From the Editor: Women I admire

Although our Women in North American Aquaculture program is at its height during our WINAA Summit on Sept. 5, I knew that I couldn’t let this March/April issue go by without celebrating the women in our industry. 

Honestly, I didn’t have to try very hard to find women to celebrate. There are so many and they are so diverse that it might actually be harder to ignore their work and their contribution to the North American industry. 

In fact, even in my marginal position as a storyteller for this industry, I can attribute my professional growth to several women, including the former editors of this magazine, Liza Mayer and Maryam Farag. We’ve had many conversations about how openly the women in this sector celebrate each other. I’m glad to be a part of it in a small way.

And yet, I sometimes still think about how visible the female community truly is in aquaculture. Of course, I would like to think that as a woman, myself, I would want to be recognized for my professional talent rather than just on my gender. 

But at the same time, I can’t help but notice that when I read about the current events in this industry at any given day, images of women at work are still fairly few and far between. And then, to find images of women of colour at work is another layer to consider. Maybe it’s a small thing, but it’s also significant. 

I acknowledge that my obvious bias on this perspective is clear. I am a woman of colour who works within the aquaculture industry. But I write this in hopes that I am not the only one who feels this way. 

Despite this, I would also like to say that men and women in the aquaculture industry have been incredibly generous with their stories and I hope to continue that work with all of you. 

Don’t hesitate to connect with me at jkodin@annexbusinessmedia.com.