4 JUNE 2025 • WORLD AQUACULTURE • WWW.WAS.ORG Latin American and Caribbean Chapter CHAPTER REPORTS Tribute, Inclusion and the Future: What Awaits Us at LACQUA25 I would like to begin this column by dedicating a special space to express our deepest gratitude and recognition for the remarkable contributions of our dear friend and colleague, Dr. Humberto Villarreal, who sadly passed away recently. His departure leaves a significant void in the aquaculture community, but his legacy will remain alive in our hearts and through the work he inspired in so many of us. Dr. Villarreal was an exceptional scientist and a tireless advocate for aquaculture in Mexico, throughout Latin America, and across the globe. I had the privilege of working closely with him during his tenure as President of the Latin American and Caribbean Chapter of the World Aquaculture Society (2017–2019), and more recently, during his time as WAS Global President (2023–2024). His leadership, vision, and passion for aquaculture will be deeply missed and forever remembered. We are going to miss him! Looking ahead, I’m pleased to announce that LACQUA25 will take place October 6–9, 2025, in Puerto Varas, Chile. This is the leading aquaculture event for Latin America and the Caribbean, organized by the World Aquaculture Society – Latin American and Caribbean Chapter (LACC-WAS) in collaboration with INTESAL and the Universidad Austral de Chile. Each morning will begin with a keynote address by a distinguished regional expert: • René Garreaud on Climate Change and Aquaculture: A Latin American and Caribbean Perspective • Stefan Partelow on Governance for Sustainable Aquaculture • Alicia Gallardo on Health and Welfare of Aquatic Organisms In addition to a comprehensive scientific program, the congress will feature high-impact workshops on topics such as: • Interdisciplinary science to address current and future aquaculture challenges • Aquaculture genetics • Small-scale aquaculture • Capture-based aquaculture • Harmful algal blooms (HABs) • Aquaculture nutrition The scientific sessions will be structured around core themes: • Nutrition, reproduction, health and welfare • Production systems, technology and innovation • Genetics and genomics • Biology and physiology • Aquaculture and the environment • Processing, certification, standards and commercialization • Socio-ecology, sustainability and policy Abstract submission deadline: July 31, 2025 Submit your abstract at: https://www.was.org/meeting/Abstract/ Submit/LACQUA25 The event will also offer technical tours to production facilities, research centers, and hatcheries, as well as an official visit to Vicente Pérez Rosales National Park, one of southern Chile’s most iconic natural landscapes. The trade show will bring together local and international companies, creating a high-visibility platform for: • International businesses seeking to enter the dynamic Chilean aquaculture market • Chilean companies looking to showcase their innovations to a regional audience LACQUA events have seen remarkable growth: over 1,900 participants and 70+ companies in Mérida (2022), and more than 2,000 attendees in Medellín (2024). LACQUA25 is set to continue this tradition of excellence, bringing together science, business, and collaboration in one powerful platform. In other news, as part of our commitment to equity, LACCWAS proudly supported and provided funding for the recent “Empowering Women in Caribbean Aquaculture” Leadership Summit. Despite high educational achievement and active participation in aquaculture, women in the Caribbean remain underrepresented in leadership roles. This online summit held March 10–22, 2025, marked a significant milestone in efforts to close the leadership gap and advance gender equality in Caribbean aquaculture. • For more information about the trade show of LACQUA26 please contact Carolina Amezquita: carolina@was.org and visit the event webpage at https://www.was.org/Meeting/code/LACQUA25. — Luis Andrés Gonzalez-Agraz, President CALLING ALL READERS Do you have something you would like to contribute to World Aquaculture? We’d love to see it! We welcome general features, articles and news covering a variety of aquaculture-related topics, preferably well-illustrated with photographs and line art. Published quarterly, the magazine keeps WAS members up to date with research results and reviews of aquaculture trends and topics. You do not need to be a member of the Society and there are no page charges. Guidelines for authors are available here. Submit manuscripts to C. Greg Lutz, Editor in Chief, at glutz@agcenter.lsu.edu or Cecilia Castellanos Nichols, ed.assistant@was.org when emailing your submission.
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