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Regional fisheries and aquaculture conference, 26 October 2022, Vilnius
by Eurofish
Rapid change a source of opportunities for sector
Eurofish International Organization in collaboration with the Lithuanian Ministry of Agriculture and with support from the National Association of Aquaculture and Fish Products Producers in Lithuania organized the international fisheries and aquaculture conference “Opportunities in a rapidly changing world “. The event was attended by 120 participants from 27 countries.
The conference focused on the opportunities and challenges faced by the fi shery and aquaculture sector in diff erent European sea basins, the Baltic and Mediterranean Seas and the North Atlantic Ocean. During the four sessions, climate and markets, fi sheries, aquaculture, and predatory species, speakers discussed how changes in environmental, economic, and commercial conditions also offered opportunities to the sector.
Sustainability cannot be underestimated
Among the speakers, Marcio Castro de Souza from the FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Division showed the latest trends and forecasts for global markets about marine animal products and the related trade fl ows among countries. He also presented the potential opportunities currently available in the production, market, and demand sections of the value chain. Th roughout the conference sustainability was a recurring theme. Christian Unmack from Eurofi sh focused his presentation on consumer perception of “sustainable” aquaculture products in selected western markets. In the fi sheries section, Loreta Brazinskaite from the Lithuanian Ministry of Agriculture presented the structure and diversity of the fi shery sector in Lithuania providing data on the catch, fl eet capacity, volume of farmed products, production and processing, and concluded with an overview of the sector’s future plans.
In the aquaculture session, Jacob Bregnballe from Akva Group, a Norwegian manufacturer of aquaculture equipment, presented the recently published third edition of the guide to recirculation aquaculture produced in collaboration with FAO and Eurofi sh, and which he had authored. A copy of the guide was also distributed to all participants. His intervention was followed by a case study from the company Akvapona about the production of African catfi sh using RAS. Th e case was presented by Vladas Vickunas from the company who showed how an idea was turned into a successful business.
Invasive species should be closely monitored
In the session on predatory species, Ernesto Azzurro from Università Politecnica delle Marche and Jane Behrens from the National Institute of Aquatic Resources, Technical University of Denmark talked about the impacts of invasive species respectively in the Mediterranean and Baltic Sea. Both speakers discussed the importance of monitoring the species and the challenge of converting them into a valuable resource. A suggestion that was easy to remember was “If you can’t beat them, eat them!” Finally, Antanas Kontautas from the Marine Research Institute of Klaipeda University analysed the impact that cormorant populations have on aquaculture production in Lithuania and suggested ways of monitoring them and controlling the population size.
On the second day, participants were taken on a fi eld trip to Vasaknos, a local fi sh farm. Th e visit was organised by Eurofi sh in collaboration with the National Association of Aquaculture and Fish Products Producers in Lithuania. Vasaknos focuses on farming fi ve fi sh species carp, pike, grass carp, trout, and sturgeon that are reared in ponds and pools both in closed and open environments. Total yearly production is around 500 tonnes. During the visit participants had the opportunity to ask questions about the processes conducted on the farm, the company’s markets, and the impact of spiralling energy prices. At the end of the visit the participants were invited to taste a selection of smoked and marinated fi sh products prepared by the Vasaknos group and other local producers.
