AVCC-News

Online Course: Fish Health, Welfare and Biosecurity in Mediterranean Species Farming

A Cure4Aqua training course on Fish Health, Welfare and Biosecurity in Mediterranean Species Farming will take place online on 9th March 2025, from 10:00 to 11:30 (CET).

Sea bass, sea bream and meagre farm managers, farm staff, technical personnel, biologists and service and supply staff are the target audience of this course, which aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the health, welfare and disease management of marine Mediterranean species.

The course will cover the following topics:

• General concepts related to fish health applied to marine Mediterranean species;
• Review of common sea bass, sea bream and meagre diseases in Europe;
• Welfare and Biosecurity measures applied to marine Mediterranean species.

Deadline for registration: 14 Mar 2025

Attendance at the course is free, thanks to Horizon Europe funding. In order to register, please access the link below:

https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=jPZ9ADq7pU-GEHp_6dyTkXxjwnuxdvhImfS-PKmreI5UOVlDTUU5VEhPQ0FIUVRCMFdSNkU3Qk1JTS4u

FAMENET Online Channel: Knowledge and innovation in fisheries and aquaculture

FAMENET (Fisheries and Aquaculture Monitoring, Evaluation and Local Support Network) is organising an online session on Knowledge and innovation in fisheries and aquaculture on the 19th of March, 2025.

The session will include:

• An overview of knowledge and innovation activities under the EMFF (European Maritime and Fisheries Fund)/EMFAF (European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund);
• Knowledge and Innovation Systems (AKIS) under EIP-Agri/CAP network;
• Presentations from Managing Authorities on EMFF/EMFAF knowledge and innovation activities in their Member States;
• Opportunities for knowledge and innovation funding and establishing innovation pipelines under the EMFAF.

Registration and further details are available at the following link: https://oceans-and-fisheries.ec.europa.eu/events/famenet-online-channel-knowledge-and-innovation-fisheries-and-aquaculture-2025-03-19_en

Tilapia Welfare Online Courses

FAI.ACADEMY, a multi-disciplinary training hub for people working for a better food system, is providing a series of free online courses on tilapia welfare.

The courses are suitable for people working in the tilapia aquaculture industry or studying aquaculture and consist of:

• Tilapia welfare indicators, which will introduce the welfare indicators related to health, nutrition, environment, and behaviour;
• Tilapia nutrition and welfare, which will provide practical tips on how to feed tilapia for better growth, health, quality, and welfare;
• Tilapia environment and welfare, providing practical tips on how to monitor and manage the water quality parameters: oxygen, pH, alkalinity, TAN, nitrite, and transparency, as well as tips on how to manage predators and off-flavours;
• Tilapia Behaviour and Welfare Indicators: from foraging to humane slaughter, which introduces the concept of animal welfare, focusing on how to measure tilapia behavioural indicators such as foraging and swimming behaviours, covering also humane slaughter and how to assess effective stunning.

Registration to the courses is available at the following link: https://fai.academy/aquaculture/welfare-in-tilapia-production-guideline-series/

Good Practice: Mowi Scotland, United Kingdom

Mowi Scotland is an integrated seafood company, with expertise in feed production, salmon farming, processing and marketing. The company operates 48 farms that produce over 68,000 tonnes of salmon annually. 

Find out more at: https://mowi.com/uk/

The Progressive Management Pathway for Aquaculture Biosecurity – Guidelines for application

The Progressive Management Pathway for Aquaculture Biosecurity refers to a pathway aimed at enhancing aquaculture biosecurity by building on existing frameworks, capacity and appropriate tools using risk-based approaches and public-private sector partnerships.

The Progressive Management Pathway for Aquaculture Biosecurity is intended to support food security and nutrition, social and economic development and resilience, rural livelihoods, food safety and public health and the environmental sustainability of the aquaculture sector by reducing the burden of diseases and improving aquaculture biosecurity practices globally.

The FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Technical Paper, a guidance document for Progressive Management Pathway for Aquaculture Biosecurity application, is available at the following address:
https://www.fao.org/3/cc6858en/cc6858en.pdf

2025 AQUACULTURE AWARDS

Entries are open for the 2025 Aquaculture Awards, event which celebrates projects, businesses or individuals making an exceptional contribution to the global aquaculture community.

