10 MARCH 2025 • WORLD AQUACULTURE • WWW.WAS.ORG CHAPTER REPORTS Asian Pacific Chapter Time is a significant factor. We were prepared to participate in World Aquaculture 2025 in Qingdao, China; however, the event was regrettably canceled by the China Society of Fisheries, the organizing body, just three months before its scheduled date. In light of this situation, the World Aquaculture Society (WAS) conference management team has opted to relocate the event to India, now designated as World Aquaculture 2025 India, which will be held in Hyderabad from November 10-13, 2025. This change enables us to maintain the commitment to delivering an outstanding experience for the participants. World Aquaculture 2025 India will be hosted at the Hyderabad International Convention Centre – Novotel, Hyderabad City from November 10-13, 2025. This event signifies the return of World Aquaculture to India after the successful Asian Pacific Aquaculture 2019 (APA19) held in Chennai. The rapid expansion of aquaculture in the Asia-Pacific region, especially in India, makes the 2025 event a prime occasion for the World Aquaculture community to redirect its attention towards India, specifically in Hyderabad. Renowned as the "City of Pearl," Hyderabad is pivotal to the progress of aquaculture in India, distinguished by its robust economy, flourishing aqua sector, and strong infrastructure in fisheries, equipment production, and logistics. The rescheduling of the event has also affected the organization’s regular activities. The WAS-APC was prepared to conduct elections for new BOARD members; however, the postponement of the event to November has delayed the election process. Nevertheless, the nomination process and selection of candidates for the election are ready to proceed. Abstracts that were submitted earlier for WA2025 China will still be reviewed by the Program Committee, and all registrations will remain valid. A new submission of abstracts is currently being processed for the India event. The deadline for abstract submissions has been extended to August 31, 2025. Exhibitors who have already reserved a booth for the trade show in China and wish to transfer their booking to the trade show in India will receive an updated manual along with all pertinent information. New bookings for the India event are currently being accepted. I anticipate that numerous aquaculture and fishery specialists from India and neighboring countries will attend this event and gain valuable insights. I extend a warm invitation to all individuals interested in participating, whether they are academics, research scientists, students, or exhibitors. — Bibha Kumari, President Korean Chapter, continued from page 9 such as sanitation management standards to develop overseas markets. Furthermore, to manage the supply and demand of inland aquatic products, items subject to supply and demand observation will be expanded to include catfish and mudfish in addition to the existing trout and eel by 2026. Stricter monitoring of origin labeling will be enforced for imported mudfish and eel to ensure a safe distribution system for inland aquatic products, and domestic eel and trout farms will be supported in registering for HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points). Strategy 4: Establishing a foundation for sustainable inland fisheries For stabilizing the management conditions of inland fishers, the ministry is considering adding apple snails to the list of disaster insurance-covered items currently applied to four species, including catfish and leather carp, and improving the system to allow smallscale open-field inland fishers to receive direct payments. To promote the inland aquaculture industry, the government will form a policy consultative body consisting of local governments and inland fishers to collect opinions from the field and resolve pressing issues. “Inland aquaculture has played a significant role in Korea’s rise as a leading fishing nation, and the recent emergence of cutting-edge technologies presents an opportunity for the inland water industry to make a comeback. The government will continue to support fostering inland waters aquaculture as a high value-added industry by upgrading it and to help transform the inland sector into a sixth industry that revitalizes regional economies through connections with leisure and tourism,” Minister Kang Do-hyung said. — Han-kyu Lim, President to continue working to advance aquaculture in the United States. To our members and partnering colleagues: Your passion, support, and service to the U.S. aquaculture community has not gone unnoticed. We deeply appreciate the invaluable contributions you have made, and we recognize the profound impact of your work. USAS Chapter, continued from page 7 Thank you for your unwavering dedication through the substantial changes we experienced in the past few weeks. As we acknowledge the loss of valued colleagues, we remain focused on delivering exceptional service to the members of our Society and supporting one another. — Michelle L. “Mick” Walsh, President
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