The twenty-third joint meeting of UJNR Aquaculture Panel was held on November 17-18 at the Ise City Hotel and Ise City Plaza; Ise, Mie. A business meeting was held in the morning of the 17th, followed by a symposium in the afternoon of the 17th and on the 18th. The theme of the symposium was "Biological Control and Improvement of Salmon".
Dr Kazsuhiko Itoh, Secretary General of UJNR, announced the opening of the business meeting for the 23rd UJNR meeting and recognized Dr. Kunizo Tanaka Japanese Panel Chairman and Director General of the National Research Institute of Aquaculture (NRIA).
Dr. Tanaka warmly welcomed the U. S. delegation and Dr. James P. McVey, Chairman of the U.S. delegation to Mie and Ise City. Dr. Tanaka also commented very favorable on the 22nd UJNR meeting held in Alaska and the successful symposium and field trip last year. He thanked Dr. McVey and the U.S. delegation for the kind and gracious attention given the Japanese attending the 22nd Joint UJNR meeting in Alaska.
Dr. McVey then indicated that he and the U.S. UJNR delegates were very happy to be in Mie despite some travel difficulties with schedules and delays in airlines. He said the U.S. side was looking forward to a successful and fruitful meeting in Ise City.
The agenda for the business meeting, symposium program, and abstracts are attached (Appendix I, II and III).
Agenda Item 3. Introduction of Panel Members, Guests and Observers
Dr. Itoh asked Dr. Tanaka to introduce the Japanese panel members present at the business meeting. Dr. Tanaka then introduced the Japanese members of the panel: Listing of Japanese panel members beginning with Dr. Munchico Iwata, Program Chairman for Japanese side of symposium in the 23rd UJNR meeting and chief scientist of NRIA Nikko Branch. Japanese observer was Dr. Nagahisa Uki who will become Secretary General of UJNR Aquaculture Panel next year. Dr. McVey introduced U.S. panel members: Dr. Conrad Mahnken, Program Chairman for U.S. side of symposium and 23rd UJNR meeting; Dr. James Sullivan of the University of California Sea Grant Program and Dr. William Heard with Alaska Fisheries Science Center, Auke Bay Laboratory.
Agenda Item 4. Procedural Matters
Dr. Itoh indicated that rappoteurs and moderators should now be elected. Dr. McVey nominated Dr. Heard to serve as the rapporteur for U.S. side. The Japanese delegator concurred. Dr. Kazuhiro Nakajima was designated by Dr. Tanaka as the Japanese rapporteur. Dr. Masahide Kaeriyama was designated as moderator of Session I in the symposium, Dr. Kazumasa Ikuta as moderator of Session II, Dr. Hideaki Yamada of Session III, Dr. Masahiko Satou of Session IV, Dr. Kazuo Araki of Session V, and Dr. Munehico Iwata of Session VI. For moderator at the satellite symposium in Niigata, Dr. Tanaka announced that Dr. Toshihiro Iikura would serve. For U.S moderators Dr. McVey named Dr. Michael Banks for Session I, Dr. William Heard for Session II. Dr. Steve Schroder for Session III, Dr. Yonathan Zohar for Session IV, Dr. Thomas Flagg for Session V and Dr. Conrad Mahnken for Session VI. Dr. McVey indicated Dr. Conrad Mahnken as the U.S. moderator for the satellite symposium.
Dr. Tanaka identified the Japanese panel counterparts as follows:
Scientist Exchange: Dr. Satoshi Miwa
Literature Exchange: Dr. Masachika Maeda
Cooperative Studies: Dr. Kazuhiro Nakajima
Publications: Dr. Kazumi Hosoya
Dr. McVey indicated that the U.S. panel was being reorganized and that several new members would be appointed soon. He said the U.S. side would announce who the U. S. panel counterparts would be at a later date. Dr. Itoh asked for adoption of the agenda. The U. S. delegation concurred.
The lists of the Japanese panel members and the participants of the meeting, and the itinerary of field trip are attached (Appendix IV, V and VI).
Agenda item 5. Scientist Exchange Program
The Japanese delegation identified two persons involved in formal UJNR exchanges in the past year. A list is provided as appendix VII. The scientists were Dr. Masami Hamaguchi from Nansei National Fisheries Research Institute and Dr. Takashi Minami from Hokkaido National Fisheries Research Institute.
Dr. McVey indicated there had been no formal UJNR exchanges with Japan in the past year, but there were several informal ones. He mentioned that Dr. Sullivan was on an exchange between University of California and University of Tokyo and that Dr. Sullivan was helpful in arranging for Drs. Banks and Olin to attend the UJNR meeting this year in Mie to discuss problems in California salmon. Dr. McVey said there were many examples of scientist-to-scientist exchanges between Japan and U.S. that should be recognized as an official part of the UJNR Aquaculture Panel. Dr. Tanaka responded in expressing a desire from the Japanese side to help in the effort to identify exchanges between scientists from both countries that should be recognized by, the panel.
Agenda Item 6. Literature Exchange Program
The Japanese report was given by Dr. Itoh who provided a list of 135 articles published in Japan from August 1993 to October 1994 (Appendix VIII). The actual papers will be shipped to the United States to Dr. McVey's office. Materials received from U.S. panel are kept in a special place and lists are distributed to Japanese Institutes.
Dr. McVey gave the U.S. report and provided a list of 131 papers, along with reprints of the papers, to Dr. Itoh (Appendix IX). Dr. McVey indicated his wife, Mrs. McVey who is the coordinator of the National Aquaculture Information Center, had assisted in compiling the literature and also said the U.S. needed to identify and provide more of the aquaculture literature available in his country. The literature from Japan provided to the U. S. panel is deposited in the National Aquaculture Information Center.
