News

Seaweed farming – a sustainable income alternative for fishers

Joint Call: New Aquaculture Opportunities with AQUAEXCEL3.0 and EMBRC

AQUAEXCEL3.0 and EMBRC (European Marine Biological Resource Centre) have launched a joint call dedicated to EU and Associated States’ researchers. The call offers access to 40 research infrastructures, with experimental costs, travel and subsistence covered by AQUAEXCEL3.0.

Applicants can propose aquaculture research projects that:

• involve research on any AQUAEXCEL3.0 target species (includes fish, shellfish and macroalgae species) at one of the available aquaculture research infrastructures;
• are aligned with the EATiP Strategic Research & Innovation Agenda;
• involve a visit of one or two people to one of the 40 research infrastructures that offers installations not available in their own country, for a period of up to three months.

Researchers are able to submit project proposals until the project ends in October 2025 or when all the available funding has been allocated.

Find out more at: https://aquaexcel.eu/transnational-access/

Good Practice: Riverence, USA

Riverence is a land-based farm in the USA, sustainable producer of elite pedigree salmon & trout eggs, as well as gourmet trout fillets & smokehouse products. The eggs are raised in Washington State in state-of-the-art RAS facilities and are then transported to the company’s grow-out farms, located along the Snake River in Idaho’s Magic Valley. 

Find out more at: https://riverence.com/index.html

Aquaculture Congress 2024

The third edition of the Aquaculture Congress 2024, themed “Defining a Resilient Future“, will take place on 28-29 June 2024, in Athens, Greece. The event is organized by AMBIO S.A. with the support of the Hellenic Aquaculture Producers Organization.

Key objectives of the Congress include addressing investment challenges, promoting sustainable practices to mitigate the effects of climate change, strengthening competitiveness, encouraging innovation through advanced technologies, developing new products, investigating global demand projections for aquaculture products, and fostering international cooperation and partnerships.

You can attend the event in person or online. Registration is free at https://aquaculture-congress.com/en/registration-en/, on a first-come, first-served basis.

For further information, please access the link below:

https://aquaculture-congress.com/en/home-en/

4th Edition of the World Aquaculture and Fisheries Conference (WAC 2024)

The 4th Edition of the World Aquaculture and Fisheries Conference (WAC 2024) will take place between 24-26 June 2024, in a hybrid format (in Paris, France as well as online).

The event aims to amplify awareness and support for small-scale and artisanal fisheries, emphasizing their pivotal role in global sustainable development.

Researchers, scientists, academicians, marine biologists, aquaculturists, fish care experts, and industry representatives from around the world are expected to attend the conference, which will feature keynote speeches from thought leaders, tech presentations by industry professionals, oral presentations, poster sessions and panel discussions.

Find out more at https://www.worldaquacultureconference.com/

Seagriculture EU 2024

The Seagriculture EU 2024 event, themed “Bridging Continents”, will take place during 18 – 20 Jun 2024, in Tórshavn, Faroe Islands, Denmark.

The event will open with a site visit to Ocean Rainforest, which consists of a full day trip that will take place on 18th June.

Participants will explore the global landscape of seaweed cultivation, harvesting, and innovation, learning from the experiences and perspectives of experts and enthusiasts from various countries and continents. 

The previous edition of the event was held last year in Norway, with a record attendance of 221 delegates from 26 countries.

More information and registration are available at the following address:

https://seagriculture.eu/

Financing Opportunity: (Interreg VI-B) NEXT Black Sea Basin Programme

The second call for proposals of the (Interreg VI-B) NEXT Black Sea Basin Programme is open. The deadline for submission is 28 June, 2024 (14:00 hrs, Romania time).

Applications will be submitted online through the Jems application (Joint electronic monitoring system) at https://jems-bsb.mdlpa.ro/.

Projects related to aquaculture are eligible under Priority 1: Blue and Smart Region, Specific Objective: Developing and enhancing research and innovation capacities and the uptake of advanced technologies, Field of action 3: Use of innovative technologies for sustainable fisheries and eco-friendly aquaculture.

Eligible applicants under this Programme are:

• Public authorities (e.g. regional/county council, local council, municipality, ministries, etc.);
• Bodies governed by public law (e.g. state/regional owned institutes, universities and educational institutions, regional development agencies, nature parks and protected areas management bodies, research institutes, etc.);
• Non-profit organizations (e.g. associations, unions, foundations, private universities if their legal status is of a non-profit organization, Local Action Groups, Euro regions, European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation, etc.).

Co-financing rate: 10%

Geographical area covered:

More information available at: https://blacksea-cbc.net/interreg-next-bsb-2021-2027

Good Practice: AquaVitae

AquaVitae is a research project, funded by the European Horizon 2020 programe. The project, implemented during 2019-2023, aimed to increase aquaculture production in and around the Atlantic Ocean by developing new species, processes and products.

The project focused on low trophic species (e.g. algae, echinoderms, shellfish), contributing to the circular economy and the Belém Statement. 

More information at http://www.aquavitaeproject.eu.

Animal Welfare of Farmed Fish

The study “Animal welfare of farmed fish” presents scientific data, knowledge gaps and regulatory framework on the main fish species reared in the European Union Production as well as methods and welfare challenges by farmed fish species. It also provides welfare priorities and policy recommendations relevant to EU decision-making, for the Members of the European Parliament.

The document includes five case studies, one for each of the main fish species reared in the EU (Atlantic salmon, rainbow trout, common carp, gilthead sea bream and European sea bass).

The investigation, led by Professor Michail Pavlidis of the University of Crete, was requested by the European Parliament’s Committee on Fisheries.

You can check out the study at the link below:

https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/STUD/2023/747257/IPOL_STU(2023)747257_EN.pdf

COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT – Implementing the Strategic Guidelines on EU Aquaculture Planning of space and access to water for marine aquaculture

In response to aquaculture producers’ calls to reduce the administrative burden on establishing and operating aquaculture sites in the EU, the Commission has published the staff working document Implementing the Strategic Guidelines on EU Aquaculture Planning of space and access to water for marine aquaculture.

The document intends to offer potential solutions to facilitate the development of the EU aquaculture sector to authorities and policymakers in Member States responsible for planning in the marine environment, and in particular for the allocation of marine space to aquaculture activities.

The staff working document identifies key challenges and conditions and describes the relevant aspects and steps for providing access to space to marine aquaculture, it consolidates existing good practices, it describes relevant tools and it also refers to some concrete examples of the application of those good practices and tools.

You can check out the document at the link below:

https://aquaculture.ec.europa.eu/system/files/2024-04/SWD_2024_Space%20marine%20aquaculture.pdf