AVCC-News

Fish Farmer Webinar: Recruitment and Diversity

Fish Farmer will be holding a free webinar on the topic of Recruitment and Diversity on August 21, 2024, as part of their Aqua Agenda series.

The webinar will explore how fish farming and seafood businesses can make sure they keep recruiting successfully in what can be a challenging market for employers looking for the right talent, from sea farming to seafood processing.

The panel will also discuss the initiatives being taken to encourage young people into this field and how the industry can diversify and provide more opportunities for minorities and women.

In order to register for the event, please access the following link:

https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/4117199101201/WN_5Vq1U_3tRgeu8u2GqaBlGw#/

AQUA 2024

AQUA 2024 will take place in Copenhagen, Denmark, between 26-30 August, 2024. The AQUA events, co-organised by the European Aquaculture Society (EAS) and the World Aquaculture Society (WAS), take place every six years, previous events being held in Nice (2000), Florence (2006), Prague (2012) and Montpellier (2018).

AQUA 2024 will include a scientific conference, trade exhibition, industry forums, workshops, student events and receptions, highlighting the latest aquaculture research and innovation to support continued growth of this food production sector.

In order to find out more about the event and to submit your registration, you can access the link below:

https://aquaeas.org/

Good Practice: RS Aqua – Innovasea

RS Aqua is an ocean technology provider of powerful and innovative sensors, systems and platforms, with almost 40 years of experience operating in the UK and around the world. RS Aqua is committed to supporting ocean scientists, engineers and the maritime industries, providing technological solutions to the following sectors: Aquaculture, Fish Tracking, Marine Science, Autonomy & Robotics, Defence and Surveillance, Offshore Energy, Survey and Inspection, Maritime and Ports, and Freshwater Science.

Since 2012, RS Aqua have partnered with Innovasea and together, they have established themselves as the go-to solution for tracking wild fish and monitoring fish farms in the UK and Ireland. Innovasea is transforming aquaculture and improving the field of fish tracking science to ensure the sustainability of both freshwater and ocean ecosystems for future generations. With 250 workers worldwide, complete end-to-end solutions for fish farming and aquatic species research are offered, including efficient, high-quality and long-lasting equipment, professional consulting services, and innovative platforms and products that provide data, information, and insights.  

Find out more at:

http://rsaqua.co.uk/AIS/

https://www.innovasea.com/

BlueInvest Readiness Assistance

BlueInvest Readiness Assistance, an exclusive coaching program, is available to high-potential EU start-ups and SMEs who have sustainable and creative products and solutions for the Blue Economy. Impact-driven, the programme’s focus is to help startups and SMEs develop their capacity for growth and attract investment, by offering business support.

In order to be eligible for the programme, the selection criteria are:

• EU headquartered company
• TRL 4 or higher
• You have an innovative and sustainable product/solution for the Blue Economy
• You cannot be a previous Readiness Assistance Beneficiary

Three hundred companies benefited from investment readiness assistance tailored to their business objectives during the first two editions of the BlueInvest programme. One hundred businesses will be selected to take advantage of the Readiness Assistance programme for this edition, allowing them to:

• receive feedback on their investment readiness level and a set of recommended coaching packages based on their needs analysis;
• be matched with a dedicated business coach;
• receive targeted assistance from their business coach, who will provide one-to-one coaching sessions over a 3-month period.

Deadline for application: 1 August 2024

In order to apply or for more information, please access https://blueinvest-community.converve.io/readiness_assistance_home.html

Programme on sustainable aquaculture practices for young women from the Mediterranean and the Black Sea

The General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is organising the third edition of the programme on sustainable aquaculture practices for young women from the Mediterranean and the Black Sea, scheduled for September 8–15, 2024, in Spain. The first two editions of the programme were successfully held in Tunisia in 2022 and in Greece in 2023.

This activity is the result of the collaboration between the GFCM, the Federation of European Aquaculture Producers (FEAP), and APROMAR (Asociación Empresarial de Acuicultura de España), aiming to help young women from the Mediterranean and the Black Sea region learn about the newest developments in aquaculture and gain practical experience with some of the best aquaculture practices in Spain.

The activity will feature theoretical sessions held by aquaculture specialists from the area in order to build a foundation of best practices, emphasize the significance of women’s participation in the sector, discuss achievements and demonstrate the GFCM strategy for the sustainable development of aquaculture, as well as field visits in Spain to highlight Mediterranean aquaculture and various environments, species and production systems.

In order to register for the participation in the programme on sustainable aquaculture practices, access the link below:

https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/d7e0d202e44049f0a2ec67861523584b?portalUrl=https://www.arcgis.com

EUMOFA Study on the Challenges of Aquaculture Products in Food Outlets

The European Market Observatory for Fisheries and Aquaculture Products (EUMOFA) has published the Study on the challenges of aquaculture products in food outlets, which was conducted following a request from the Market Advisory Council (MAC).

Several challenges have been identified for the farming sector to increase sales in the EU:

• Difficulties in increasing the volume of production
• Adaptation to climate change and scarcity of the resources
• Increased production costs
• Production and consumption seasonality
• Higher logistical costs out of the main flows (rural areas)
• Strong competition on the market, with an importance of price
• Low level of organisation in the sector
• Variable capacity for material and immaterial investments
• Presence of fishmongers and fish counters to offer a diversity of products
• Consumer preferences for wild caught products, but this is a side criterion

Find out more at https://eumofa.eu/documents/20124/115068/Aquaculture+outlets+study+_final.pdf/5aa4920a-525b-6ad8-bbe9-cf32d8f25be6?t=1718282885395.

Good Practice: Eco-Ark, Singapore

Eco-Ark is a closed-containment floating farm installed in October 2019, producing almost 100 tonnes of barramundi (Asian sea bass), grouper and red snapper a year. 

More information available at: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/cna-insider/leave-aquaculture-norwegians-singaporean-was-told-food-security-fish-farming-2591951

FAO. 2024. The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2024. Blue Transformation in action

FAO’s 2024 edition of The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture, devoted to “Blue Transformation in action”, was published.

The report analyses the status, trends and projections of global fisheries and aquaculture, providing up-to-date and evidence-based information, supporting policy, scientific and technical insights on challenges, opportunities and innovations shaping the present and future of the sector.

According to the report, in 2022, global fisheries and aquaculture production reached a record high of 223.2 million tonnes. With 94.4 million tonnes, or 51% of the global total and a record 57% of the production destined for human consumption, aquaculture has surpassed for the fist time capture fisheries in the production of aquatic animals. Out of the total farmed aquatic animals, 62.6% came from inland aquaculture, and 37.4% from marine and coastal aquaculture. By 2032, it is anticipated that the production of aquatic animals would rise by 10%.

The report is available at the link below:

https://openknowledge.fao.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/a4151f1e-3130-4504-a7d7-4b066de59030/content

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/