There is a wide diversity of wild caught fisheries and aquacultural activities dealing with molluscs, including (but not limited to) wild caught scallops, squid, octopus, abalone, and aquaculture industries for pearl and edible oysters, abalone, mussels, etc. Researchers tend to talk to other researchers in their individual industries. The World Congress presents an outstanding opportunity for researchers working on molluscan fisheries and aquaculture to interact closely with each other and also with other researchers from throughout the world who work on numerous aspects of molluscan biology. For example, a symposium is planned larval development of molluscs, which has implications for researchers on molluscan aquaculture. Attendance of scientists working on other aspects of molluscs will provide a fertile ground for input from high quality researchers into molluscan fisheries and aquaculture.
Final report
The World Congress of Malacology was held at The University of Western Australia from 11 to 16 July 2004. Overall the congress was a huge success with over 300 delegates and 25 accompanying people from over 40 countries.
The FRDC sponsored symposium on Molluscan Fisheries and Aquaculture was one of the strengths of the congress. The original plan was to have the entire symposium on Tuesday with about 15 participants. However, there were so many papers that the sessions were resumed on Thursday and went until lunch time. In all there were 38 papers presented: 27 were oral and there were 11 posters. Registrants for this symposium came from all Australian States. Additionally, presenters came from the following countries: China, Denmark, France, Korea, Japan, Portugal, United Kingdom and United States. Dr Sandra Shumway of the University of Connecticut and editor of the Journal of Shellfish Research was the plenary speaker for the session.
13 papers have been published in the Journal of Shellfish Research.
Keywords: Molluscs, aquaculture, fisheries.
