The Latin American & Caribbean Aquaculture 2018 - LACQUA18 and the VIII Congress Colombian Aquaculture - VIIICCA took place from October 23 to 26, 2018 at the Ágora International Convention Center in Bogotá, Colombia. A total of 511 scientific papers were presented at the event, which had 1609 attendees from 37 countries.
The events were organized by the Universidad Nacional de Colombia, the Colombian Federation of Aquaculturists and the Latin American and Caribbean Chapter of the World Aquaculture Society.
The inaugural session was led by Dr. Alejandro Flores Nava from FAO, who presented information on countries in the process of implementing peace agreements where the restoration of aquaculture areas affected by the conflict should be a priority, as it is an activity multiplier of the local economy.
Later Dr. Sara Patricia Bonilla, Executive Director of the Colombian Federation of Aquaculturists, presented updated data on the growth of Colombian aquaculture, certifications implemented by producers and potential for export of species such as tilapia and trout.
The sessions with the highest number of papers presented were health of aquatic organisms, fish diseases, toxicology, sanitary management, diseases of shrimp and immunology. In these sessions case studies were presented, as well as advanced technologies for the control of diseases such as vaccines, genetic tools and food additives.
Production systems that seek to produce intensively with the sustainable use of water, such as biofloc, aquaponics and recirculation received significant attention. Another important session in this event was social aquaculture and in indigenous communities, where results of work with populations, that have incorporated aquaculture as an option for the improvement of their quality of life and increase in the contribution of animal protein to their diet, were presented.
More than 180 students from countries such as Mexico, Peru, Brazil and Colombia participated actively in the different sessions including Education and Careers in Aquaculture, posters and integration activities. The students received awards in oral category on topics such as welfare of elasmobranches, functional foods for stimulation of the immune system in shrimp and in replacement of fish oil in shrimp diets.
The congress also included specialized meetings like the one summoned by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization - UNIDO \"Improvement of the productivity and competitiveness of the fishing value chains in Latin America.\" The meeting \"Entrepreneurial Challenges of Aquaculture in Colombia\" was also held by the Colombian Federation of Aquaculture - FEDEACUA. In addition, meetings were held for the foundation of the \"Colombian Academic Association of Aquaculture\" and of the \"Colombian Network of Technicians, Technologists and Professionals in Aquaculture Health.”
