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Members present the FEAP Award to Paul Birger Torgnes
Between May 23th and 24th, the Federation of European Aquaculture Producers (FEAP) held its 2024 Annual General Meeting in Istanbul (Türkiye). This yearly landmark event for FEAP’s member associations was a renewed opportunity to strengthen their network, bringing together over fifty delegates representing 18 countries, 20 national aquaculture associations and organizations, as well as invited experts from other networks and projects such as EATIP, EUMEPS or CTAQUA.
The Meeting was this time co-organized with the Turkish organizations Aegean Exporters’ Union, Mediterranean Export’ Union, and Istanbul Exporters’ Association. “Over these two days, no stone was left unturned to analyze and exchange knowledge, challenges and trends across FEAP’s different species commissions, EU policy works and other FEAP missions such as continuously promoting the good work and promising future of fish farming in Europe,” they said.
With addresses by FEAP President Lara Barazi Geroulanou, as well as Director General of Fisheries and Aquaculture at Turkish Ministry of Food Agriculture and Livestock Turgay Turkyilmaz, they also addressed the many challenges and difficulties faced by aquaculture and the fish farming sector.
Challenges threatening a sector on which rely so many hopes for a qualitative, sustainable and job creating food industry that will increasingly play a critical role in Europe’s food security.
Developer of fish farming in Europe
Following the FEAP General Assembly, the 2024 FEAP Award was delivered. The FEAP Award represents the recognition by the federation of the exceptional contribution, by an individual, to the development of fish farming in Europe. The recipient of the FEAP 2024 Award has been Paul Birger Torgnes, who has been involved in aquaculture since the early 80’s.
His various business activities have mainly been concentrated on salmon farming, in Norway as well as in Chile, UK and other countries. He is still active in his family-owned company, producing salmon in Norway, and has also been involved in farming of other species, such as Sea bass and Sea bream in Turkey.
With a broad experience and involvement in commercial activities in many European countries, he dedicated sincere interest to promoting and securing the interests for aquaculture in the Norwegian, European and Global aquaculture businesses for many years.
An active member in national and pan-European organizations, his career as aquaculture entities representative brought him to take several key positions such as General Secretary in The Norwegian Fish Farmers Association for eight years, Vice President and other positions in FEAP for near 15 years, President and Vice President in The International Salmon Farmers Association (ISFA) for six years, Chairman/Mayor in The Norwegian Seafood Federation for 20 years and President for The Norwegian Seafood Federation for two years.
He has undoubtedly delivered a huge endeavor on behalf of FEAP’s members and the European aquaculture activities. FEAP as organization and the European aquaculture businesses have indeed seen the value of his efforts for many years, which are well worth to be honored in this edition of the FEAP Excellence Awards.
The person selected to receive the acknowledgement was decided by the previous recipients of the award following the proposals received from national fish farming associations throughout Europe.
24 national fish farming associations
It is good to remember that the Federation of European Aquaculture Producers is an organization that represents the European fish farming profession and is based in Brussels. FEAP is composed of 24 national fish farming associations from 23 countries, both EU and non-EU. The combined yearly production of FEAP members surpasses 2.5 million tons of nutritious, safe, delicious, and environmentally sustainable fish.
