WORLD AQUACULTURE VISITS MEXICO
The World Aquaculture Society is the organization of professionals in the most
important field in the world, with members of more than 100 countries. Its annual conference is
recognized globally as the most relevant for the exchange of knowledge, technology, innovation and professional
network training. During WA2021 there will be the participation of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the
United Nations (FAO) and other international organizations. There will be multiple presentations, workshops, business
meetings, trade exhibition, art gallery, technical visits to farms and process plants in the region, and various events
dedicated to building professional networks.
Mérida is distinguished for being one of the most beautiful cities in the world, as well as being considered one of the
jewels of Latin America. With a wonderful climate, friendly and hospitable people, located in the State of Yucatan,
cradle of the Mayan culture; It has various tourist attractions, among which are archaeological centers, beaches, large
haciendas and majestic cenotes.
The Yucatan International Congress Center is an ecologically responsible building, equipped with state-of-the-art
technology, built under the LEED Green Building certification system, it has “El Cenote” inside it, an underwater river
that makes it unique in the world.
Due to the richness of its natural and hydrological resources, Mexico is considered one of the countries with the
greatest aquaculture potential in the world. It is an honor for Mexico and a great opportunity that Mérida will become
the capital of aquaculture during 2021. This event is expected to be a watershed in the evolution of the activity not
only in the peninsula but throughout the country. #AquacultureNow.
WA2021 is inviting the national and international organisations and societies to hold their seminar, workshop and
meetings during the event in Merida.
May 2022 Mérida, Mexico
Barry Antonio Costa-Pierce is President/CEO of the Ecological Aquaculture Foundation with offices in the US (Maine, Hawaii) and Portugal (Azores). He also serves as the Senior Scientist for Kauai Sea Farms in Hawaii. He has a 40-year career in aquaculture R&D having lived long-term in Asia, the Pacific Islands, Africa, and the Americas, and, more recently, in Europe - serving as an aquaculture/fisheries scientist and policy expert for companies, multi-lateral and bilateral banks, NGOs, and universities. He has worked in shrimp, prawns, seaweeds, oysters, tilapias, carps, salmonids, and now works with sea cucumbers. He served for 20 years as Editor and Editor-in-Chief for the Elsevier journal Aquaculture leading a global expansion in its size and scope. He is the former Director of two NOAA Sea Grant College programs for which he received the President’s Award from the National Sea Grant Association. He retired as an Emeritus Professor of Fisheries and Aquaculture from the University of Rhode Island and the University of New England and had many leadership positions at both institutions. In 2017 the Swedish Royal Academy of Agriculture and Forestry selected him as its 7th Knut and Alice Wallenberg Professor at the University of Gothenburg where he continues to serve as a senior advisor to Sweden’s new, multi-university “Blue Food Centre”. Dr. Costa-Pierce is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and has been a proud member of the World Aquaculture Society since 1977.
Jim Sutter serves as USSEC’s CEO after spending significant time in the global oilseeds industry with Cargill, Inc. USSEC represents the full U.S. Soy export supply chain, which runs from the farm through the export elevator including all facets along the way, and USSEC’s 100+ members represent that full chain. Since joining USSEC, Jim has worked with the global team to differentiate and build a preference for U.S. Soy with strong emphasis on ensuring market access. Key initiatives have included building collaborative relationships with international customers of U.S. Soy and multiple organizations with whom USSEC partners. Jim grew up on a crop and cattle farm in northeastern Colorado and received a degree in agricultural business/economics from Colorado State University.
Chilean, Civil Industrial Engineer (U. de Chile), M.Sc. Economics (Hull University, UK), International Consultant in Aquaculture and Fisheries, in matters of Planning and Public Policies, Markets, Governance, Business Development, Innovation, Technology Transfer and Prospective and President of CIDEEA, International Center for Strategic Studies for Aquaculture . Consultant, FAO, and works for the World Bank, OECD, UNIDO and for Governments and/or companies in Chile, Argentina, Peru, Brazil, Jamaica, Mexico and several other destinations. Former Member of the Executive Committee of IIFET, International Institute of Fisheries Economics and Trade and former Manager of Marine Resources at Fundación Chile. President of the Strategic Program for Salmon, and member of several Aquaculture Planning Commissions, Chile.
President of the World Aquaculture Society (WAS), president of Aquaculture without borders, Secretary of Aquaculture and Fisheries of the State of Tamaulipas, founder of the International Center for Strategic Studies for Aquaculture and Editor in Spanish of the magazine International Aquafeed. He is a doctor in aquaculture graduated from Auburn University in Alabama in the United States. He works as a consultant for the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).