World Aquaculture - December 2014

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4 DECEMBER 2014 • WORLD AQUACULTURE •
Year by year more people in Asia rely on
aquaculture for food and as a source of income but
disease and poor management threaten the industry.
According to the FAO, fish farming holds tremendous
opportunities in responding to the increasing
demand for food, which is taking place due to global
population growth. Asia – including South Asia,
Southeast Asia, China and Japan – is projected to
represent 70 percent of global fish consumption by
2030.
Asia is the largest producer of farmed shrimp but,
in recent years, growth in some countries has declined significantly
due to diseases. Since 2012, shrimp production in China, Thailand,
Vietnam and Malaysia has declined due to early mortality
syndrome (EMS). Other countries, including Indonesia and India,
have not been impacted by EMS and their shrimp farming sectors
are on the rise. Vietnam is having a promising recovery from the
EMS outbreak. However, Thailand remains in doubt, with an
estimated shrimp production of less than 250,000
t for 2014, which is 50 percent less than its normal
production.
As promised in my previous column, we have
started working on the new website for the APC
Chapter and expect it to be ready to launch by the
first quarter of 2015. We are also finalizing the
employment of an APC secretariat with a qualified
candidate. Two small symposia have been confirmed,
one in India in January 2015 and the other in Iran,
both related to shrimp farming. The Iran symposium
is pending for final confirmation from government authorities.
The first steering committee meeting for the APC meeting in
Surabaya, Indonesia in 2016 will be held on December 8 and there
is great support from the government and private sector.
Finally I would like to congratulate our new President-Elect,
Dr. Enday from Indonesia and two new board members, Brett
Glencross and Jenny Cobcroft as Directors. Welcome on board.
— Farshad Shishehchian, President
C H A P T E R R E P O R T S
U.S. Aquaculture Society
Asian Pacific Chapter
Thank It is the time of year to give thanks and to
reflect on who we are and where we going. First, I truly
appreciate the time and dedication of my fellow current
volunteer USAS Board Members. They have endured
many a frantic “blonde moment” with me this year.
Thanks to each of you for your enduring patience and
good sense of humor.
I also want to recognize and thank our old and
new sponsors for the USAS student awards. Because
of their support and commitment, in partnership
with USAS, we will award over $17,000 to students
for travel and presentation excellence. Through our combined
efforts, we intend to have a positive and lasting impact on the next
generation of aquaculture scientists among us.
The 2015 USAS Student Award Sponsors are: American
Fisheries Society, Fish Culture Section; Aqualogic; Drs. Ebeling and
Timmons; Merck Animal Health; Pentair Aquatic Eco-Systems;
Sea Grant, National Sea Grant College Program; Soy Aquaculture
Alliance; Tyson Foods, Inc.
In addition to these sponsors, Alltech. USAS and Alltech have
partnered to create an exciting opportunity for USAS students
presenting at Aquaculture America 2015 (AA15) in New Orleans,
LA, from February 19-22, 2015. The USAS student (graduate or
undergraduate) receiving the USAS Merck Best Presentation Award
will be eligible to advance to the Alltech Young Scientist (AYS)
competition at the regional level for North America, where they will
compete with other AYS country/affiliation winners. The top three
winners in each of the regional phases will be an AYS Finalist and
invited to compete (all expenses paid) in the Global
Competition held at the Alltech Annual Symposium in
Lexington, KY in May, 2015. The USAS AYS winner
and their mentor will receive AYS Affiliation Awards
(trophies, medals and certificates). Regional and Global
Competition winners will receive certificates and cash
awards. For USAS student winners to compete in the
AYS North American Regional Competition, they will
need to prepare and submit an aquaculture science-
related paper following the AYS paper submission
requirements (3,500 words for undergraduate and
5,000 words for graduate). For more information on the Alltech
Young Scientist Program and requirements go to
education/alltech-young-scientist/about.
Thanks to all who stepped up to be judges for the USAS student
abstracts for AA15. Your time is appreciated. Students, it is not too
late to submit an application for some of these awards. You can visit
the USAS website ( or contact me for more
information. Deadlines are in early December 2014.
Another thank you to Hayward Industries for their support
and making possible our student field trips and activities at AA15.
Hayward – you delivered when we needed it most!
USAS has exciting news from the Publications Committee. The
USAS Board has approved sponsorship of the new book by Drs.
Boyd and Tucker, Handbook for Aquaculture Water Quality. (See
review this issue. – Ed.) The book will be sold through the WAS
online store ( ). The USAS appreciates Drs.
Boyd and Tucker for thinking of the USAS and our membership.
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