Yes its time to get going on that. It takes a lot of work to put a PB Con together.
You got that right. Our aquaculture associations puts a fall and spring conference together. Lots of planning, phone calls, emails, etc.
As a long time officer/director of my state's Aquaculture Association, I'm concerned about where we go too. We relied heavily on assistance from federal organizations, which translated down to state and local organizations.
I don't want this to go political, but the sequester has basically shut down our entire regional aquacultural research, enforcement, and training programs for water quality and fisheries management.
I had wanted to base our 2014 annual state-wide aquaculture program on water rights and water ownership. As of the board meeting we had about two weeks ago, we have had to abandon the entire program, and will just have an annual meeting and officer election co-incident with our state's annual Agriculture Conference.
The really scary part is that our aquaculture producers are competing against unregulated aquaculture imports from overseas farms that don't have anywhere near the health concerns and regulations we have.
At the low end of the totem pole, us pond owners don't have any real knowledge or tracking for pond species we are buying from suppliers.
I'm sure that from Cecil's view, and other producers like him, are viewing this quite differently from their sides of their ponds. They are still having to meet extremely strict regulations and inspections that prevent them from selling or buying, yet they are competing against other venues that don't have these same restrictions.
I well know what politics do to this site, face-to-face gatherings amongst us friends, and many other situations. Yet, I'm now wondering if it is time to start something like a fairly private blog/forum where we can discuss this without harming the good will and friendliness of the great Pond Boss forum. Kind of like a boxing ring where disagreeing grade school or high school kids can whack at each other with heavy boxing gloves and protective equipment, but not actually being able hurt each other. From what little I know of this practice, it seems to work. The come away with a better understanding of the other's views.
I'd rather that it not become a flame throwing site, but maybe that is what we need to come to a reasonable consensus to help move forward nationally, state-wide, and locally.
I believe that the Pond Boss regulars represent a very broad spectrum of views that range from the extremes of both sides, but most are somewhere in the middle. We can fight and holler, but we know that we are still going to be very close friends when the argument ends.
Anybody??
