The Palazzo dei Congressi di Rimini (Palacongressi), in Italy, will host the Aquaculture Europe 2022, the conference of the European Aquaculture Society 2022 (AE2022) from September 27 to 30. The 2021 edition took place recently on the island of Madeira with more than 1400 participants from 57 countries.
“Over the three days of the congress, explained Fabio De Santis, Event & Conference Director of Italian Exhibition Group (IEG), more than 1500 professionals, breeders, researchers, consultants, students and industrialists from the world of aquaculture from all over Europe are expected”. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) will also participate, thanks to Alessandro Lovatelli, its regional responsible for fisheries and aquaculture, as conference chair.
How aquaculture is facing these all its challenges, and the solutions put in place to develop a sustainable, responsible, and productive and climate neutral European aquaculture sector for key marine and freshwater fish, shellfish and algal species are the main themes for AE2022 event in Rimini.
The issues of compatibility and mutual synergy between the users of marine, brackish and freshwater resources, and their relationship with the quality of those ecosystems are central in promoting the sustainable development of the blue economy and aquaculture and will also be topics of this conference.
Other matters of interest will be climate change, depletion of natural resources, loss of biodiversity, food security and safety, environmental pollution and waste represent important sustainability challenges for further expansion of European aquaculture and the ambition of the European Green Deal and the Farm to Fork Strategy.
“The organizers consider that it will be necessary for the sector to address these externalities, but also focus on the way in which they chose, use and re-use resources, as move towards a circular blue economy.“
The AE2022 parallel sessions will cover the full scope of European aquaculture and will comprise submitted oral and ePoster presentations. AE2022 will also feature an international trade exhibition, industry forum, student sessions and activities, satellite workshops and updates on European Union research.
2021 in Madeira
On the other hand, Aquaculture Europe 2021 (AE2021) was held recently on the island of Madeira, in Portugal. Aquaculture has a clear place in securing food production in Europe and the theme of the event, ‘Oceans of Opportunities’ underlined the significant potential for development and investment if given the political and social licence to expand and develop, accompanied by public awareness and acceptance of its role.
AE2021 was attended by more than 1400 participants from 57 countries. The trade show allowed 80 companies to present their products and services to the sector and included a special pavilion of Portuguese companies presented by the Ministry of the Sea, Ricardo Serrão Santos. 943 abstracts were submitted for conference presentations and 560 of these were presented orally in the 39 conference sessions. A further 383 ePosters were presented online and on several viewing stations in the conference area. 248 students were registered and had a dedicated workshop and special events and excursions during the week.
Special sessions and workshops were also organised during AE2021, including ‘Mediterranean aquaculture integrated development’, the final workshop of the EU Horizon 2020 MedAID Project, with the collaboration of PerformFish, the EU Blue Invest Day -a forum for innovation and investment for aquaculture within the EU Green Deal- and workshops organised by the EAS Thematic Group on Percid Fish Culture, the Mediterranean Aquaculture Product Environmental Footprint Stakeholders event and the HiSea demonstration of high-resolution water quality data services.
“It should be noted that the opening plenary was delivered (by video) by Shakuntala Thilsted, Value Chains & Nutrition Research Leader of WorldFish, from Malaysia.“
Her ranging overview of the ‘Diversification of aquatic food systems: Oceans of Opportunity for nourishing nations’ framed the importance of aquaculture for nutrition, health and livelihoods throughout the world, with key messages for stakeholders in general and especially policy makers and legislators.
Shakuntala was awarded the 2021 World Food Prize for her ground-breaking research, critical insights, and landmark innovations in developing holistic, nutrition-sensitive approaches to aquatic food systems, including aquaculture and capture fisheries and more recently the 2021 Arrell Global Food Innovation Award from the University of Guelph’s Arrell Food Institute (AFI) award program.
