This article was featured in Eurofish Magazine 2 2026.
A conference in the Czech Republic brought together fish farmers, administrators, political representatives, and scientists to discuss issues facing the aquaculture sector. Fish sales at Christmas and selective breeding of carp and burbot were among the topics generating the most interest.
The Czech Fish Farmers Association (CFFA) and the Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters of the University of South Bohemia (FFPW SBU) organised a conference for and with Czech fish farmers on 26 and 27 February 2026. The conference was supported by the Operational Programme Fisheries, an EU framework that supports initiatives related to fisheries management and aquaculture. Around 170 representatives from fish farming companies were invited, mainly members of the CFFA, as well as state administration employees including veterinarians, conservationists, and water managers. A four-member delegation of associated Slovak fishermen was also invited.
Veteran researcher’s contribution to aquaculture acknowledged
The programme commenced with the induction of the hydrobiologist, Dr Richard Faina—who, at the age of 80, continues to influence young generations of fishermen—into the Fisheries Hall of Honour. He spent most of his professional career at the Research Institute of Fisheries and Hydrobiology in Vodňany, and later, from the late 1990s on, worked for the ENKI organisation in Třeboň. Among his contributions to the Czech fisheries sector was the invention of a new method of carp-feed monitoring by flushing their intestines with water. He also developed procedures for fish farming in ponds with high nutrient loads and facilitated the import of improved strains of the common carp to Czechoslovakia, whose genetic composition helped overcome problems with spring viraemia (SVC).
A total of 15 speeches on various topics of interest to fish farmers were presented at the conference. The three contributions that resonated most with participants included a report on the current and future possibilities for the use of pond sediments, insights into the status and future challenges of the selection programme for common carp and burbot, and an analysis of Christmas fish sales in the Czech Republic.
Useful mingling between old and new generations of fishers
The accompanying programme included an exhibition where several companies offered various products and technologies for aquaculture. Thursday and Friday evening were dedicated to a social meeting of the fishermen’s community, accompanied by a fish buffet prepared by the FFPW SBU Fish processing plant and shop. The event also facilitated exchange between young and old fishermen, presenting an intergenerational venue for industry deliberation.
As part of the conference, a collection of extended abstracts of individual lectures was published, which is available in Czech on the CFFA website. The event was also supported by the personal participation of political representatives, among them the chairwoman of the Agricultural Committee Ing. Monika Oborná, Member of Parliament and Member of the Agricultural Committee Ing. Josef Kott, and Governor of the South Bohemian Region MVDr Matrin Kuba.
Ján Regenda, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice,
regenda@frov.jcu.cz
