President’s end-of-year message
Dear WAS-AC Members, Friends, and Colleagues
As the curtain of the year 2024 draws to a close, the WAS-AC is still celebrating a remarkable year filled with many achievements in our journey to serve aquaculture development in Africa. Let me take a moment to express our gratitude for your support and collaboration during the year 2024.
This season ended with the successful hosting of our flagship event, the Aquaculture Africa 2024 Conference (AFRAQ24) which many of you attended in Hammamet, Tunisia, and which we believe many of you benefitted in various ways. We also connected with the global aquaculture community at some of the global WAS conferences during the year. In addition, we partnered with several organisations to organise strategic regional conferences in East, West, and Southern Africa regions which we believe were beneficial to the aquaculture community there.
Furthermore, our renewed focus on student development continues to bear fruit as we see many students from Africa joining the WAS. The recently enacted WAS free membership policy for small-scale aquaculture actors is also expected to boost our membership outlay and we take this as an opportunity to address the needs and aspirations of this important sub-sector, which is an essential pillar for the future of fisheries and aquaculture development in Africa.
We are, however, aware of the many challenges faced by the sector today largely because of climate change impacts (mostly droughts and flooding) and also the unending high cost of doing business, but also other traditional sectoral challenges rendering many aqua businesses less viable. The WAS is always committed to facilitating platforms that work to address many of these challenges.
In 2024, we wrapped up our celebrations for our 5th anniversary (WAS-AC was established in 2018). We are excited about our continued growth aspirations and the new opportunities that await in the years ahead. The year 2025 is especially going to be a big year for the WAS-AC as we once again host a global conference in Africa - the World Aquaculture Safari 2025 in Entebbe, Uganda (24-27 June 2025). Look out for several other regional and global WAS and partner events that will happen during the year. We will keep you updated on these.
Let me end by expressing my heartfelt gratitude to all members for the collective efforts that fuel the WAS-AC and its deliverables. Your engagements, insights, contributions, and feedback inspire us to improve as a convening platform for the aquaculture community in Africa. Remember to renew your membership and tell your friends and networks to join WAS so that we can continue the journey together in 2025.
Many thanks to the WAS-AC executive board, committee members, and staff who worked tirelessly, but with agility and enthusiasm to deliver in addressing various chapter business elements. Special thanks to many of our strategic partners; notably the AUDA-NEPAD for hosting the WAS-AC Secretariat and to Aller Aqua for being the Chapter’s Founding Gold Sponsor.
On behalf of the WAS-AC Board of Directors, let me end by wishing you and your loved ones a safe, restful, and happy holiday season. We look forward to connecting with you again in 2025!
Wishing you a joyous Holiday season and a happy New Year!