The categories for this year are:

• Rising Star – this category, which is open to emerging talents just starting their careers in the industry, attempts to recognize the accomplishments of the next generation of aquaculture professionals;
• Collaboration – this category is open to all companies, organisations, associations and academic institutions that have collaborated to develop a solution or improve a situation for customers and the industry, highlighting the significance of effective relationships in achieving a common objective;
• Innovation – looking for innovations that have made a significant contribution to, among other factors, production performance, animal welfare, processing, health and safety, sustainability or product development;
• Sustainability – recognising initiatives or business practices that have a clear commitment to long-term impacts of their business and/or the wider industry;
• Community Initiative – awarding an individual, company or organisation that has improved the industry’s relationships with the communities where it operates, with an emphasis on supporting local services, charities, diversity, equality and inclusion as well as culturally valuable initiatives;
• Farmer of the Year – category awarding the best hands-on finfish or shellfish farmer for their consistent excellence in all areas of their work or an exceptional achievement in one particular aspect of their responsibilities, that has greatly benefited the farm(s) and the company;
• Animal Health & Welfare – awarding initiatives that have improved the health and welfare of farmed fish/shellfish and/or the wildlife they interact with;
• Supplier of the Year – the category is open to any supplier (of aquaculture products or of goods and services to fish and shellfish producers) who has demonstrated commitment to any of the following: quality of products, services, technical advice and input, back-up service and communication, and R&D to improve the aquaculture industry’s financial performance and sustainability;
• Best New Start Up – all international companies that have been in business for less than three years (as of November 2022) are eligible. Companies should have been successful in identifying a market gap to launch a new business and showcase how innovation, product development, market knowledge and effective leadership have contributed to their current level of success;
• Best Producer of the Year – the award honors finfish, shellfish and seaweed producers that have not only accomplished outstanding success in their endeavors but also upheld environmental stewardship, animal welfare, staff management practices and local community engagement;
• Unsung Hero – this category honors the industry stalwarts who have avoided the spotlight but have persistently worked behind the scenes over the years;
• Outstanding Contribution – As voted for by The Industry – the industry is encouraged to highlight the outstanding people or businesses that have redefined the aquaculture sector;
• Judge’s Special Recognition Award – the judging panel will personally choose the winner of this award (a person, a project, or a company from the awards entries) based on their impressive commitment and responsible approach to aquaculture.

The deadline to enter the Aquaculture 2025 Awards is 10 March.

The event will take place on Thursday 19 June 2025 at the Macdonald Drumossie Hotel, Inverness, Scotland.

Find out more at https://aquacultureawards.com/.

Grass Carp Welfare Indicators – Online Course

FAI.ACADEMY, a multi-disciplinary training hub for people working for a better food system, is providing a free online course on grass carp welfare indicators.

The online training is intended for people working in the grass carp aquaculture industry or studying aquaculture and it will introduce the welfare indicators related to health, nutrition, environment, and behaviour.

Find out more and register to take the course at the link below:

https://fai.academy/grass-carp-welfare-online-courses/

Webinar: Technology, Remote Monitoring and Artificial Intelligence

Fish Farmer is organising the webinar Technology, Remote Monitoring and Artificial Intelligence, which will take place on Feb 19, 2025 12:30 PM CET, online.

In collaboration with Krucial (Panel Partner), the webinar will focus on the use of IT to remotely monitor fish behavior, oxygen, water temperature, feed utilization and health and safety issues. The event will also discuss how AI has aided fish farming operations and what technological advancements lie ahead.

Registration is available at the link below:

https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/4117289909432/WN_MSCwVNUVQIGCXnYQtHf4nA#/registration

Good Practice: Kauai Sea Farm, Hawaii, USA

Kauaʻi Sea Farm is a restorative aquaculture operation, a family- owned and operated business, located on the southwest shore of Kauai, Hawaii – the Nōmilu fishpond, an extinct volcanic crater that filled with water. The farm is growing clams, sea cucumbers, and edible seaweed, while also restoring and preserving the historic Nōmilu Fishpond.

Find out more at: https://kauaiseafarm.com/

Workshop – Navigating the Energy: Transition strategic goals for resilient and sustainable aquaculture

The Energy Transition Partnership (ETP) for the EU Fisheries and Aquaculture sector, under the European Commission (DG MARE), is organising the workshop Navigating the Energy Transition: Strategic Goals for Resilient and Sustainable aquaculture, a hybrid segment workshop designed to inform the development of the energy transition roadmap for the EU aquaculture sector. The event will take place on 19 February 2024, 09:00-13:30 CET, online & in Brussels.

Building on earlier ETP sessions, this workshop, which is part of a series of events organized by the ETP, will explore the main challenges in the context of the energy transition and include case studies to promote informed discussions on the sector’s future energy transition.

The event will analyse:

• Sector contributions: Identifying how the inland and offshore aquaculture sector can lead its energy transition until 2050.
• Key challenges: Addressing obstacles that may hinder progress towards milestones and understanding their potential impact.
• Conditions and solutions: Defining the actions and tools required to overcome challenges and ensure steady progress.

Registration is available at the following link: https://ec.europa.eu/eusurvey/runner/95099873-b997-bf46-9a04-3b77ea1ebe30