From the first global conference on rural aquaculture and other needs

by Dr Antonio Garza de Yta

2019 ended, a year that for his server has been the most important both on a personal and professional level. It was a year of many changes and a lot of work for everyone. Aquaculture globally continued to grow and consolidate, despite several unfounded campaigns against it.

Within the World Aquaculture Society, a new vision and strategy was worked on so that WAS is not only the largest and most important organisation of aquaculture professionals in the world, but also the closest one with its members. We have to take the WAS to the world.
 

LACQUA 2019, which took place in San José, Costa Rica, was undoubtedly one of the most important events of the last quarter. The first event organised in Central America served for the consolidation in the region of our society, which continues to grow in the number of members. This year our world event will be held in Singapore, and in 2021 Mérida, Mexico will be the venue, confirming the importance of Latin America in the future of world aquaculture.

This year, in addition to the varied billboard of events offered by the WAS worldwide, two events are distinguished in particular. The first, to be held between May 19th and 21st, will be the First Global Conference on Rural Aquaculture to be held in Tampico, Mexico; jointly organised by the FAO, Aquaculture without Frontiers, Aquaculture Panorama and the Government of the State of Tamaulipas.

This event is expected to be of south-south collaboration, where experiences are exchanged between actors from around the world in matters of politics, vision, research, technology, capacity development and cooperation. It will be an opportunity to hear the other side of aquaculture, that of small producers, that of small-scale aquaculture, the cultivation of mollusks and aquatic plants, that of ornamental species and that of fish at the base of the chain food.

We will also have the opportunity to see global consumer trends and consumer education. I think it will be an experience not lived until today that will be out of the common denominator.

On the other hand, there is the Global Conference on Aquaculture organised by the FAO to be held in Shanghai in October. This is an event that takes place every 10 years, whose last venue was Phuket, Thailand in 2010. This is an opportunity for hindsight and future vision. It will analyse the events that have influenced the activity in the last decade, as well as the path that is suggested to continue for the next 10 years. I trust that our FAO friends will throw the house out the window in terms of content and quality. It will be very interesting to see the conclusions that emanate from him.

Read more, HERE.

The Aquaculturists

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