6 MARCH 2017 • WORLD AQUACULTURE • WWW.WAS.ORG CHAPTER REPORTS Aquaculture plays an important role in the development of many national economies and a key role in rural development in the Asian Pacific region. Farmers in the region contribute over 80 percent of the world’s aquaculture production, with China contributing about 50 percent of global production. At the global level, aquaculture is the fastest growing food-producing sector. It is developing, expanding and intensifying in almost all regions of the world. The global population is increasing and thus the demand for aquatic food products is also increasing. With the expansion of aquaculture production, there is a growing concern over the impacts of aquaculture on the environment and also over the requirements of quality and food safety demanded by consumers and regulators. Sustainable aquaculture must maximize benefits and minimize accumulation of detriments and other types of negative impacts on natural and social environments. Like other Asian countries, aquaculture is growing rapidly in Pakistan, with a growth rate of about 7.8 percent, which is the highest in the agriculture and livestock sector. The aquaculture sector in Pakistan has gained significant momentum during the last five years. Public and private sectors are moving towards significant achievement in production and human resource development. The Asian Pacific Chapter sponsored and supported the 6th International Fisheries Symposium and Expo on “Innovative and Sustainable Aquaculture for Blue Revolution” on 8-9 February 2017 in Lahore, Pakistan. The event was organized by the University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (UVAS) in Lahore. I was invited to participate in the symposium as a keynote speaker and to represent our organization, the Asian Pacific Chapter of WAS. We also had a booth in the event to represent the APC. Many international speakers were invited. This was a great opportunity to represent the organization and exchange aquaculture knowledge with other countries in the Asian Pacific Region. There are two exciting upcoming events for the APC. First, it is the time for the election of new officers and directors. This year we will choose a President-elect, Treasurer, and two Directors that will begin their board terms at our APA17 annual meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The deadline to complete voting is 15 March 2017. Second, another mega-event, APA17 is coming to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia during 24-27 July 2017. Many interesting conference topics will be presented at APA17, including Marine Shrimp, Macrobrachium, Tilapia, Freshwater Fish Culture, Nutrition and Feed and more. One of the key highlights of the conference program at APA 17 is the plenary session, with presentations by leading aquaculture experts. The session will start with an address by Mr. Herve Lucien-Brun, Aquaculture & Qualite, France. He will discuss “Marketing Farmed Seafood from Asia to Global Markets,” which is linked to the theme of APA 17, “Transforming for Market Needs.” The APC is excited to announce awards for this year’s conference in Malaysia. The student award structure has been brought into alignment with WAS globally to ensure consistency. Additionally, the APC will continue financing and awarding exceptional women within the field of aquaculture. The three categories for awards are as follows: 1. Pre-conference student travel awards. These will be awarded on the basis of abstracts submitted by students. There are three abstract/travel awards with US$400 each for 1st, 2nd and 3rd prize. Abstracts will be judged according to the following criteria: format for submission, abstract title, abstract content, scientific and research value, application potential, scope, and clarity. 2. Presentation/poster awards for students. These will be judged during the APA17 conference. • Oral presentation: 1st — US$600 and 2nd — US$400 • Poster: 1st — US$600 and 2nd — US$400 Presentations and posters will be evaluated according to the following criteria: scientific and research value and application potential, management value and application potential, scope, verbal/audio-visual presentation, clarity and conciseness, stimulated intelligent discussion, abstract and title. 3. Travel awards for women’s participation: US$600 for two women. The criteria and application process for the selection of the women awardees has been developed by Aquaculture without Frontiers and is communicated on another announcement specifically for this award. Interested women need to complete the application form, which will be evaluated according to the following criteria: (1) knowledge and understanding of the role of women in aquaculture, (2) capacity to contribute to the future development of aquaculture, (3) potential benefits to the individual and the sector that they work in, (4) demonstrated skills that will enable the applicant to be an effective member of the APC. The student awards proposed by the APC are important to the whole aquaculture community because students are building the future of our organization and the future of our industry globally. The number of APC members is increasing every year at a fast rate and therefore the Awards Committee of the APC is taking on this task of picking up young talent with great enthusiasm. All students submitting an abstract and presenting a poster or an oral presentation will be evaluated. — Endhay Kusnendar Kontara, President Asian Pacific Chapter Like other Asian countries, aquaculture is growing rapidly in Pakistan, with a growth rate of about 7.8 percent, which is the highest in the agriculture and livestock sector. The aquaculture sector in Pakistan has gained significant momentum during the last five years. Public and private sectors are moving towards significant achievement in production and human resource development.
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