Aquaculture Europe, 27-30 September 2022, Rimini
The annual conference of the European Aquaculture Society (EAS), Aquaculture Europe this year was dedicated to the theme—innovative solutions in a changing world.
This article was featured in Eurofish Magazine 6 2022.
At the opening of the conference, Herve Migaud, who concluded his two-year term as EAS president, stated that the theme reflected the need to address the many challenges facing the sector in the coming decades. His contention was that many inland, coastal, and marine water bodies will most likely be impacted directly or indirectly by climate change e.g., sea acidification and warming, sea-level rise, coastal erosion, flooding, and other hindrances for the industry, affecting the entire supply chain—all the way down to the end consumer.
Multiple factors affect the expansion of European aquaculture
At the same time traditional and emerging blue-economy sectors, currently operating in the Adriatic, the Mediterranean, and other water bodies throughout Europe, are expected to grow and expand over the next years and to contribute to food production, biofuel and clean energy for consumers in the area and beyond. The conference via the many sessions and posters had direct or indirect focus on these issues and addressed the impact(s) of climate change, depletion of natural resources, loss of biodiversity, food security and safety, environmental pollution, and waste. Topics at the conference covered important sustainability challenges to the further expansion of European aquaculture and the ambitions of the European
Green Deal and the Farm to Fork Strategy
The day before AE2022 started, EAS organised the second RAS @EAS meeting. This event featured panel discussions on current and novel topics within the RAS sector. The next day the main conference with its meetings of European associations, satellite workshops of EU projects and other events addressed how aquaculture is preparing to face future challenges, and the solutions that need to be put in place to develop a sustainable, responsible, and productive and climate neutral European aquaculture. The AE2022 parallel sessions also comprised oral and ePoster presentations.
Products and services to make fish farming more sustainable
Over the three days of the conference more than 30 scientific sessions were held. Parallel with these, AE2022 also featured an international trade exhibition, industry forum, student sessions and activities, satellite workshops, and updates on EU research. In addition, several workshops and special events took place, including the AE2022 Industry Forum and the AE2022 Innovation Forum. Both events organised by the European Aquaculture Technology and Innovation Platform, the European Commission and EAS. More than 2,000 people attended AE2022 with more than 600 scientific abstracts, and around 170 exhibitors from within and outside the EU were present at the international AE2022 trade exhibition presenting their latest products and services. The wide range of solutions the companies offered clearly showed how focused the sector is on securing an economically, environmentally, and socially sustainable aquaculture industry.
For further information please visit: https://www.aquaeas.org/
Christian Unmack, Eurofish, christian.unmack@eurofish.dk