News

Good Practice: Frugé Aquafarms and Cajun Crawfish in Branch, Louisiana, USA

Cultured Aquatic Species Fact Sheet Collection

FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Division compiled a fact sheet collection on the most important species in aquaculture, aiming to provide useful information for everyone interested in learning about the steps to be followed in order to start raising aquatic species and the current techniques at the global level.

The fact sheets are regularly updated and are available at https://www.fao.org/fishery/en/culturedspecies/search.

EUMOFA Workshop – Blue bioeconomy: latest trends and innovation in the algae sector

On 25 May 2023, during 14:30-15:45 CET, at the European Maritime Day in Brest, France, the European Market Observatory for Fisheries and Aquaculture Products (EUMOFA) is organising the workshop Blue bioeconomy: latest trends and innovation in the algae sector.

The workshop will focus on the main findings of the 2022 edition of Blue Bioeconomy Report, a study published every two years which addresses the trends and innovation in the sectors from an EU perspective, and will encourage the audience to provide feedback that will be channelled into the work of EU algae-related initiatives.

The workshop will end with a Q&A session and a group discussion.

Registration is available until 19 May, at the following link: https://european-maritime-day-2023.b2match.io/signup

World Aquaculture and Fisheries Conference 2023

Magnus Group is organising the 3rd Edition of World Aquaculture and Fisheries Conference (WAC 2023) during May 24-25, 2023 as a hybrid event in Tokyo, Japan and virtually.

The main theme of the event is “Panoramic View of Innovations That Impact Life Below Water.”

The aim of the conference is to increase awareness of, and support small-scale and artisanal fisheries and aquaculture’s contributions to global sustainable development, particularly their role in food security, nutrition, alleviating poverty, and natural resource sustainability.   

During the event, experts, practitioners, decision-makers, business innovators, and young professionals from various sectors from all around the world are expected to come together to network, share ideas, stimulate fresh thinking, and find solutions to today’s most critical aquaculture and fisheries related concerns. 

The two days conference includes leading keynote speakers, tech speeches by industry professionals, oral presentations, poster sessions, panel discussions, invited talks, presenting the latest technology in exhibition areas, and open conversations.

For more information and registration, please access the link below: https://www.worldaquacultureconference.com/

International Aquaculture Conference: Salt- and Freshwater Aquaculture in Europe – Sustainable Seafood for the Future

The International Organisation for the Development of Fisheries and Aquaculture in Europe (Eurofish) is organising an international aquaculture conference in cooperation with the National Agency for Fisheries and Aquaculture (NAFA), an institution under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Romania.

The event will take place during 23-24 May 2023 in Bucharest, Romania.

The conference will feature sessions on freshwater aquaculture, saltwater aquaculture and markets and certification, with presentations from international and local experts.

In order to attend, please register at: https://eurofish.dk/salt-and-freshwater-aquaculture-in-europe-sustainable-seafood-for-the-future/

Training Workshop on Low Impact Aquaculture Production Systems

The International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies (CIHEAM), through the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Zaragoza (CIHEAM Zaragoza), the Institute of Agrifood Research and Technology of Catalonia (IRTA), and the EU H2020-funded project NewTechAqua (New Technologies Tools and Strategies for a Sustainable, Resilient and Innovative European Aquaculture) are organizing a training workshop on low impact aquaculture production systems.

The workshop will take place at IRTA La Ràpita, Tarragona (Spain), during 27-29 June 2023 and is designed for professionals of the aquaculture industry, technical advisors and researchers, aiming to share information about results of research, recommendations, practices, and industry initiatives aiming at developing low-impact aquaculture production systems.

There are no registration fees for this workshop. Financial support covering accommodation and travel costs may be available for some candidates.

The deadline for application is 26 May 2023. More information available at the following link: https://www.newtechaqua.eu/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/NTA_Workshop_LowImpactAquaculture_fv.pdf

UPDATE: The deadline to apply has been extended until the 12th of June.

Training 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) are organizing a training session on sustainable aquaculture practices for young women from the Mediterranean and the Black Sea.

The training will take place in Greece, during 11–19 June 2023. 

The deadline for registration is 10 May 2023. In order to register, please access the following link: https://ee.kobotoolbox.org/x/XFOKvydw

Participants should meet the following criteria:

• be under 40 years of age;
• have basic knowledge on aquaculture (production, research, administration, civil society, etc.);
• have the ability to swim.

This training, which aims to bring together young women from the region in order to learn about the latest developments in aquaculture and get hands-on exposure to some of the best aquaculture practices in Greece, is the result of a collaboration between the GFCM (General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean), the Federation of European Aquaculture Producers (FEAP) and the Hellenic Aquaculture Producers Organization (HAPO).

The training will consist of:

• theoretical sessions held by aquaculture experts from the region, aiming to build a foundation of best practices, highlight the importance of the involvement of women in the sector, share success stories, and showcase the GFCM approach for the sustainable development of aquaculture;
• field visits in Greece in order to highlight Mediterranean aquaculture and different environments, species and production systems.

Genome Editing and Future Advances

AQUA-FAANG  and AQUAIMPACT are organising the joint webinar Genome editing and future advances, as a last part of a series of webinars focused on Aquaculture Genomics.The event will take place on the 11th of May 2023, at 14:00 CEST.

