hemisphere for instance, a terrestrial agriculture farm is voluntarily certified by an independent private certifying organization (the ISO, for example), but the agricultural expert working with the farm as an employee, consultant or government support officer is exclusively a certified professional agronomist. In this manner, the integrity and sustainability of the agricultural sector is supported by certified professional agronomists. The professionalization of aquaculture might involve the establishment of a professional board that regulates and guides aquaculture professionals through the professional certification process. The American Fisheries Society (AFS), which includes the Fish Culture Section, currently offers professional fisheries certification. However, this certification is barely recognized by any fisheries sector, possibly because it has no specific academic standing. Auburn University operates a Certification for Aquaculture Professionals program, but very few aquaculture job postings currently require this certification. Nevertheless, aquaculture societies, including the World Aquaculture Society, could build on the experience of the AFS and Auburn University to establish a “Board of Aquaculture Professionals.” Such a board would officially guide aquaculture professionals to ensure that aquaculture is practiced with integrity and that certified professional aquaculturists use existing scientific and technological knowledge to find relevant economically, environmentally and socially sustainable solutions to the current and future challenges of global aquaculture growth. Notes Rodrigue Yossa, Ph.D., AquExperts International Inc., 2820, rue Lamberville, suite 5, Quebec city, Quebec, G1V1B7, Canada, Tel: 1 581-777-7985; Emails: rodyossa@yahoo.fr/ryossa@ aquexperts.com References Brummett, R.E. 2013. Growing Aquaculture in Sustainable Ecosystems. The World Bank Agriculture and Environmental Services Department Notes 78823. www-wds.worldbank.org/ external/default/WDSContentServer/WDSP/IB/2013/06/26/0004 42464_20130626121301/Rendered/PDF/788230BRI0AES00with out0the0abstract.pdf Cressey, D. 2009. Aquaculture: Future fish. Nature 458:398-400. FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations). 2014. The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2014. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome, Italy. Naylor, R.L., R.J. Goldburg, J.H. Primavera, N. Kautsky, M.C.M. Beveridge, J. Clay, C. Folke, J. Lubchenco, H. Mooney and M. Troell. 2000. Effect of aquaculture on world fish supplies. Nature 405:1017-1024. Williams, M.J., J.D. Bell, M.V. Gupta, M. Dey, M. Ahmed, M. Prein, S. Child, P.R. Gardiner, R. Brummett and D. Jamu. 2000. Responsible aquaculture can aid food problems. Nature 406:673. 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