This article was featured in Eurofish Magazine 6 2025.
Aquaculture Europe 2025 took place in Palacio de Congresos de Valencia, Spain, from 22 to 25 September, bringing together the global aquaculture community under the theme “Aquaculture for Everyone – Invest in Your Planet.” The event welcomed 3,115 participants from 97 countries, demonstrating the international scope of aquaculture and its critical role in global food security. Among the attendees were 381 students, highlighting the sector’s focus on fostering the next generation of aquaculture professionals, researchers, and innovators.
Over the four-day event, participants engaged with 1,254 abstracts, including 597 oral presentations and 571 e-posters. The trade show featured 155 booths representing industry players, research organisations, and startups presenting innovative technologies and services. Eurofish International Organisation coordinated a joint exhibition space with seven EU-funded projects dedicated to innovation, transparency, and sustainability in aquaculture: VeriFish, FishEUTrust Project, SAFE (SmartAqua4FuturE), EUMOFA, Mr.Goodfish 3.0, INNOAQUA, and Baltic MUPPETS
Aquaculture offers solutions to different challenges
The conference opened with a lecture by Dr Carlos Duarte, Ibn Sina Distinguished Professor at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Saudi Arabia, on “Regenerative Aquaculture to Reconcile Human and Planetary Health.”
Dr. Duarte emphasised aquaculture’s potential to simultaneously address human nutrition, economic growth, cultural heritage, and ecosystem restoration. Despite its promise, only a small fraction of research focuses on regenerative aquaculture, highlighting opportunities for innovation. Plenary 2 featured Dr Elisabetta Giuffra (INRAE, Paris-Saclay University, AgroParisTech), who showed how functional genomics drives advances in breeding, health, and resilience in aquatic species, while shaping future research priorities and improving production efficiency, animal welfare, and sustainability. Plenary 3 included Joan Riera (Kantar Worldpanel) whose analysis of Eurobarometer data revealed declining seafood consumption across Europe, with Spain as a notable exception. Causes include inflation, convenience preferences, and changing dietary patterns. He suggested older consumers and families with older children may drive future demand, offering growth potential for the sector.
Student engagement and hackathon
Student participation remained central to AE2025. The Student Hackathon on September 24 challenged students to develop solutions for real-world problems. The hackathon promoted teamwork, creativity, and innovative problem-solving that resulted in cash prizes for winning teams. One of the highlights of Plenary 1 was the Student Spotlight Award, celebrating the exceptional research and talent of the next generation of aquaculture professionals. From 163 abstracts submitted, three finalists were selected after pre-selection by the EAS Board and final evaluation by AE2025 programme co-chairs, Diego Mendiola, and Martin Føre.
On Thursday, 25 September, the Spanish Technological Platform for Fisheries and Aquaculture (PTEPA) welcomed 90 local primary school pupils, and with the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, and the Biodiversity Foundation, organised activities to promote scientific vocations and fish consumption. Pupils explored aquaculture and sustainability and participated in a scientific treasure hunt to meet researchers and learn about their work, inspiring future interest in aquaculture and science.
An event that ticks many boxes
AE2025 reinforced the vital role of aquaculture in global food security and its capacity to deliver sustainable and innovative solutions. It showcased the sector’s ability to meet growing demand while addressing environmental and societal challenges. The conference also demonstrated the value of student engagement, cross-sector collaboration, and research dissemination in shaping the future of aquaculture. The aquaculture community can now look forward to Aquaculture Europe 2026 in Ljubljana, Slovenia, from 29 September to 1 October 2026.
Ana Visković,
European Aquaculture Society
