We had a great “Exploring Aquaculture Opportunities in Florida“ FAA Fall Conference on November 17 & 18. The facilities that we utilized at the Hillsborough Community College (Brandon Campus) were excellent. Our lineup of speakers, including several renowned authorities in their field such as Dr. Claude Boyd, Dr. Tom Losordo, Susan Bunsick, and Dr. Jerome Osteryoung, each gave a one-hour presentation on a topic that they are experts in, and everyone agreed that it was a first-rate symposium. On Friday evening, a superb reception was held at The Florida Aquarium on the waterfront in downtown Tampa. Individuals attending got to see the many displays of Florida‘s aquatic wildlife, including the new AquariuMania display that showcases Florida‘s tropical fish farming industry. In addition to a great spread of hors d‘oeuvres and refreshments, a fund-raising auction that raised some much needed funds for FAA capped off the evening. I would like to acknowledge and thank all the auction donors, among them Gene Evans, Walt Disney World (Jane Davis), Aquatic Eco-Systems, and Florida Aquatic Farms. I also want to thank conference sponsors Aquatic Eco-Systems and Nelson‘s Silver Cup Fish Feed for providing the Conference T-shirts. Finally, I would like to thank all of the FAA members on the Conference Planning Committee, who attended and participated in several conference calls to help put together a very successful and educational Conference. Elsewhere in this newsletter are photo highlights of the 2006 Conference.

The Association‘s Annual Membership Meeting was held during the Fall Conference, and the following individuals were elected to the FAA Board of Directors for a three-year term: Jim Michaels, Dan Solano, and Craig Watson. Also, the current slate of officers were re-elected for 2007: myself, President; Gene Evans, Vice-President; Dan Solano, Treasurer; and Allen Register, Secretary. Our lobbyist, Phil Leary, addressed the Annual Membership Meeting and spoke about the makeup of the new Florida legislature and potential issues they will be addressing that would affect our industry and Florida‘s agriculture industry as a whole. Issues he mentioned included: 1) Increased funding for aquaculture research and extension at the Brandon and Indian River Agricultural Research Centers; 2) Solution to —Greenbelt Assessment“ issues for aquaculture; 3) Budgeting and expending Alligator Advertising Trust Fund; 4) Re-establishing Aquaculture Legislative Reception; and 5) Increase FAA member contacts with legislators.

We would like to thank everyone who helped with this year's conference as well as all of the attendees.  We hope to see all of you at next year’s annual conference!