History of the Aqua Association

Eastern Region Aquaculture Association Inc.  ⇒  NSW Aquaculture Association Inc.  ⇒  Aqua Association Inc.

The Aqua Association Inc. has a long history. Originally, it started in the late 1980's with a group of yabby and silver perch farmers that then formed the Eastern Region Aquaculture Association way back in 1993-1994 and continued under that banner till 2000. Then in 1999-2000 the NSW Aquaculture Association was created by the original 150 members to assist them in their personal Aquaculture and Aquaponic endeavours as well as promote and support the industry as a whole. Back then we all worked together towards the improvement of the industry as a whole within NSW and the wider Aquaculture community. The then new NSW Aquaculture Association was founded in 2000 and served the members well till 2020.

History from the archives (Back in 1999 the NSW Aquaculture Association used to produce the "Australian Aquaculturalist" a National Aquaculture magazine. Click here for the Eastern Region Aquaculture Association's Presidents report re start of NSWAA.  Alternatively; Click here for a copy of the whole magazine-Australian Aquaculturalist Volume 1 No.2 Summer 1999)

Unfortunately, in 2020 the NSW Aquaculture Association Inc. had difficulties with a disreputable industry member who we expelled plus his business partner was refused membership. In the largest attendance of any AGM in the last 20 years history of the Association the members of the NSW Aquaculture Association voted unanimously, bar the one vote, to expel this disreputable person from the Association.

This exmember then started legal action against the Association to force the Association to reinstate him as a member. The Association to avoid a long expensive legal battle capitulated and reinstated this person; much to the outrage of the members.

As a consequence of this forced membership the Aqua Association Inc. was formed. The executive and committee members totalling 7 needed for the new Association resigned from the NSWAA and accepted their same positions in the new association. The NSW Aquaculture Association was left with no executive, no public officer and the members voted unanimously at another AGM in a Special Resolution to voluntarily fold the NSWAA. The members then on mass moved to the new Association together with all the assets of the old NSW Aquaculture Association. We all now continue on as normal under a new banner (Aqua Association Inc.) but also with a banned members list so the two disruptive unwanted people can never again plague any of us.

Both the land based Aquaculture and the Aquaponic industries are rapidly growing, with everyone knowing large numbers of others in the industry, what one individual does can have huge ramifications for all of us, we all need to work together and with each other and the regulatory bodies to ensure our industries prosper into the future, with the Aqua. Assoc. offering the platform for this to occur.

One of the greatest challenges that NSW offers is the tyranny of distance, NSW is a huge state with members spread across this vast area. Communication is the priority of the Aqua Assoc. and regular Monthly Newsletters and random alerts and event updates via the internet is our method of disseminating information.

This is our main communication method and allows us to contact all our members at the push of a button. Monthly Newsletters keep all members informed of what’s happening in the papers, magazines and TV across the state, country and internationally, plus what’s happening to other members, what’s happening with government and generally just what’s happening. The Newsletter also allows anyone to contact all members, if someone has second-hand aquaculture equipment for sale that info can be included in the newsletter, if someone is looking for work experience that can be in the newsletter, etc.

Monthly Newsletters go to financial members only, so if you want to keep your finger on the pulse of the industry and see what’s happening around you then I encourage you to Join Now. Membership is open to all and many members are from across Australia and overseas. Anyone that has a thirst for industry information, education, knowledge or wants to know what’s happening in the Aquaculture or Aquaponic industry, should join now.