News

Smolt Production in the Future

The eighth conference on recirculation in aquaculture, “Smolt Production in the Future,” organised by Nofima and Sunndal Naeringsselskap, will be held in Sunndalsøra, Norway, on October 16–17, 2024.

Anyone interested in smolt and post-smolt production, grow-out on land and closed containment systems on land and in the sea is welcome to attend the conference. Presentations from salmon producers, suppliers and researchers from Norway and abroad will be included in this year’s program. There is a separate exhibition area during the conference where equipment and expertise suppliers can present themselves.

The event is open to both Norwegians and foreigners. Find out more and sign up for the conference at: smoltproduksjon.no/en/

EMFAF Call for Proposals: Regional flagships projects supporting sustainable blue economy in EU sea basins

A call for proposals under the European Maritime Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) has been launched by the European Commission. The call, which has a budget of EUR 5.7 million, aims to finance regional flagship projects that support a sustainable blue economy in EU sea basins for Smart Specialisation and Regenerative Ocean Farming and Algae Innovation.

Two topics are included in this call, with the goal of supporting the development of a sustainable blue economy in the EU:

1. Maritime regional cooperation fostering Smart Specialisation and Innovation in the Sustainable Blue Economy (Topic 1)

The targeted blue economy sectors are: fisheries, aquaculture, marine renewable energy, blue biotechnology, coastal and maritime tourism.

Geographical scope of activities under Topic 1: Black Sea, the Atlantic and the Western Mediterranean Sea basins as well as the EU Outermost regions marine areas.

2. Demonstrating feasibility and environmental benefits of regenerative ocean farming and boosting algae innovation (Topic 2)

Geographical scope of activities under Topic 2: Black Sea, Baltic Sea, North Sea, the Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea basins as well as the EU Outermost regions marine areas.

Proposals must be submitted by February 18, 2025, at 17:00 CET.

Find out more about the call for proposals at: https://cinea.ec.europa.eu/funding-opportunities/calls-proposals/emfaf-smart-specialisation-sustainable-blue-economy-and-regenerative-ocean-farming_en

Also, an online information day is being hosted by CINEA on October 15 from 14:30 to 16:45 (CEST), featuring information on the call and application process, as well as tips and tricks on how to write a successful proposal. Registration for the Info Day is available until Friday 11 October 2024, 23:59 (CEST), at https://ec.europa.eu/eusurvey/runner/EMFAFinfoday-flagships.

Future Fish Eurasia 2024

Eurasia Trade Fairs will host Future Fish Eurasia 2024, the 11th International Fair for Fish Imports/Exports, Processing, Aquaculture and Fisheries, in the Izmir, Türkiye, between 10 – 12 October.

More than two hundred local and foreign companies will showcase their latest products and sevices. The event’s concept combines seafood products, aquaculture, processing and fishing equipment.

Future Fish Eurasia 2024 is an opportunity to introduce your aquaculture and/or processing technology to Türkiye and its neighboring countries, sell seafood, buy quality products, or expand your reach by finding distributors in the region.

Registration (as exhibitor or visitor) is available at the link below:

https://eurasiafairs.com/eng/online-kayit.html

Webinar: Aqua Agenda – Land based strategy

The webinar “Aqua Agenda – Land based strategy” is being hosted by FISH FARMER on October 16, 2024.

The webinar will focus on how the different land-based approaches – such as RAS or hybrid flow-through – compare to one another, whether the investors putting their money into RAS grow-out around the world will recover their investment, if land-based farming could have the capacity to break free from the limitations intrinsic in sea-based aquaculture and what are the opportunities and the obstacles that may prevent the growth of this industry.

Registration is available at the link below:

Webinar Registration – Zoom

High-Tech Summit for the Black Sea (HTS4BS)

Organised under BRIDGE-BS, an H2020-funded initiative, the High-Tech Summit for the Black Sea (HTS4BS) is a major research-based forum centered upon ocean digitization and Industry 4.0. The second edition of the event, which brings together blue economy innovators from the Black Sea area and beyond, promoting communication between industry members, academia, research organizations, investors, policymakers, and civil society, is scheduled for October 16, 2024, in Sofia, Bulgaria, with in-person attendance.

With discussions covering topics such as renewable maritime energy, sustainable aquaculture, blue biotech, green and digital ports, yachting, circular economy, environmental monitoring, and marine security, the event will highlight business ideas supported by the Black Sea Accelerator.

