World Aquaculture Society

What World Aquaculture Society does

The World Aquaculture Society (WAS) is an international, membership-based non-profit professional society headquartered in Sorrento, Louisiana, founded in 1969 to advance the global aquaculture discipline through scientific exchange, publications, and career support. WAS serves aquaculture professionals (farm managers, veterinarians, fish health inspectors, consultants), researchers and academics in aquaculture and fisheries science, students in related disciplines, and aquaculture-industry suppliers, with a horizontal segmentation approach. Core deliverables are: (i) the peer-reviewed Journal of the World Aquaculture Society (JWAS) and World Aquaculture Magazine, available to members and library subscribers; (ii) an annual calendar of international and regional conferences and expositions (e.g., World Aquaculture Singapore 2026, Aquaculture America 2026/2027, LacQua26 in El Salvador, AFRAQ26 in South Africa); (iii) the WAS Employment Service (WASES), a job and resume clearinghouse established in 1985; and (iv) an e-commerce store selling aquaculture books, Spanish-language titles, CD-ROMs/DVDs, and library subscriptions. Governance is exercised via a board of Directors and Officers, regional chapters (African, Asian-Pacific, Korean, Latin American and Caribbean, and the United States Aquaculture Society), and a partner ecosystem led by an FAO Aquaculture Information Partnership and ~7 Premier Sponsors (INVE Aquaculture, Devee Group, Blue Aqua International, AQUA Group, Zeigler Feed, Pharmaq, Qrill Aqua). Revenue is generated through membership subscriptions, conference registrations, publication sales, sponsorships, and employment service partnerships, with operating execution concentrated in two small U.S. offices (Sorrento, LA headquarters and Valley Center, CA conference management) and the WASES operations in Lewes, DE.

Name

World Aquaculture Society

Legal name

World Aquaculture Society

Website

https://was.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The World Aquaculture Society is an international non-profit professional society (founded 1969) serving aquaculture professionals, researchers, students, and industry suppliers worldwide through the JWAS journal, World Aquaculture Magazine, an annual international conference franchise, regional chapters across five geographies, and the WAS Employment Service job board.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Association Services

NAICS

Aquaculture (11251), Finfish Farming and Fish Hatcheries (112511), Animal Production and Aquaculture (112)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741), Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

Aquaculture & Fish Health Services (AFAEANAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Aquaculture Health, Biosecurity & Veterinary Services (AFAEAAAK), Aquaculture Feed & Nutrition (HLAMAHAF)

Keywords

• Professional aquaculture society
• Scientific aquaculture publications
• Aquaculture conferences events
• Aquaculture membership organization
• Aquaculture employment services

Headquarters

HQ city

Sorrento

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership Subscriptions: The society generates revenue from annual membership fees, providing access to publications, conferences, job boards, and member benefits including the directory and voting rights.
2. Publications and Books Sales: Sale of aquaculture-related books, publications, and merchandise through the WAS online store, including titles such as 'Sea Bass and Sea Bream A Practical Approach to Disease Control and Health Management' ($115), 'Largemouth Bass Aquaculture', 'Cleaner Fish Biology and Aquaculture Applications', and 'Catfish Days'. Also includes WAS Books, Spanish Language Books, Library Subscriptions, and CD-ROMs & DVDs.
3. Conference and Meeting Registrations: Revenue from organizing and hosting international aquaculture conferences and expositions including World Aquaculture Singapore 2026, Aquaculture America 2026, Latin American Aquaculture 2026, and AFRAQ26.
4. Employment Service: The WAS Employment Service (WASES), established in 1985, provides job and resume posting services at no cost to employers and candidates, supported by sponsorships and partnerships.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The World Aquaculture Society (WAS) is an international nonprofit professional society that advances global aquaculture through peer-reviewed scientific publications (the Journal of the World Aquaculture Society and World Aquaculture Magazine), international conferences and expositions (such as Aquaculture America, World Aquaculture Singapore, Latin American Aquaculture, and AFRAQ), an online employment service for the aquaculture community, and an e-commerce bookstore featuring specialized aquaculture titles. It operates regional chapters in Africa, Asia-Pacific, Korea, Latin America/Caribbean, and the United States, supported by annual membership subscriptions and sponsorships.

