Organised in Brussels on the 29th of November, this event travelled through time from the Federation’s creation in 1968 to  the present day and provided a glimpse of the potential future for European aquaculture.

The global challenge of being able to feed a growing population with sustainably-produced healthy and nutritious food is supported fully by the European fish farming sector, who signed a new Vision and Mission Statement at the conference.

Bernhard Friess, Director of the Blue Economy in the DG for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, introduced  a video message from Commissioner Karmenu Vella who brought a bright message for the sector: “In Europe, we are already world leaders on sustainable fish production.We should continue to build on this. Through further research & innovation. By encouraging investment.”

FEAP President Marco Gilmozzi introduced the Vision of the FEAP for the future of European aquaculture, followed by a review of the Federation’s history and its added-value for the sector, presented by FEAP General Secretary, Courtney Hough.

In the “Present” Session, prominent European fish farmers covered the current challenges and the immediate future of the sector covering the contribution of fish farming to jobs and the economy in rural and coastal areas, providing food of high quality, the approach to sustainability, contributions from innovation and the need for better communication on what the sector does.  

The FEAP provided a new infographic document on how aquaculture works and a short video reflecting this aspect:

In the “Future” Session, focus was given to research and innovation potential in different areas, including selective breeding, equipment and feed formulation.

The event was rich in colour and depth, covering the history of the activity but also looking closely at the future of the aquaculture sector in Europe.  A great example was given by Piotr Wingaard and Camilla Solheim Norre, two representatives of YoungFish, a non-profitnetworking organisation for young people working within the seafood industry in Norway.  The FEAP will be looking to expand this approach throughout Europe in the near future.

The event gathered over 120 participants from all over Europe and finished with a tasting of European aquaculture products.

All information – photos,  presentations and videos made for this conference are available at

/news/feap-50th-anniversary

FEAP wishes to thank Skretting and AllerAqua for sponsoring this special event.

About FEAP

Our European Federation was created in 1968 by 4 trout farming associations, expanding through the years by following the
development of European fish farming.  lt became the Federation of European Aquaculture Producers in 1994 and is recognised as the united voice of aquaculture by the European authorities, by being an active member of the Advisory Committees that address aquaculture and its value-chain.

Contact

Please contact Officer Maurine Toussaint, our Communication Officer, for any further information:

T: +32 499 90 13 78

E : maurine@feap.info

On opening the panel, Goycoolea stated that “If we ask the tough questions and engage our stakeholders, we can ensure the future of this vital industry. Marine ingredients are a reliable, stable and vital food source with potential growth through by-products. Let us be proud of what we do and the industry that we have”.

The overall message from the discussions is that the industry plays a key role in global food security but to continue to prosper the industry needs to adapt and remain innovative, while continuing to increase responsible and sustainable practices.  Mathiesen called the industry to “tell your story honestly, act sustainably and responsibly to remain mainstream, if you help meet the global food challenge then you will be respected, and if you do this in an innovative way then you will be admired.  As an industry you have adapted your products to ensure the success of the aquaculture industry, but as resources continue to become scarcer, more innovation will be needed.  There are huge opportunities in producing further new marine ingredients from our oceans, your future is in your hands, be true to your name.”  Chamberlain echoed Mathiesen by stating that “marine ingredients are the gold standard but supply needs to increase through by-products and the development of new innovative sources.” 

The closing presentation of the first day was by Paolo Caricato, the Deputy Head of Unit, Health & Food Safety Directorate General for The European Commission.  IFFO invited Caricato to the conference to give further clarification on the requirements under EU regulations for the importation of fish oil for human consumption into the EU, a topic which has featured heavily in the public domain and created some confusion.

The event is being attended by around 440 delegates joining from a record 45 countries.  The sponsors for this event include Intertek, Haarslev, Dupps, SGS, Blueline Foods, Coland and Teampower.  A full summary of the proceedings will be published daily on the IFFO Blog.