Find out more and register to the event at the following link:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd1hEUhW_QQfgIpV3qmHM3LeCI1CFyHNF-PyMcW9aGBfSGBuw/viewform?pli=1&fbclid=IwY2xjawE9AkVleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHUUFJ-xHx9tDGz5rz-cYg-I8bkiTCz5-yFR2HIqzEDUBLT6BU4U1g5mhsA_aem_1lbuMSNV-oVvAXJeuwYFuw

IFFO Annual Conference 2024

The Marine Ingredients Organisation – IFFO Annual Conference 2024 will take place in Lisbon, Portugal, between 21 – 23 October.

The event, which serves as the yearly gathering place for the global value chain of marine ingredients, will offer a dynamic overview of market and technical trends, highlighting the diversified sources and uses of marine ingredients as well as fisheries management.

Participants will have access to the marine ingredients industry and value chain thanks to a flexible schedule that includes a variety of side events and networking opportunities. The following topics are among the items on the agenda: Exploring animals´ farming demand for marine ingredients; Fishmeal and fish oil demand: an overview of the global trends; Overview on latest trends in global aquaculture; Financing growth for the salmon farming industry; Overview on Mediterranean aqua farming, etc.

In order to register or find out more about the conference, please access the following address: https://www.iffo.com/annual-conference-2024

Conxemar FAO Congress – 12th International Congress

The 12th edition of the Conxemar FAO International Congress will take place on September 30, 2024, in Vigo, Spain. The SOFIA 2024 Report – Sustainable Development Goals: Responsibility for the Future, will be this year’s main theme.

The event, co-organised by Conxemar – the Spanish Association of Wholesalers, Importers, Exporters, and Processors of Fishery and Aquaculture Products, and FAO – the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, will address a range of subjects covered by international experts, such as the sustainable management of fishery resources and the global context of fishing and aquaculture.

Find out more at https://www.conxemar.com/en/congress-2024/#programa.

Public Consultation – FAO Guidance: (3) Aquaculture production

For the promotion of social sustainability in the fisheries and aquaculture value chains, including the recognition and protection of human and labour rights, the FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Division is creating guidelines to promote and facilitate the implementation of existing international instruments, conventions, and standards to improve social practices by the private sector, including enforcing human and labour rights, decent work and social protection. Six sections of the fisheries and aquaculture value chains (industrial fishing, small-scale fishing, aquaculture production, processing, distribution and retailing) as well as a general section will be included in the FAO Guidance.

The draft text of the FAO Guidance’s section, “Aquaculture production” is available here. Stakeholders worldwide interested in providing feedback on this work are invited to submit their suggestions until 22 September 2024 (11:59 h European time), at https://faofishsocial.konveio.site/openconsultation/aquaculturefaoguidance.

Support Group to the Energy Transition Partnership for EU Fisheries and Aquaculture

The European Commission has launched a call for expression of interest to establish a support group to the Energy Transition Partnership (ETP) for EU fisheries and aquaculture.

The ETP Support Group will be composed of ten coordinators, each of them representing one of the following stakeholder categories:

• Fisheries Small-Scale Coastal Fisheries (SSCF) 
• Large-Scale Fisheries (LSF) 
• Distant Water Fisheries (DWF) 
• Inland Aquaculture 
• Offshore Aquaculture 
• Ports 
• Processing Industry 
• Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) 
• Fishing Shipbuilding Industry 
• Research Organisations and Academia 

In order to apply to join the ETP Support Group, candidates should meet several requirements, such as:

• active involvement in one of the stakeholder categories
• representativeness at the national or EU level
• availability for ETP activities
• commitment to the representation of stakeholder interests
• strong communication skills

By joining, members of the ETP Support Group will be able to play an important role in shaping the future of energy transition in EU aquaculture and fisheries, sharing best practices and contributing to the development of the Energy Transition roadmap.

Candidates have until September 23, 2024, to express their interest, using the following link: EUSurvey – Survey (europa.eu)

Find out more at: https://oceans-and-fisheries.ec.europa.eu/news/apply-join-support-group-energy-transition-partnership-eu-fisheries-and-aquaculture-deadline-23-2024-08-19_en

2024 Fisheries Science Seminar – Artificial Intelligence

The Directorate General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (DG MARE) will host the annual Fisheries Science Seminar on September 25, 2024 in Anderlecht, Brussels, Belgium. The event can be attended physically or remotely. The potential contribution of artificial intelligence (AI) towards achieving fisheries sustainability will be the topic of the 2024 edition of the seminar.

The event will feature presentations from experts in the field, discussions involving the seminar attendees as well as a poster exhibition highlighting successful fisheries science projects that incorporate AI-based expertise.

For registration and further information regarding the event, please access the link below:

https://oceans-and-fisheries.ec.europa.eu/events/2024-fisheries-science-seminar-artificial-intelligence-2024-09-25_en