Product overview

The World Aquaculture Society offers a portfolio of membership-based services and publications for the global aquaculture community. Its core offerings include the peer-reviewed Journal of the World Aquaculture Society (JWAS) and World Aquaculture Magazine for scientific and industry communication; WAS Employment Service as an online job clearinghouse; and international conference organizing including World Aquaculture meetings, regional events (Africa Safari, LacQua, Asia-Pacific), and Aquaculture America. The society's store also provides aquaculture-themed books covering species like largemouth bass, cleaner fish, sea bass/sea bream, and catfish industry history.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• World Aquaculture Magazine Official magazine of WAS featuring current issues, research highlights, and industry news for the global aquaculture community.
• Journal of the World Aquaculture Society (JWAS) Peer-reviewed scientific journal publishing research on all aspects of aquaculture science and practice.
• WAS Employment Service Online job and resume clearinghouse for the international aquaculture community, established in 1985, connecting employers with aquaculture professionals and students.
• WAS International Conferences and Events Major international conferences and expositions including World Aquaculture meetings, World Aquaculture Safari (Africa), LacQua (Latin America), Asia-Pacific events, and Aquaculture America.
• Annual WAS Membership Annual membership subscription providing access to publications, conference registration benefits, employment service, member directory, and voting rights.
• Largemouth Bass Aquaculture A comprehensive book covering all aspects of farming largemouth bass, including history, production, environment requirements, reproduction, culture methods, diseases, and major markets.
• Cleaner Fish Biology and Aquaculture Applications A book reviewing cleaner fish species used for biological control of parasitic sea lice in salmon farming, covering biology, rearing protocols, health, welfare, and deployment methods.
• Sea Bass and Sea Bream: A Practical Approach to Disease Control and Health Management A practical guide providing advice on health management and disease control in sea bass and sea bream, the most widely-farmed fish in the Mediterranean region.
• Catfish Days - From Belzoni to the Big Apple A book chronicling the catfish farming industry's early years, the Mississippi Delta expansion, and the industry's decline due to imported fish competition.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with FAO for providing aquaculture information products, including the FAO Aquaculture Newsletter, glossary of aquaculture terms, photo library, cultured aquatic species fact sheets, Aquaculture Global and Regional Reviews, National Aquaculture Sector Overview (NASO) fact sheets, and statistical information on global aquaculture production.
• US Aquaculture Society (USAS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliated national society for the United States, operating as a separate organization (usaquaculture.org) while collaborating on joint initiatives, shared sponsorship of the WAS Employment Service, and co-hosting events such as Aquaculture America.
• Virginia Tech - Virginia Seafood ARECminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVirginia Tech's Virginia Seafood Agricultural Research and Extension Center (AREC) partners with WAS to offer the International Mariculture Internship Program, at no cost to student members of the World Aquaculture Society.
• INVE AquacultureminorOthersPremier Sponsor of the World Aquaculture Society, supporting the organization's activities and events.
• Devee GroupminorOthersPremier Sponsor of the World Aquaculture Society, supporting the organization's activities and events.
• Blue Aqua InternationalminorOthersPremier Sponsor of the World Aquaculture Society, supporting the organization's activities and events.
• AQUA GroupminorOthersPremier Sponsor of the World Aquaculture Society, supporting the organization's activities and events.
• Zeigler FeedminorOthersPremier Sponsor of the World Aquaculture Society, supporting the organization's activities and events.
• PharmaqminorOthersPremier Sponsor of the World Aquaculture Society, supporting the organization's activities and events.
• Qrill AquaminorOthersPremier Sponsor of the World Aquaculture Society, supporting the organization's activities and events.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Skretting: Global aquaculture feed manufacturer and a typical sponsor/customer of WAS conferences; not a society peer but a key industry counterpart that engages with WAS as a premier-tier sponsor counterpart and shares the same end-aquaculture customer base.
• WorldFish: International nonprofit research organization advancing sustainable aquaculture in developing countries — thematically aligned with WAS's mission and overlapping in research publications, conferences, and developing-country chapter geographies.

Broad incumbents

• International Council for the Exploration of the Sea: Intergovernmental marine science organization publishing peer-reviewed work and convening scientific communities — adjacent peer in structure (society/conference/journal model) and overlapping in marine aquaculture research themes.
• Aquaculture Stewardship Council: Global standards and certification body for responsible aquaculture — comparable stakeholder community to WAS, with overlapping sponsors and conference presence, but operating a commercial certification model rather than a membership/society model.
• FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Division: The UN system's fisheries and aquaculture body, and a current WAS partner; comparable in scope of aquaculture information products (global reviews, NASO fact sheets), with overlapping institutional audiences but government rather than society governance.

Direct peers

• US Aquaculture Society: Affiliated US national chapter of WAS that independently runs Aquaculture America alongside the parent society; direct peer in serving US aquaculture professionals with conferences, publications, and student programs.
• Global Seafood Alliance: Industry alliance (formerly Global Aquaculture Alliance) running the ASC certification program alongside Best Aquaculture Practices; comparable to WAS in serving the global aquaculture stakeholder base, though more focused on standards and certification than scientific publishing.
• American Fisheries Society: The oldest and largest fisheries science professional society globally, with peer-reviewed journals (e.g., Fisheries, Transactions of the American Fisheries Society), annual conferences, and section-based structure — a direct comparable model to WAS, only broader in scope (capture fisheries plus aquaculture).
• European Aquaculture Society: Long-standing continental professional society for aquaculture, mirroring WAS's mission of advancing aquaculture science, education, and networking across a defined region — direct functional overlap in conferences, publications, and member services.

Regional players

• Asian Fisheries Society: Regional scientific society covering fisheries and aquaculture in Asia-Pacific — overlapping with WAS's Asian-Pacific Chapter activities and serving a similar researcher/academic member base with conferences and journals.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/wrldaquaculture
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/wasorg
• Facebookfacebook.com/WorldAquacultureSociety
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/world-aquaculture-society

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about World Aquaculture Society