News

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

Good Practice: Gårdsfisk, Sweden

Working with a traditional farming sector, Gårdsfisk provides a diversification option for farmers and is a driver for smart and sustainable economic development in land-based areas.

EU4Algae Online Info Session on Governance, Research, Business and Awareness

An EU4Algae Info Session on Governance, Research, Business and Awareness will take place online, on 20 September 2024 from 10:00 to 13:00 CEST. The EU4Algae project is a collaborative stakeholder´s forum aiming to promote the development of a regenerative algae industry in Europe.

The purpose of the event is to update stakeholders on the project’s progress, disseminate insights from different working groups (WGs) and get feedback on the challenges and priorities that have been identified. The online event includes a plenary session featuring a status update from DG MARE as well as break-out sessions centered around key aspects of the Algae Initiative: governance, research, business, and awareness.

The target audience of this info session includes:

• EU4Algae project members and working group participants;
• Representatives from DG MARE and other relevant EU bodies;
• Industry stakeholders from the algae sector.

In order to find out more or register to the event, please access the link below:

https://www.b2match.com/e/eu4algae-online-info-session?utm_source=b2match&utm_medium=website&utm_campaign=eu4algae-online-info-session&utm_content=view

International markets for fisheries and aquaculture products

The publication GLOBEFISH highlights – International markets for fisheries and aquaculture products, by FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations), contains a detailed quarterly update on market trends for various major aquatic species, such as tuna, groundfish, small pelagics, shrimp, salmon, cephalopods, bivalves and crustacea, as well as fishmeal and fish oil. 

The second issue of 2024, with January–December 2023 statistics, is available at the link below:

https://openknowledge.fao.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/29f23554-32cc-4d4c-807a-af6b13dacc83/content

Eurofish International Conference: The Fisheries and Aquaculture Sector – Ways to a Circular Economy

Together with the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Eurofish is organising the international conference The Fisheries and Aquaculture Sector – Ways to a Circular Economy in Madrid, Spain, on 25-26 September 2024.

Circular economy is the focus of the conference and the subjects have been divided into three sessions:

• Decarbonisation of the fishing fleet, reduction of energy consumption in RAS;
• Side-and waste streams within aquaculture;
• Side-and waste streams within fisheries.

The conference will feature experts from several countries, aiming to inspire the participants with new ideas, good practices, and solutions for the future.

Participation to the event is FREE of charge. However, if you sign-up and do NOT attend the event without a notification in advance, a no-show fee of €85 will be charged.

In order to register, please access the following link:

https://eurofish.dk/spanish-conference-2024/

Global GAP Summit 2024

Global GAP Summit 2024 is taking place in Warsaw, Poland on 10–12 September, focusing on the developments, trends, and challenges in the agriculture and aquaculture sectors.

The event will consist of 3 sessions

• Session 1: Smart Farm Assurance: Exploring the New Era of Robust, Streamlined, and Future-Fit Solutions From Farm to Shelf;
• Session 2: Legislative Landscapes: Unpacking Legal Frameworks, Green Claims, Supply Chain Regulations, and Labeling in Farming Operations;
• Session 3: The Future of Farming: Applying Agriscience and Innovation in the Advancement of Safer and More Sustainable Production Practices;

and farm/retail visits.

In order to attend the event or for further information, you can access the following link: GLOBALG.A.P. SUMMIT 2024 | Shaping the future of farming together

Littoral 24: 17th European Coastal Challenge Summit

Littoral 24: 17th European Coastal Challenge Summit, organised by the Professional Association of Romanian Geographers (APGR), the Ovidius University of Constanța, the Coastal & Marine Union (EUCC), the Coastal & Marine Union Germany (EUCC-D) and the University of Bucharest, will take place between 24 – 27 September 2024, in Constanta, Romania.

The event addresses a wide range of important themes, from the effects of climate change to biodiversity preservation and sustainable development. Aquaculture will be covered under the topic of “Perspectives in support of Sustainable Blue Economy through participatory approaches and engagement with the stakeholders”.

Registration to the event and further information are available at the link below:

https://littoral24.univ-ovidius.ro/