6 JUNE 2024 • WORLD AQUACULTURE • WWW.WAS.ORG CHAPTER REPORTS Asian Pacific Chapter We are just a few days away from the mostawaited Asian Pacific Aquaculture event, in Indonesia from 2 – 5 July. The APA 2024 will be hosted in Surabaya, one of Indonesia’s most historic and dynamic cities. Following the 2005 Bali Conference, we organized another WAS aquaculture conference in Surabaya in 2016, with an excellent turnout of over 6000 delegates. Since then, the Indonesian aquaculture sector has expanded dramatically, and the country is currently the world’s second-largest aquaculture producer, second only to China. This is an impressive achievement, and as the WAS conference returns to Surabaya in 2024, we anticipate it will have a long-term impact on the Asia Pacific aquaculture sector. We are optimistic about this outcome, given the active engagement of the global aquaculture industry and academia in Surabaya, as well as the kind support from Indonesia’s Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries. This year’s conference theme, ‘Aquaculture - Driving the Blue Economy,’ not only emphasizes our shared commitment to developing new aquaculture approaches, improving collaboration, and addressing global concerns about the blue economy but also underscores the urgency and relevance of these issues. WAS-APC has also announced four student abstract awards and two women travel awards that support the winning students and women scientists to travel to Surabaya. The final Steering Committee meeting of APA 2024 was held at the Conference venue on 1 May 2024, attended by the local organizing team and the Program Committee chairs. As President of WAS-APC, I was also invited as a Panelist at the Shrimp Aquaculture Conference (SAC 2024) held in Bali from 5 – 6 June, which was attended by nearly 300 young Indonesian shrimp farmers, most of whom are expected to attend the APA 2024 conference as well. Exploring the prospects of organizing a future World Aquaculture Society event in Cambodia, we made a visit to Phnom Penh, meeting the leaders of the aquaculture industry, representatives of the Cambodian Aquaculturist Association (CAA) and the Fisheries Administration (FiA) under the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries (MAFF). The Fisheries Faculty of the Royal University of Agriculture (RUA) were also visited. Prof. Bill Daniels coordinated this visit and was supported by the World Initiative for Soy in Human Health (WISHH) of the American Soybean Association (ASA). During this visit, a preliminary screening of potential event venues in Phnom Penh was done. It was decided to follow up with the FiA on the most appropriate time and venue for Cambodia’s first WAS/APC Conference, to be planned in 2025. WAS-APC also successfully completed the election process in 2024 and new officers of the Board – Imad Saoud (President-elect), Hermin Susiani (Treasurer), and Alastair Smart and Leila Basti as Directors, were elected. This is a momentous occasion for our organization, marking a new chapter of leadership and continued progress. I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the new officers and welcome them to the Board. As I move to my role as Past President at the Surabaya Conference, I will be handing over the baton to Bibha Kumari, who will take charge as the President of WAS-APC. I am confident that under her leadership, WAS-APC will reach new heights and make meaningful contributions to the aquaculture sector in the Asia Pacific region. Wishing you all success, I look forward to meeting you all in July at APA 2024, Surabaya. — Krishna Salin, President WAS-APC and ASA/WISHH representatives at the Royal University of Agriculture, Cambodia Meeting of WAS-APC representatives with the Fisheries Administration, Cambodia President, continued from page 2 technologies for industry innovation will limit the risk of investment in immature technologies. Aquaculture development will benefit from a strengthening in public-private relationships in developing countries. As I mentioned in my previous column, we need to invest in human resources. Future aquaculture development requires a systems approach with collaboration from all stakeholders, and I invite you to share your thoughts about this topic. Please consider writing an article for the World Aquaculture Magazine and sharing your experiences at the Regional or World Conferences of our Society. I hope to meet with you at one of our upcoming events. Cheers. — Humberto Villareal, President, World Aquaculture Society
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