18 June 2012 AQUA 2012: Science responds to industry needs As with all the events organised by the European and World Aquaculture Societies, our AQUA 2012 event in Prague in September will focus on how science plays a fundamental role in the development of the global aquaculture industry. The AQUA 2012 theme, Global Aquaculture: Securing Our Future, has obvious implications in global and regional food security and aquaculture trade, placing aquaculture products in the global fisheries market. It also refers to economic and environmental sustainability and the image of aquaculture activities. As the latest AQUA 2012 advertisement depicts, the event will be a truly global one, including technical sessions that cover farmed fish, shellfish, algal and crustacean species from all climatic zones and all continents. Exhibitors from around the world will therefore be present in the AQUA 2012 trade exhibition to display their latest products and services to the sector and several special events are being organised to facilitate communication between stakeholders – and especially between science and industry – through the Farmers’ Days and through other special and additional events, such as those described below. European Percid Fish Culture Workshop The EAS thematic group on the culture of pike-perch, perch and other species of the family percidae for human consumption, stocking and conservation (European Percid Fish Culture – EPFC) will organise a workshop on September 1st, during the set-up and registration day of the AQUA 2012. The tentative workshop schedule features a keynote presentation (to be announced) and three thematic sessions on broodstock management and fingerling production; on-growing and nutrition and marketing and training. In each thematic session, a selection of short presentations from industry and research representatives will give an overview of the current status and will pave the floor for a panel discussion. The workshop will: • establish a network of farmers and companies involved in percid fish production and related industries (processing, marketing, and others), scientists conducting research on percid species (applied and fundamental), and policy representatives and NGOs with a defined interest in percid aquaculture, • highlight the latest findings from percid aquaculture research, • give farmers and companies the opportunity to steer research by pointing out deficits in current knowledge and to kick off a dialogue between stakeholders, • identify the need for future training and education programs for percid aquaculture practitioners, • provide an easily accessible forum for the exchange of knowledge, ideas, materials, contacts, and much more, driven by the participants’ needs and interests, and • send a strong signal to policy makers and research funders, underlining the fact that there is an economical future in European percid culture, so there is need for research and development to generate innovation and investment in the sector. The workshop outcomes will be published in the EAS “Aquaculture Europe” magazine. Aquaculture Technology and Markets Farmers’ Day The first of the AQUA 2012 Farmers’ Days will take place on Sunday, September 2nd and will focus on technology developments and market strategies. After general introductions on each of these broad topics, specific species presentations and discussions will focus on marine fish, molluscs, shrimp and tilapia.
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