June 21, 2016

President's Column June 2016

I sit near a beautiful Buddhist temple in central Bali, completely mesmerized by the peaceful scenery of rice fields, palm trees and volcanoes in the background, after a very busy and intense week in Surabaya, Indonesia, where we just finished the annual conference of the Asian Pacific Chapter of WAS (APA 16). Based on the final number of participants registered for the conference, WAS broke an attendance record, with nearly 6,000 participants representing more than 51 countries. This is arguably to be expected because roughly 90 percent of global aquaculture production comes from Asia but attendance was indeed impressive.

Part of the success of APA 16 can be attributed to the superb organization of the local committee that coordinated and hosted the meeting, particularly Dr. Farshad Shishehchian (WAS-APC Immediate Past-President) and Dr. Endhay Kusnendar (WAS-APC President) and Dr. Ir Slamet (Director General, Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, Republic of Indonesia). It is also important to recognize the degree of development of the aquaculture industry in the Asian region (Southern and Eastern Asia), comprising 27 percent of total global production in 2012. Talks are underway to hold the WAS international meeting, World Aquaculture 2020, in Indonesia.

As you well know, since 2013, aquaculture has overtaken wild-caught seafood in terms of meeting consumer demand. We need to be aware of the challenges involved in meeting the consumer demand for aquaculture products over the next 10-15 years. Although aquaculture produces nearly 50 percent of the fish, shellfish and macroalgae, according to FAO estimates, we face the daunting task of doubling current production by 2030. It is imperative that the needed production increase is accomplished in a sustainable manner using best practices throughout the world. It is in facing this challenge that our Society plays an important role: we need to be concerned with what we leave to future generations and the environment.

For these and other reasons, it is an honor and privilege for me to take charge of the World Aquaculture Society for the current presidential term. I am committed to promoting the continuing role of WAS as the leader in science, technology and education information exchange worldwide. Through adequate leadership and collaboration, WAS can contribute significantly to the sustainable development and integration of aquaculture around the world. The quality of services provided to our members must be improved to focus more specifically on their particular needs and challenges.

The Society must also be sensitive to and act upon quickly changing production trends and we must increase participation of underrepresented groups, particularly those from Africa, Latin America and some Asian regions. Social media plays a crucial role in the exchange of information, and WAS must embrace technological venues as a means of communication. I would like to enhance student involvement in WAS activities by developing opportunities for participation in leadership positions and conference organization, as well as strengthening the Student Activity Committee within each chapter and exploring the creation of a global network of student members.

With respect to our scientific journal, the Journal of the World Aquaculture Society, we are fortunate to have an outstanding new Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Carole Engle (retired from University of Arkansas and now at Engle-Stone Aquatics). Dr. Engle is developing and implementing new strategies to attract the submission of higher quality papers and improve the impact of our scientific journal. I encourage members to submit their work to our newly revamped journal and promote the journal with their peers. The Society serves as primary facilitator for exchange of information, technology transfer, policy development and communication among all sectors engaged in aquaculture. By making WAS more visible and recognized by the global aquaculture community and increasing involvement in our chapters and affiliate societies, we can draw key players around the world together to further the development of aquaculture in a sustainable way. We are implementing new industry awards to recognize leaders within that sector that have a strong impact on aquaculture around the world. The Society is also creating yearly forums to facilitate the exchange of information between scientists and industry representatives.

I see WAS becoming the leading, high-profile and most important aquaculture society in the world, committed to promoting he 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 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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About Juan Pablo Lazo

WAS President 2016 - 2017 -- Juan Pablo Lazo is a graduated Biochemist Engineer, Administrator in Aquatic Resources Exploitation from the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education. He earned his Master’s degree in Aquaculture at Louisiana State University and the degree of Doctor of Marine Sciences at the University of Texas at Austin,