During the second trimester of my presidency, WAS committees got down to the difficult business of accomplishing their tasks. Building on the momentum of the Jeju meeting, the Communications Committee and the reinvigoration plan for JWAS have been in full swing. The Awards Committee was given a number of new initiatives, including revising student abstract award procedures, and introducing a new award for a student or young scientist to honor the late M.C. Nandeesha. It remains a challenge to identify worthy candidates for the Honorary Life, Exemplary Service and Fellows awards from a variety of countries where prominent aquaculture professionals work and reside. Recently the composition of the Awards Committee was altered to include all Chapter Presidents and an industry representative in an effort to increase the diversity of nominees. However, I strongly encourage each member to be active in nominating fellow colleagues who you consider worthy of WAS recognition. We have instituted the practice of retaining application packets in active status for three years after submission. We hope this will encourage more members to make the significant investment of time and effort needed to compile nomination packets.

In many of the top aquaculture-producing countries, WAS is still not a household name among aquaculture scientists, policymakers and industry suppliers. To address this, our Board members, Past Presidents and Fellows are sharing the benefits of WAS membership with colleagues in different regions through conferences, workshops and other venues. We plan to increase and diversify our communications before and during these events to give current and potential new members more opportunities to engage meaningfully with WAS. Financially our organization depends heavily on revenues from conferences. Offering more conferences and workshops in different regions requires a greater investment initially, with the expected benefit of increased membership and awareness of WAS as the payoff. Although some of these activities have not been profitable, the groundwork has been laid for stronger ties with a country such as India, which has an enormous aquaculture industry. Aside from India, a number of Asian, African and Middle Eastern countries have shown substantial interest in partnering with WAS on academic and industry issues.

As I write this, final arrangements are being implemented for the meeting of the Latin American and Caribbean Chapter in Fortaleza, Brazil. The Chapter successfully completed an election recently and new Board members will begin their term at the meeting. The WAS Board will also hold their midyear meeting in Fortaleza. Prior to the regular Board meeting, a special two-day session will be held to focus exclusively on updating the Strategic Plan of WAS. Although we made a major overhaul of the plan several years ago, the logistics of keeping the plan updated and some mismatches between strategies, goals and committee activities still need to be addressed. (View the plan here)  We have a dedicated, determined group of individuals ready to tackle those challenges and clarify our path forward for the next five years.

Speaking of the future, the Election Committee has been in lively discussions about potential nominees for new Board members, and will present the slate of candidates for the next election in Fortaleza. Once new Board members are elected, detailed descriptions of duties and expectations for their respective positions will be provided to remind them that Board positions are not ceremonial titles — they come with a great deal of responsibility. Board members are volunteers, but being part of the WAS Board requires a significant investment of time and effort. It is an honor and privilege to serve WAS and the members who elect the Board are right to expect this dedication.

As always, the Home Office, Mario Stael, and John Cooksey are steadfast and dependable in helping us chart our course into new territory, while maintaining the benefits and services that our current members value. We are also fortunate to have many experienced WAS members actively pursuing new opportunities for our organization “behind the scenes” and working to elevate the global visibility and influence of WAS. However, we welcome and appreciate input from all members to help shape the future of the Society and allow us to evolve along lines that will benefit our diverse membership.

— Rebecca Lochmann, President