WWW.WAS.ORG • WORLD AQUACULTURE • SEPTEMBER 2016 7 CHAPTER REPORTS One of the constant preoccupations of the Board of the Latin America and Caribbean Chapter (LACC) of WAS and of its parent society is to provide members with an attractive package of benefits, one that provides clear answers to the question of why should an aquaculture professional join our chapter and what membership benefits should he or she expect. Rather than reciting the list of benefits that we offer, I’d rather approach the issue from a personal point-of-view. In this column I want to briefly tell you about my history with WAS and LACC and about the rich professional and personal rewards I have obtained since joining. Back in 1981, while a graduate student at Auburn, I had the honor of meeting Dr. James Avault, one of the WAS founders, and by then already a past president, of what in those years was called the World Mariculture Society. On that occasion, Dr. Avault was visiting our school and gave a presentation about the young society, which was small and focused on marine species. Because of my interest in shrimp and prawns and because I sensed that being part of a professional society would help launch my non-existent career, I decided to devote some scarce and otherwise beer-worthy money into joining. This proved to be possibly the best investment I ever made in my career. Shortly thereafter, in March 1982, and only months before graduation, Dr. David Rouse, my advisor, organized a student trip to Charleston, South Carolina, so that we could attend the annual meeting of the nascent society. Attending this meeting was not only great fun with fellow students but more importantly an eye opener. Although small by today’s standards – about 450 participants – the meeting gave me the chance to meet the authors of the journal articles I had been studying for the last few years. Names that were legendary for a young student suddenly became approachable human beings. Just being able to ask questions and discuss issues with these prominent researchers and industry leaders opened a whole range of possibilities for me. Throughout the next 35 years I have been lucky to count among my friends and contacts some of the scientific leaders in our field, and this is something for which I will always be grateful to WAS. Since that time I have attended, presented papers, and chaired sessions at many WAS and LACC conferences in some very exciting destinations. I always look forward to catching up with the latest research, but more importantly, to chat with old friends and make new ones. Countless times in my professional life I have consulted the WAS and LACC websites to find contact information for a colleague or the dates of a conference, to purchase a WAS book, or to check available jobs or available candidates for a job. I am one of those dinosaurs that continues to receive paper publications, and in my office you can see today the Society’s publications, from the venerable, thick, blue, yearly proceedings of the 70s and 80s to the last number of the redesigned journal, passing through many numbers of World Aquaculture magazine. Both the journal and the magazine provide great ways to stay on top of who is doing what and are also great outlets to publish research and technical pieces for a wider audience. Later in my career I volunteered to help run the Society and I was lucky to be elected to its Board of Directors. Working with the board provided an opportunity to see the inner workings of the Society, to work on committees, and as an officer, culminating with the undeserved honor and high responsibility to be elected president. I was then lucky to repeat these experiences with the board of the Latin American and Caribbean Chapter. Working with the boards of WAS and LACC has been an incredible learning experience and has provided me with the opportunity to give back to the Society for so many benefits received. Looking back 35 years I can say that belonging to WAS and LACC has been central to my professional development; its main value being the opportunity to establish links and exchange ideas with fellow aquaculturists, to cultivate an extensive network of worldwide contacts, and to develop life-long friendships with so many aquaculture professionals. To me this has been the most valuable benefit of them all. — Lorenzo Juarez, President Latin American and Caribbean Chapter Wisconsin • USA 920-208-1500 Now you can adjust grading sizes without juggling multiple baskets. Our graders float, adjust quickly and have larger bars so fish pass through with little chance of gill damage. Perfect for fresh or salt water, choose either the 30 or 50 settings model. A GRADER THAT MAKES YOUR JOB EASIER 15” x 17” x 11.5” Larger size also available. Visit www.freshflo.com for more details. Check out our aerators and feeder too!
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