“Mankind was my business. The common welfare was my business; charity, mercy, forbearance, benevolence, were all my business.” – Charles Dickens, ‘A Christmas Carol’
February
- Connection with Cambodia through MoU with Fisheries Administration Cambodia which is being followed up for potential JV in Cambodia with the Rotary Club (Brighton, Vic). Meetings being held mid-January 2018.
- Assisted Cambodia Fisheries (Aquaculture) Administration in obtaining library of important publications from Mekong River Commission (MRC) prior to MRC Fisheries Programme leaving for Vientiane. This was substantial body of research covering the past 22 years and without our involvement was going to be dumped as against available to future generations.
- Visit to Mexico and opportunity to promote in Tamaulipas State with presentations at Schools and Universities.
- Visit to San Antonio, Texas for AA2017 and session completed with AwF and involvement with Women in Aquaculture. Albert G J Tacon (Aquatic Farms Limited, Kaneohe, Hawaii) and his co-writer, Dr Marc Metian (International Atomic Energy Agency, Environmental Laboratories, Monaco) dedicated their paper “Food Matters: Fish, Income and Food Supply” to Aquaculture without Frontiers to show the importance of fish and fishery products in human nutrition and global food supply.
- Created partnership with AAAE – The African Association of Agricultural to improve outcomes in disadvantaged communities by focusing efforts on sustainable aquaculture. AwF visited the President of AAAE at Cornell University.
March
- Visit to Florida Atlantic University and meetings with Liberian group (Grand Bassa Country)
- Engaged with a Stand at Seafood Expo North America (SENA), Boston
- Visited VEGA in March 2017 for various meetings
- Organised the Travel Award for Women at APA17
- Celebrated International Women’s Day
April
- Aligned with AISP becoming their charity of choice
- Visit to Trivandrum and Kochi, Kerala, India as invited speaker at ‘Sustainable Development for Indian Ocean’ Conference
- Connection with Anannia (also known as Anannia-Chilla) in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India (http://anannia.org/ ) through International Agreement. This to be connected to our Vakkom project.
May
- Restructured Fish Project in Mexico started
- Visited Den Haag, Netherlands and connected with Mature Development team establishing concept for EU division and visited Rabobank in Utrecht, Netherlands
June
- Women in Aquaculture Network expansion and alignment with GAF. This included some funding from Skretting Australia which has gone towards research for an e-book. Completed program ‘AwF Women of the Month’
- Celebrated National Volunteers Week
July
- Celebrated Fish Farmers’ Day – India
- Farmer-to-Farmer Project to Kenya approved
September
- Funding achieved for Mexican Oyster Project from COALAR
October
- Aligned with South Pacific Community (SPC – all Pacific Island countries) – connected through Aquaculture Advisory Committee for the NZ Government funded 5-year Aquaculture Improvement Program. Goal of the program is ‘Food security and livelihoods in the Pacific are improved through sustainable aquaculture demonstrating enhanced business acumen, reduced aquatic biosecurity risks and increased uptake of improved aquaculture practices.’
- With KUFOS and UTMarT working with NACA on Mangrove afforestation and associated activities
November
- Connection with Rotary Club (Adelaide, SA) for potential in Vakkom, India. Small donation already received.
- Had representation at VEGA at their promotional event for International Volunteers in Washington DC (Marty Riche)
- Connected KUFOS, India and University of Insubria, Italy to establish Indian-Italian project relating to Aquaculture.
December
- Completed second successive Capstone Project with Swinburne Uni students
- Completed renewal of AwF website – currently going through another phase
- Launching Mexican Oyster Project. This was launched at ISPIM “Building the Innovation Century” at the Opening Night Dinner at Melbourne Town Hall. Speakers were Dr Janine Pierce, Dr Antonio Garza d’Yta and Roy Palmer. This also received pledge of $1000 from IPSIM.
- Visit from Rector of UTMarT to view Mexican Oyster opportunity – visited NSW, Tasmania and Victoria.
- Agreed would engage in ‘ISPIM Connects Fukuoka’ Conference in Dec 2018 and promote event and with AISP will create a Seafood Tour ‘Discovering the Secrets of Japan – a Seafood Tour of Fukuoka through to Hiroshima’.
Overall in 2017
- Increased volunteers
- Increased Social media (thanks to Julie Kimber, Janine Pierce, Nikoleta Ntalamagka, Paul Liew) – Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+ and started AwF Google Photos to share.
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Looking forward to 2018
- Jan- Feb – AwF Strategic Planning 2018-2025
- Feb – Aquaculture America 2018 Las Vegas 19-22 Feb – Dave Conley, Sally Krueger, Antonio Garza d’Yta, Angela Caporelli, Albert Tacon, Marty Riche and others involved in AwF Session. Finalisation of Strategic Plan 2018-2025
- April – Asian-Pacific Aquaculture, 23-36 April, Taipei, Taiwan.
- Aug – AQUA 2018 Aug 25, 2018 – Aug 29, 2018 – Location: Le Corum Congress Centre, Montpellier, France
- Sept – Tampico, Mexico – Rural Aquaculture for the Poor
- Oct – Latin American & Caribbean Aquaculture 2018 – Oct 23, 2018 – Oct 26, 2018 – Location: Bogata, Colombia
- Dec – ‘ISPIM Connects Fukuoka’ Conference in Dec 2018 and a Seafood Tour ‘Discovering the Secrets of Japan – a Seafood Tour of Fukuoka through to Hiroshima’.