4 JUNE 2016 • WORLD AQUACULTURE • WWW.WAS.ORG CHAPTER REPORTS ‘Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences’ now an open access and online journal ‘Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences’ is the official journal of the Korean Society of Fisheries and Aquatic Science. It is now an open access, online journal dedicated to publishing articles on basic or applied research relevant to aquaculture, aquatic life and environments, fisheries, seafood sciences and marine biotechnology. (fas.biomedcentral.com/) The Seventh World Fisheries Congress The Seventh World Fisheries Congress (WFC-7) began its five-day run on May 23 under the theme “Challenge to Sustainable Fisheries and Safe Seafoods” at BEXCO, Busan, Korea. More than 2,000 participants from 75 countries attended WFC-7, where 1,167 presentations were made in 36 sessions on: Aquaculture, Bycatch, Climate Change and Fisheries, Fish Biology, Fisheries Assessment, Food Science, Hydropower and Energy, Management and SocialEcological Systems, New Techniques and Technology, and Stock Assessment. For the successful WFC7 meeting, President Park Geun-hye touted the fishery industry as a key driver of future economic growth, while calling for joint efforts to tackle threats to its sustainability, such as environmental pollution. “Fisheries have been developing into a future strategic industry that goes beyond a primary industry to serve as an engine for economic growth,” she said in her video message. Pointing to climate change, coastal pollution, overfishing and illegal fishing as challenges to the future of the fishery industry, Park stressed that such challenges can be overcome if those involved in the industry can marshal their “efforts and wisdom.” “I hope this conference serves as a good opportunity for us to bequeath a more productive sea to our descendants,” she said in the message. 2016-05-23 (Yonhap News) The Footprint of Korean Fisheries and Aquaculture History The National Institute of Fisheries Science (NIFS) (formerly National Fisheries and Research and Development Institute, NFRDI) published a compilation of histories of the fisheries and aquaculture last March. “The Footprint of Korean History of Fisheries and Aquaculture” is the title of this book and it contains detailed descriptions of the technology development and dissemination process for 85 currently cultivated species, including 18 seaweeds, 20 shellfishes, 22 finfishes, 7 crustaceans and 18 freshwater species, with historical data and photographs. According to the book, the developmental phases of Korean aquaculture can be divided as follows: 1) early development stages before 1945, 2) expansion of seaweed aquaculture and use of shallow tidal flats (1946-1975), 3) development and dissemination of new technology and new varieties (1976-1990) and 4) productivity improvement and skill development (1991-present). Mr. Kang Junseok, the president of NIFS said, “I hope to help our people with the opportunity to refocus the past and present of aquaculture through this to understand the histories of aquaculture.” May 10 — Celebration of 4th Marine Gardening Day The fourth official Marine Gardening Day event was held at the port of Susanhang in Yangyang, Gangwon Province in the East Coast. Seven more events were held on the same day by private and government joint celebrations. As trees are planted in the mountains for a better tomorrow, we plant marine plants in the sea for a better future. Cultivating marine forests, which provide spawning grounds and nurseries for marine organisms, is making the sea a repository of resources for humanity into a cleaner and more abundant place. The small practice of cultivating marine forests leads the greening movement of the sea worldwide. Marine Gardening Day, held annually on the 10th of May, is a day of planting marine plants in the sea. It is a national memorial day established to let Korean people be aware of the importance of the marine ecosystem and the gravity of its devastation, and to build marine forests at a pan-national level of interest. ‘Plant for the Ocean’ To celebrate the 4th Marine Gardening Day, UNEP Korea Committee (Secretary General Kim Jae-bum) opened the ‘Plant for the Ocean’ Camp at Garorimman Bay in Seosan Chungnam from May 9 to 10. Korea fisheries resources agency (FIRA) and HSBC Korea participated in this event. The camp was attended by about 100 foreign students from UNEP Korea Committee affiliated university Corps and Marine Life Science, Kunsan National University and students from 12 countries. UNEP Korea Committee participated in through the ‘Plant for the Ocean’ campaign raising public awareness of ocean desertification and marine ecosystems, changing patterns of climate change, and the marine ecosystem conservation and protection activities and deployment activities. — Ik Kyo Chung, President Korean Chapter the development of sustainable aquaculture across the five continents by assisting in the exchange of the latest scientific and technological information among academic, private, government and non-profit sectors. The Society must also further develop its capacity for identifying the challenges faced by aquaculture and providing President, continued from page 2 solutions in a timely, efficient and scientifically sound manner. I also envision WAS as a leading promoter of best-practice guidelines for the aquaculture industry, a key component of sustainable development. We should all actively participate in making this a reality in the near future. — Juan Pablo Lazo, President
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