World Aquaculture December 2018

28 DECEMBER 2018 • WORLD AQUACULTURE • WWW.WA S.ORG in March 1992 indicated that 63.5 percent of members were from North America. The largest number of members outside North America were in Japan (172). In 2004, more than 50 percent of the members were located outside the United States and the total membership was over 3,000. As of early August 2018, the membership breakdown was as follows: Corporate (59), Individual (2,252), Non-US (1,541), Total (3,852). Membership has fluctuated between 3,500 and 4,000 over the years, rising and falling with meeting registrations. WAS reaches many more through affiliate organizations and has expanded international outreach through its regional chapters. Nevertheless, although aquaculture has grown significantly, the number of WAS members has remained rather stable over time. Controversy WAS was formed as an organization devoted to supporting the development of aquaculture through high-quality scientific investigation, development of new technology, and dissemination of information to scientists and more importantly to producers of aquatic organisms — the farmers. At its inception those goals were thought to be founded on altruism. Those dedicated to the development of global aquaculture could not have anticipated the firestorm that arose in the 1980s and 1990s. Space limitations preclude details but the opposition to aquaculture was often based on environmental issues, whereas WAS members generally held the position that the Society was pro-environment and pro-conservation. Rather than being champions of the environment, dedicated to providing safe food for the public and a means of increasing the livelihood of fish farmers, WAS and other aquaculture organizations were placed in a defensive position, which in some cases continues to the present. Some have argued for WAS to take more of an advocacy role for aquaculture but the leadership of the Society has remained true to its founding principles and focus on encouraging the development and dissemination of scientific information. A considerable amount of research reported at WAS meetings and in WAS publications focuses on aquaculture sustainability. These include methods to reduce eutrophication from effluents and under net pens, fishmeal replacement, fish welfare, aquatic animal health and and many other issues. WAS leadership and members have published reviews clarifying and providing perspectives on these important and often emotional issues. WAS meetings and publications enable the reporting, discussion, and dissemination of fair and unbiased scientific information that form the basis for the development of new technologies, sound government and non-governmental planning, policies, and regulations. It is scientific advancement that forms the foundation for aquaculture progress and responsible growth, enabling the production of healthy food. Aquaculture provides excellent high-quality alternatives for consumers around the world while also providing livelihoods and food security in developing countries where it is most needed. Conclusions The World Aquaculture Society has been a somewhat unique experiment involving the integration of producers, suppliers, feed companies, engineers, environmentalists, students, scientists of many stripes, government agencies, and many others. They have worked together to advance the science and production practices of aquaculture. Remarkable progress of major worldwide sources of seafood produced through captive rearing has been made. Important advances in feed technology, nutritional requirements, disease detection and control, genetic improvement, water quality treatment, closed system design, offshore culture systems, and various other subjects have occurred. Aquaculture has arguably contributed to the sustainability of wild aquatic species. Typically, opponents of aquaculture argue that production practices are unsustainable, using fishmeal to feed fish, as an example. That issue has prompted fish nutritionists to find alternative, readily available plant proteins that, when used in properly formulated feeds, can replace fishmeal, partially or even completely. That’s just one example of how aquaculturists have readily and enthusiastically accepted the challenge to address a major controversy. Based on the first 50 years, WAS members seem to have been remarkably successful in developing information that has been used to influence the rapid expansion of global aquaculture. Judging from attendance at WAS-sponsored conferences, there is no lack of interest in aquaculture. The Society appears to be on a sound financial footing, is being well managed, and is producing a high-quality journal and an informative magazine. Participation in WAS has also led to many opportunities for global collaboration of scientists and educators with producers and suppliers. Given the contributions of WAS to the advancement of aquaculture around the world and the continuous interest in advancing the science and technology associated with the discipline, the lack of continuous increases in membership in the Society is an ongoing issue of concern and a challenge for the WAS Board. Acknowledgement Many thanks are due to those who reviewed and provided valuable input to this article: Lou D’Abramo, Delbert Gatlin, Michael Masser, Michael New and Craig Browdy. Lou D’Abramo also put together the information in Table 1. Editors Note: Robert Stickney is a Past-President of WAS (1991- 1992) and former Editor-in-Chief of World Aquaculture magazine. Based on the first 50 years, WAS members seem to have been remarkably successful in developing information that has been used to influence the rapid expansion of global aquaculture. Judging from attendance at WAS-sponsored conferences, there is no lack of interest in aquaculture. The Society appears to be on a sound financial footing, is being well managed, and is producing a high-quality journal and an informative magazine. Participation inWAS has also led to many opportunities for global collaboration of scientists and educators with producers and suppliers.