Above: left to right: Bachmann, Galiher, Shone
Three new directors representing diverse elements of the international aquaculture industry were elected to the Global Aquaculture Alliance board of directors during the organization's March 12 meeting in Boston.
New GAA director Bert Bachmann, who is also on the board of Salmon of the Americas, will strengthen ties between salmon farmers and the alliance. Bachmann's full-time responsibility is as vice-president and general manager of Camanchaca Inc., a Miami-based subsidiary of the Camanchaca S.A aquaculture company in Chile. He has advised GAA on several issues related to salmon production and marketing, and was a speaker at GAA's Global Aquaculture Fish Outlook: 2005 conference.
Iain Shone will help GAA better understand Europe's varied seafood interests. The director of sourcing of United Kingdom-based seafood supplier Lyons Seafoods Ltd. explained European market trends and successfully campaigned for GAA to take strong positions on the environment, social justice, and food safety during several Global Shrimp Outlook meetings. Shone's leadership will help reinforce the GAA mission to further environmentally responsible aquaculture.
John Galiher, president and CEO of Preferred Freezer Services, brings both strong business skills and perspectives on refrigerated storage and post-processing distribution to the GAA board. At GAA conferences and elsewhere, Galiher has clearly expressed GAA's perspective that the continued growth of aquaculture as a whole will require collective and aggressive promotion of market expansion and innovations.
In addition to the new board members, Lee Bloom, vice-president of Eastern Fish Co., was confirmed as GAA's new treasurer and member of the Executive Committee. Bloom has served on the Global Aquaculture Alliance board since 2000. Eastern Fish Co. was a founding member of GAA and retains a strong commitment to its programs. As a former chairman of the GAA Membership Committee, Bloom pushed for wider membership benefits and oversaw continued growth in corporate-level member participation.
"The election of such highly skilled directors and officers helps GAA achieve its mission by allowing us to reach out to new segments of the seafood world," GAA President George Chamberlain said. "By connecting to each of these links within the seafood value chain, the Global Aquaculture Alliance hopes to forge even better relationships within the greater global aquaculture community."
Bloom replaced retiring Treasurer Jim Heerin, who helped form the nonprofit alliance in 1997. Jeff Fort, another original board member, also retired from the GAA board. During the March meeting, Chamberlain wholeheartedly thanked Heerin and Fort for their participation during GAA's critical formative years, and presented each with a recognition plaque.
GAA's activities and policies are overseen by a board of 12 active aquaculture professionals from around the world. They must be representatives of companies or organizations with corporate-level membership in GAA.
The Global Aquaculture Alliance is an international, nonprofit trade association dedicated to advancing environmentally and socially responsible aquaculture.
For additional information on board participation or membership in GAA, telephone +1-314-293-5500 or email homeoffice@gaalliance.org.
