The annual meeting of the Latin American and Caribbean Chapter of the World
Aquaculture Society, LACQUA19, will take place in San Jose, Costa Rica, at the
Wyndham Herradura Convention Center, from November 19 to 22, 2019. The
organizers of this event are the National Technical University (UTN), the National
University (UNA) of Costa Rica and the Latin America and Caribbean Chapter of
the World Aquaculture Society (LAAC / WAS).

This is the first time that this meeting will be held in a Central American country.
This is a region rich in natural resources, in which several of its countries are
currently in a process of political and social changes, aimed at improving the
quality of life of its inhabitants. For this reason, the central theme of this meeting
will be: "Sustainable aquaculture for social and economic development", since the
promotion of this activity, carried out in a responsible manner with the environment
and with the communities, will contribute to the development and wellbeing of the
countries of the region.

Costa Rica is a country that stands out for not having an army, for its pacifist and
democratic tradition, its stability and its high environmental, social and economic
indicators. Costa Rica is a country with an area of only 51,100 km2, of which
approximately 20% corresponds to National Parks and Reserves. Tourism is the
fastest growing industry. Its Human Development Index places it in fourth place in
Latin America, standing out in health, education, security, freedom and equality
issues. It is the headquarters of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights and the
UN University for Peace. Its capital, San José, has a large number of theaters,
museums and historic buildings, and in the surrounding provinces, a few hours
from the capital, there are many towns, forests and beaches of extraordinary
beauty.

The LACQUA19 will be a great opportunity to meet and discuss the most recent
advances in the production of aquatic organisms in Latin America and the
Caribbean. The Wyndham Herradura Convention Center will be the ideal place for
this meeting, it is located a few minutes from Juan Santamaría International
Airport, in the outskirts of San José, and has spacious and comfortable
conference rooms. We will have the presence of researchers, students, producers
and suppliers. The results of technical and scientific work (regional and global) in
three languages (English, Spanish and Portuguese) will be presented (oral and
poster). In addition, there will be short courses and an exhibition of aquaculture
suppliers from around the world showing the latest in equipment, supplies and
services. You can also visit recognized aquaculture companies in the region, with
emphasis on the production of inland fish, marine fish and molluscs.

The different institutions, societies, associations, commercial companies and
groups related to aquaculture in general are invited to schedule their annual
meetings, business meetings, presentation of innovation