This article was featured in Eurofish Magazine 4 2026.
Under the theme “Aquaculture in global change”, the conference plenary sessions will consider how food systems, including aquaculture, are being challenged by the effects of global warming. These pressures affect all forms of aquaculture, in inland waters and coastal marine areas, with small and medium-sized operators especially exposed, as they may lack the financial and operational capacity to adopt adaptation and mitigation measures. These developments may also have positive spillover effects if they, for example, create incentives to diversify into the production of new species, or to combine species whose characteristics can help mitigate these climate effects. Further opportunities exist in establishing a clear, transparent credit system for carbon sequestration and other ecosystem services provided by aquatic animal groups in freshwater and coastal habitats.
AE2026 will therefore focus on adaptation to climate impacts, the latest research into species’ adaptive capacity, and the health, welfare, nutrition, and breeding factors that support this. Although Slovenia has modest aquaculture production, it has plans to develop existing and new production methods and species. Its location in central/southern Europe, bordering Italy, Croatia, Hungary, and Austria, gives the event a regional focus for both inland and marine aquaculture. The AE2026 parallel sessions will address the full range of European aquaculture scientific disciplines and species and will include oral and poster presentations.
Special events will be organised for students attending AE2026 to support networking and the exchange of ideas. These will include a student workshop and a social reception for participating students. Students receive the full registration package, including the student reception. EAS membership is free for students. To qualify for the student rate and EAS membership, a copy of your student ID is required. The conference starts on Monday, September 28th, but to take part in the AE2026 Tours or in the Climate Action Workshop participants are recommended to arrive the day before. The arrival city could be Ljubljana or also Venice which is a 2.5-hour drive away. A selection of hotels with special rates for conference participants is available here https://aquaeas.org/_pdf/AE2026_HotelInformation.pdf. For more information about the conference, visit the website https://www.aquaeas.org/Meeting/AE2026
