World Aquaculture 3 President’s column Dear fellow members, In this, my fourth and last column as president, I would like to comment on the recent activities of the board of directors and also to present a preview of the upcoming World Aquaculture convention. Board issues were discussed at the midyear meeting that took place last November in Miami and convention issues at the steering committee meeting that took place in January in Veracruz, Mexico. I am happy to report that most tasks and assignments are on track, thanks to the great efforts and diligent work of the board and steering committee members. At the Miami meeting the board approved the state of candidates for the upcoming election. The ballot will be out early in 2009. This year we will be electing a new President, a Treasurer and two new directors. I urge all members to vote, either electronically, using the link provided in the website, or by returning the ballot through regular mail. In the last elections we have seen low voter participation. This is your chance to influence the way the society is run, please devote a few minutes to make your opinion count. The affiliations committee is organizing a session on promoting responsible aquaculture with the professional societies affiliated to WAS. The first meeting of affiliates during the Busan convention was a success and I am sure this second one scheduled for the meeting in Veracruz will be an even better one. The board continues to work on plans for a fellowship program patterned like that of other professional societies. Discussions have centered on designing a program that is distinct from other honors awarded by the society and that includes the academic, industrial, and regulatory components of our society. I am very excited about this program and I hope the current concept evolves to a point where it can receive final board approval for implementation this year. The Industry Relations committee has organized two review talks specifically requested by industry members for our upcoming Veracruz conference. Thanks to Drs. Albert Tacon and Eric Hallerman for taking on the important topics of Contaminants in Aquaculture Feeds and Genetically-Modified Fish in Aquaculture. I am sure these talks will be highly attended in Veracruz. No pressure to Albert and Eric, but I hope both talks evolve into review papers for our Journal. The board also made the final decisions for Honorary Life Membership awards for this year. Breaking with tradition it was decided to notify the awardees in advance, rather than make a surprise announcement at the yearly convention. The board reasoned that knowing of this honor in advance would allow awardees a better chance to attend the meeting. This year’s honorary life member recipients are Harry Cook, John Halver and Modadugu Gupta. The warmest of congratulations go to them. I can also say that we still have a big surprise reserved for this year’s awards ceremony, but my lips are sealed on that one… World Aquaculture 2009, our yearly WAS conference will take place May 25-29 at the World Trade Center in Veracruz, Mexico. We are happy to see that in spite of the recent global economic slowdown the inflow of presentations, posters, individual registrations, and sales of trade show booths are all ahead of schedule. The Steering Committee has been busy planning this meeting, which is shaping to be one of the most successful ever. We thank the State government of Veracruz and the Mexican Federal Government (CONAPESCA and INAPESCA) for their support and sponsorship of this event. I am excited about several aspects of the meeting, including a very special shrimp session with a book of proceedings, scheduled to be ready at the convention under the able direction of Craig Browdy and Darryl Jory. Shrimp constitutes a large proportion of Mexican aquaculture production, and this session and book are sure to attract local interest and participation. I want to thank Karl-Heinz Holtschmit and Ernesto Garmendia for writing a great historical introduction for the book, covering 40 years of shrimp aquaculture in Mexico. Veracruz is a very attractive destination for meeting participants, not only due to its excellent convention facilities (see www.wtcveracruz.com.mx), but also because it offers a wide range of possibilities for tourism and relaxation. In Veracruz, you will find a taste of the real Mexico, both the modern and the traditional. The city’s beaches, folklore and historical sites make it a common destination for Mexicans, but one yet mostly undiscovered by international tourists. Veracruz is Mexico’s first and most important port. The historic downtown has a distinct Spanish colonial flavor similar to that of old Havana. There are Spanish forts dating from the 1500s, nearby pre-Hispanic archeological zones, and the largest and most modern aquarium in Latin America. There are also good places and facilities for scuba diving and sport fishing. For a taste of Veracruz please visit: http://www.mexconnect.com/mex_/veracruz/veracruzindex.html Finally, please note that the general WAS membership meeting will take place during the upcoming World Aquaculture 2009 convention and is scheduled for Monday, May 25 at 4 p.m. at the World Trade Center in Veracruz, Mexico. I would like to thank members and especially the board of directors for their support and great efforts during my presidency. It has been a true pleasure and an honor to serve the society this year. —Lorenzo Juarez President
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