WWW.WAS.ORG • WORLD AQUACULTURE • DECEMBER 2015 7 380 posters, and a great trade show with about 100 exhibitors from the Brazilian and international aquaculture industries. Everyone commented on the high quality of the presentations, the great attendance, the busy trade show, and of course the traditional warmth of our Brazilian hosts. I am already looking forward to returning to Brazil for LACQUA/ FENACAM in 2019. During the conference in Brazil, the Board of LACC held its last meeting of the year and committees presented reports and results for the year. Briefly our chapter currently has 447 active members distributed by countries/sub-regions as follows: Mexico 36 percent, USA/Canada 18 percent, Brazil 14 percent, Colombia 6 percent, Chile 5 percent, Europe 5 percent, Central America 3 percent, Ecuador 2 percent, and others 11 percent. The chapter is unfortunately not in a strong financial position, due to monetary troubles from an otherwise successful LACQUA 2014 in Guadalajara, Mexico. We trust that the present and future conferences better contribute to the financial resiliency of our chapter. During 2015, the Board of WAS and the membership of LACC approved changes to our bylaws to better reflect those of the parent society. World Aquaculture magazine continues to be translated to Spanish and is available at the WAS website. The Student Activities committee reported 55 student members and the organization of a student reception and awards for best student contributions at the conference. I presented the work plan for the chapter for the upcoming year in Brazil. The plan provides many opportunities for LACC members to get involved with the chapter and I know we can accomplish much with your enthusiastic support. Most of the work by the Board of Directors is done through committees. Every term, the new president appoints chairs, members, and tasks to these committees. Most often committee members are directors or officers of the Board, but any LACC member in good standing can also serve on a committee. I encourage all members to volunteer and participate in committee work. In the name of brevity, I will mention the chairs and highlight what I consider to be the main focus of each committee’s work during the first year of my presidency. The Board’s plan for the upcoming year includes getting the Ambassadors Program off the ground. This critical program was approved by the board this year and is now in charge of LACC’s new President-Elect and Promotion and Membership Committee chair, Luis Andre Sampaio. We already have fulfilled the positions for ambassadors for Brazil, Central America, Europe, USA/Canada, Ecuador, Chile, Peru, and Colombia. All members should expect to be contacted by their ambassadors soon. The Finances Committee is now chaired by our new Treasurer, Laurence Massaut. The committee’s main charge is to ensure the financial stability of our society and to work closely with the conferences steering committees towards the financial success of LACC conventions. On the rules and regulations front, I have asked the appropriate committee, now chaired by Pablo Gonzalez Alanis, to review and adapt WAS regulations for use by LACC. The lack of such document has in the past left the Board without guidance in terms of specific procedures. Our Publications Committee has been charged with updating the website, continuing to translate and make available World Aquaculture magazine in Spanish, revamping our newsletter AquaNoticias, and establishing a LACC presence on social networks. New Director Samia Sarkis now chairs the Student Activities Committee, which is charged with boosting student participation, organizing student activities during events and updating the student section of the website. Next year the Elections Committee, led by Past-President Antonio Garza, will run an election for a new secretary and director; please consider volunteering or nominating LACC members for these important board positions. If you feel strongly about any of the committee’s functions or tasks discussed above, I encourage you to look up the committee chair email address on our website and write to him or her with your ideas and offers of help. It is important that LACC remains a vibrant society and that members are involved in its operation and progress. During the plenary session of the LACC conference in Fortaleza, our chapter honored four distinguished Brazilians for contributions to the chapter and to Brazilian aquaculture. An award was presented to LACC Past-President Maria Celia Portella for distinguished service to the chapter. Itamar Rocha was honored for significant contributions to LACC and to shrimp aquaculture in Brazil, and Ana Carolina de Barros was honored for innovations and significant contributions to shrimp aquaculture in Brazil. The fourth award was very special and emotional, as it posthumously honored Mr. Alexandre Wainberg, after a tragically truncated lifetime of contributions to aquaculture in Brazil. Patricia Moraes Valenti presented the award to Mr. Wainberg’s widow. By the way, Patricia now chairs the Awards Committee which is charged with soliciting nominations and recommending awards to be given during annual conventions. Preparations are underway for future LACC events, including the upcoming Global Catfish Conference planned for 1-2 March 2016 in Tampico, Mexico and LACQUA 2016 to be held 28 November to 1 December 2016 in Lima, Peru. This conference is lining up to be a great one because Peru is a country with great fisheries and aquaculture traditions, not to mention its seafood culinary delights and amazing tourist and cultural attractions, including World Heritage Site Machu Picchu. Also on the topic of conferences, we are enthusiastic about preparations related to recently received confirmation from the Government of Cuba about LACQUA 2017 to be held there. I already sense a buildup of excitement around this event, which will no doubt attract attendants from around the globe and significantly from our region and from North America, as it is possible that direct flights from the USA may be operating by then. I hope to see you all in Peru and Cuba in 2016 and 2017! In my next column I will discuss some of the issues currently facing our society and will report on the progress and intermediate achievements of our committees. Until then, best of luck and keep the fish growing! — Lorenzo Juarez, President We are enthusiastic about preparations related to recently received confirmation from the Government of Cuba about LACQUA 2017 to be held there.
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