Dr. McVey suggested that in the future UJNR might consider exchanges of literature information electronically on internet. Dr. Tanaka indicated that this idea would make it easier to transfer information and e-mail technology will soon be available at NRIA to allow the feasibility of exchanges in this manner.
Agenda Item 7. Cooperative Studies
Dr. Nakajima indicated that there were no formal cooperative studies to report. He described a system in Japan where funds to support cooperative studies were available from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries but the application competition is very tough. Dr. Itoh added that under this program the Japanese Government can finance scientific meetings and symposia held in Japan and U.S.A., in which both Japanese and U.S. scientists will participate.
A discussion of general topic on the future of cooperative studies followed. Both Japan and United States expressed strong desire to promote future programs that will encourage cooperative research. Dr. McVey said that NOAA has developed a National Strategic Plan that recognizes the importance of aquaculture in the United States. He suggested that maybe a joint proposal supported by UJNR that recognized research needed for offshore aquaculture, recirculating aquaculture system, marine finfish culture, endocrinology or marine biotechnology could help join the U.S. National Sea Grant Program with Japanese programs. Dr. McVey said this might generate new funding for future UJNR cooperative research studies. Dr. Tanaka encouraged the future study of the possibility of this approach.
Dr. Mahnken indicated other major subjects on endangered species Act such as California "salmon" in the Northern West Pacific Ocean for possible joint cooperative studies between Japan and U. S. UJNR members. They included genetic stock identification, culture of captive brood stocks disease and parasite control, ecological and genetic interaction between wild and cultured stocks, oceanographic factors responsible for fluctuations in stock abundance, and physiology and reproductive biology. Dr. Mahnken suggested that identifying UJNR Aquaculture Panel subjects for cooperative research might have opportunities for funding support under the new North Pacific International Organization. Dr. Tanaka responded that these were good ideas to build on and that some discussions on these issues were made in Alaska last year. Dr. Tanaka further cautioned that the UJNR administration not become too political ant that we should be careful to identify only those topics we can do on a scientific basis. Dr. Itoh said that it takes at least two years or more to get funding for new programs in Japan, and both sides needed a better understanding of different funding procedures in each country.
Dr. McVey asked if the subjects identified in NOAA Strategic Plan could be useful to counterparts in Japan in helping to get funding for cooperative studies. Dr. Iwata responded by asking if this plan is available for UJNR member to read. Dr. McVey responded that the plan was available and that he would send a copy to the Japanese UJNR Chairman. Dr. Tanaka suggested sending this information by FAX not by e-mail. Dr. Tanaka concluded the discussions on cooperative studies by emphasizing the selection of cooperative UJNR research topics should focus only on scientific issues.
Agenda Item 8. Publication
Dr. Hosoya said that Japan had only received 18 copies of the proceeding of the 19th UJNR symposium held in Mie on disease. Dr. Mahaken indicated that 100 copies were sent to Japan but he would look into trying to find other copies. Dr. Hosoya reported that proceedings of the 21st UJNR symposium hold in Kyoto had been distributed. Dr. McVey reported that the results of the 22nd UJNR symposium held in Alaska would be published and available in January or February 1995. Dr. Hosoya requested U.S. panel to send 100 copies of the proceeding of the 22nd UJNR symposium to the Japanese panel and 100 reprints of the papers to each author without charge. Dr. McVey said that NOAA technical memorandum publication series was now discontinued and that the 22nd symposium would probably be published in a new NOAA/UJNR series. Dr. Hosoya said that manuscripts for the present symposium would be due by the end of 1994, and asked the U.S. panel for sending all the manuscripts together to Japanese panel. A draft hard copy and floppy diskette of the manuscript using Word Perfect or MS-Word was requested. Authors were instructed to follow the format of the Kyoto meeting.
Dr. Itoh asked if Dr. Ogata's paper that was presented in his absence last year in Alaska could be included in proceeding of that symposium. Dr. McVey said Dr. Ogata's paper would be included.
Agenda Item 9. General Discussions
Dr. Tanaka opened the discussion by recognizing that Dr. McVey had requested an agenda item to discuss the possibility of holding joint UJNR meetings every other year. Dr. McVey reviewed this matter from the U.S. side and said that the main reason for this discussion was due to funding difficulties for UJNR support in the U.S. Dr. Tanaka said it would be very difficult in Japan to hold meetings every other year because Japanese UJNR would lose support for funding. Under this method meeting in Japan would occur only every 4 years. Dr. Tanaka suggested that UJNR panel might consider dropping the field trip to reduce cost or perhaps holding meetings only at the place of field trips. Dr. Mahnken said the field trips were very important to Japanese and U.S scientists to see and understand aquaculture programs in both countries. Dr. Mahnken also said U.S. side has no set budget for UJNR but U.S. should expand broader U.S. panel member representation, encourage scientific exchanges and continue both annual meetings and field trips. It was agreed by both sides that no hasty discussions would be made on ideas of changing annual UJNR Aquaculture Panel meetings and that the present schedule would be maintained through the 25th meeting to be held in Japan in 1996.
Agenda Item 10. Plan for Next Joint Meeting
Dr. McVey announced the next business meeting will tentatively be October 24 1995 in Corpus Christi, Texas. The symposium will follow in the afternoon of 24th and continue on October 25. The field trip will be on the Gulf of Mexico coast of Texas and will look at shrimp culture, red drum culture and other marine fish culture. Further details of the symposium and field trip will be developed. The Japanese delegation approved the tentative plan for the next joint meeting.
Dr Tanaka announced that all business had been concluded. The 23rd Meeting of the UJNR Panel on Aquaculture was then adjourned.
James P. McVey
Kunizo Tanaka
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