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From the Editor: Learning the past

Learning from the past will always be a wise way to inform a brighter the future for the hatchery and aquaculture industries. 

In this issue, we take a look at the evolution of fish health and welfare standards that dictate your work every day. The cover story tracks the evolution of the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) standards, as well as the Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) standards, as a unique lens to track how industry practices have changed with the times. 

I’m sure I don’t have to tell many of you that it feels like change has accelerated much more quickly in the past few years. Climate change is a major factor that has forced us all to innovate more urgently than ever before. Progress is no longer a choice, but a state of emergency.

If the hatchery industry is to keep up with the world’s demands for food security and ecological preservation, seafood production must become more – more economical, more efficient, more sustainable, more diverse. 

Even so, we should also take this chance to look at how far we’ve come. Even in just examining the history of fish health and welfare practices, developments made in the past 25 years have led to great leaps in better quality operations. 

It has led to more transparency and trust between farmers, suppliers, regulators, and consumers. It has led to better safeguards for the animals, the natural environment, and the fish farmers themselves. 

As this publication looks at its own 25-year history, I look to you, our faithful readers, to inform our collective vision for its future. As the hatchery industry evolves, so must our role in facilitating the exchange of ideas among your peers around the world. I also want to continue engaging next generation. 

I hope you can help me in spreading the word about this year’s Top 10 Under 40 program. Again, I appeal to this community’s help in bringing spotlight to young professionals who bring new energy and new ideas to the industry. They are the key to the industry’s success in the next 25 years. 

If you’d like to know more and participate in this program, please visit www.hatcheryinternational.com/top-10-under-40. 

Also, I’d love to hear your story ideas at jkodin@annexbusinessmedia.com.