In order to attend the, please register at the link below:

https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIsc-GhpjsoE9z09F0-2cLHrRgvy1T-rQEj#/registration

The first webinar of the series, Using genomics now and in the future in aquaculture, took part in March 2023. In case you missed it, you can find video recordings below:

Blue Food Innovation Summit 2023

The Blue Food Innovation Summit will take place on 23-24 May 2023, in London, aiming to put blue food, sustainable aquaculture, and restorative ocean practices at the heart of the global conversation.

The event brings aquaculture industry together to discuss forward-thinking approaches to aquatic food production, including sustainable aquafeed, seaweed, fish health and welfare, and digital platforms for smallholder farmers, encouraging collaboration and partnership between stakeholders across the value-chain.

The key topics to be covered are:

• Ocean data – scaling solutions in restorative and sustainable aquaculture
• Empowering small scale farmers
• A restorative deep dive
• Aquatic health and welfare
• Expanding the horizon for RAS (recirculating aquaculture systems)
• Blue investment
• Sustainable aquafeed
• Accelerating the seafood revolution
• Unlocking blue carbon

The first annual Blue Food Innovation Summit took place last year in London, featuring in-person sessions and networking, with a live audience of 250 and a virtual streaming to a global audience of over 60 delegates online. The participants, consisting of aquaculture producers, feed specialists, technology providers, kelp farmers, investors, start-ups and retailers from 41 countries, were able to exchange ideas, share experiences and forge new partnerships to scale blue food production sustainably while protecting and restoring the oceans.

For more information and registration, please access: https://www.bluefoodinnovation.com/

Financing Opportunity: Valorisation of Aquatic Biomass Waste and Residues

Programme: Horizon Europe Framework Programme (HORIZON)

Call: Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking (HORIZON-JU-CBE-2023)

Type of action: HORIZON-JU-IA HORIZON JU Innovation Actions

Deadline date: 20 September 2023 17:00:00 Brussels time

Legal entities from Greece, Romania, Türkiye and Ukraine, among other countries, are eligible applicants.

The maximum Horizon Europe funding rate for Innovation action is 70% (except for non-profit legal entities, where a rate of up to 100% applies).

Scope:

The specific challenge consists in demonstrating and deploying the efficient operation of a full value chain based on residuals and side streams from aquaculture, fisheries and aquatic processing for valorisation into new bio-based products (food/feed ingredients, chemicals and materials), increasing the value of extracted fractions, while retaining and adding functionality and increasing the range of end applications. Additional challenge consists in guaranteeing quality of the biomass for processing, including by mobile and modular units (where relevant). Microalgae and related streams are not in scope.

Proposals under this topic should:

• Demonstrate the suitability of small scale, decentralised biorefinery concepts (that may include modular and mobile units when relevant), extracting maximum value from (all components of) the sustainably sourced bio-based feedstock to produce a variety of products in the scope of CBE JU including chemicals, bioactives, soil nutrients, as well as food and feed ingredients.
• Upscale the production technologies and deploy the complete value chain to address the hurdles and bottlenecks regarding the availability, sourcing, logistics and associated infrastructure in the targeted biomass feedstock supply systems. These could include pre-treatment aspects as necessary to preserve feedstock quality and minimise losses due to biodegradation.
• Demonstrate the selection, extraction or production of specific compounds from these residual streams into products for further value-added applications in the chemical industry, cosmetics and human or animal nutrition. Proposals may address more than one feedstock and production chain in an integrated concept.
• Include processing operations tailored to local circumstances. These operations will need to cope with availabilities, distances, qualities of the residuals and side streams, possible variations in these qualities, etc. The business case underlying the proposal must include a feasibility assessment (technological and financial) of: (i) the associated processes at the envisaged scale; and (ii) combinations with other relevant processes.

Proposals are recommended to include a task to perform an assessment based on the safe-and-sustainable-by-design (SSbD) framework, developed by the European Commission, for assessing the safety and sustainability of chemicals and materials. Under this context, proposals are recommended to also include a task to contribute with and develop recommendations that can advance further the application of the SSbD framework.

Proposals may consider making existing/new industrial assets (e.g., labs, test rigs, etc.) accessible to researchers, SMEs, etc., for visit, training and testing bio-based processes.

Proposals must apply the concept of the ‘multi-actor approach’ and ensure adequate involvement of primary producers and other relevant actors in rural/coastal areas

Applications must be submitted electronically via the Funding & Tenders Portal electronic submission system (accessible via the topic page in the Search Funding & Tenders section).

More information available at: https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/topic-details/horizon-ju-cbe-2023-iaflag-04;callCode=null;freeTextSearchKeyword=aquaculture;matchWholeText=true;typeCodes=0,1,2,8;statusCodes=31094502;programmePeriod=null;programCcm2Id=null;programDivisionCode=null;focusAreaCode=null;destinationGroup=null;missionGroup=null;geographicalZonesCode=null;programmeDivisionProspect=null;startDateLte=null;startDateGte=null;crossCuttingPriorityCode=null;cpvCode=null;performanceOfDelivery=null;sortQuery=sortStatus;orderBy=asc;onlyTenders=false;topicListKey=topicSearchTablePageState