WWW.WAS.ORG • WORLD AQUACULTURE • SEPTEMBER 2017 23 U.S. AQUACULTURE SOCIETY Sponsored Publications Request for Proposals The USAS is seeking proposals for publications, including books, conference proceedings, fact sheets, pictorials, hatchery or production manuals, data compilations, and other materials that are important to U.S. aquaculture development and that will be of benefit to USAS members. Individuals wishing to have a project considered for funding by the USAS should prepare a proposal — guidelines are available on the website www.was.org. Conditions for Publication: The USAS Board of Directors will rate proposals and select projects for publication. The successful applicant will serve as co-author; however, depending on contribution to the publication, the applicant may not necessarily serve as chief or sole author. The USAS will cover general publication and distribution costs for one or more projects up to $5,000 each year. However, special consideration will be given to worthwhile projects that exceed this limit. No compensation will be provided to the authors for their time spent in writing the publication. The publication will be property of the USAS and will be sold through the WAS bookstore. Contact: DR. ERIC PEATMAN • Phone: 334-844-9319 • Email: peatmer@auburn.edu including energy production. The transition from fisheries to aquaculture is inevitable; let’s start as soon as possible and do it right. Capacity Building Capacity building at all levels is one of the most imperative needs for Mexican aquaculture. A major national capacity building program needs to be in place to develop aquaculture. Collaborative agreements with the best universities and research centers in the world need to be established so personnel with the right skills will be in place to run the hatcheries, intensive culture systems and offshore aquaculture facilities that will develop in the future. We also need to train producers in many other skills such as handling, processing, preserving, adding value, transporting and marketing their fish. From the hatchery to the retail shop, many steps need to be taken. The role of the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Institute (INAPESCA) will be essential. Everybody needs to invest a little bit of themselves – of their time, money, and effort. Education and capacity building are the best ways to invest in ourselves. Associativity There is an old story about a man who goes to a market and sees two buckets of crabs, one covered with a lid and one uncovered. The man asked the seller what was the difference between the two buckets and the salesman answered that the one that had Japanese crabs needed to be covered because the crabs always helped each other to get out, regardless of the circumstances. In the other bucket were Mexican crabs that didn’t need a lid because, once a crab was about to escape, it was immediately pulled back inside by others. Well, the story is not far from reality, associativity is something that has never been a strong part of Mexican idiosyncrasy; the challenge is to change the paradigm. There are a few groups, like the catfish producers, that really work well as a team, but Mexico needs good teamwork to be the rule, not the exception. Producers need to get organized, consolidate their purchases and work together on the development of the value chain. They need to start seeing each other as a partner instead of a competitor. The competition faced by Mexican aquaculture producers is far away, but it is already well-organized. Producers need to have associations that are independent and do not receive money from the government because this does not allow real participation in aquaculture governance. Associations need to be extremely active and push for all the improvements and lobbying that is still needed for aquaculture to progress. Only with teamwork, passion and perseverance can Mexican aquaculture position itself as a world leader. The challenges are many and the path is not easy, but I am sure that the crazy group of people with the dream to make this happen will find a way. So, in the future someone will say: “Once upon a time in Mexico, there was a group of dreamers that worked day and night to make Mexican aquaculture one of the best in the world… and they did it.” Notes Antonio Garza de Yta, Rector of Universidad Tecnológica del Mar de Tamaulipas Bicentenario, is currently a Director of WAS and Immediate Past-President of the Latin American and Caribbean Chapter of WAS. All photographs courtesy of CONAPESCA. Email: agarza@crm-agc.com.
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