Aquaculture Europe 2021
Oceans of
opportunity Meet the keynote speakers from the upcoming EA2021 conference in Funchal
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s in-person events tenta�vely resume a�er a year and a half of Covid-19 restric�ons, one of Europe’s biggest gatherings in the aquaculture sector will be taking place in Madeira next month. With the theme “Oceans of Opportunity”, the European Aquacultural Society will be presen�ng Aquaculture Europe 2021 in Funchal, Madeira, on 4–7 October. The event includes presenta�ons on the latest thinking and research in aquaculture, both in person and online by “eposters”; an interna�onal trade exhibi�on, industry forums, student sessions and ac�vi�es, and updates on research commissioned by the European Union. Last year’s event, due to be held in Cork, was first postponed to earlier this year and then switched to an en�rely online format (see report of the conference in Fish Farmer May 2021). Travel restric�ons around Europe have now eased somewhat and the organisers and the regional government in Madeira are confident that, with health measures in place, the event can take place safely this �me. The conference features presenta�ons on a wide range of topics ranging from fish welfare and nutri�on requirements to the impact of climate change and the use of ar�ficial intelligence. There will also be plenary sessions with speakers presen�ng different perspec�ves on the future of aquaculture. The plenary sessions will be presented by Dr Shakuntala Thilsted of WorldFish; Pedro Encarnação of Jerónimo Mar�ns Agri-business; and Dr Gesche Krause and Laurie Hofmann of the Alfred Wegener Ins�tute. Dr Thilsted is the Global Lead for Nutri�on and Public Health at WorldFish, an en�ty which is now part of CGIAR (the Consulta�ve Group on Interna�onal Agricultural Research). She was awarded the 2021 World Food Prize for her ground-breaking research, cri�cal insights and landmark innova�ons in developing holis�c, nutri�on-sensi�ve approaches to aqua�c food systems, including aquaculture and capture fisheries. She played a key role in the development of the WorldFish 2030 research and innova�on strategy – Aqua�c Foods for Healthy People and Planet – and she is a member of the Steering Commi�ee of the High Level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutri�on (HLPE) of the United Na�ons Commi�ee on World Food Security. She normally works a lot of the �me in Bangladesh and other countries in Asia and Africa with rich aqua�c resources but when Fish Farmer spoke to her she was at her home base in Denmark. Dr Thilsted will be speaking on “Diversifica�on of aqua�c food systems:
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Oceans of Opportunity for nourishing na�ons.” Aqua�c food systems provide food and livelihood opportuni�es to over three billion people in the world, especially in low- and middle-income countries. While the systems con�nue to grow, studies indicate that we have yet to maximise the reach of aqua�c foods and transforma�on of the systems towards being equitable and sustainable for nourishing people, na�ons and our planet. Dr Thilsted is calling for a “paradigm shi� ” in thinking to enable the op�misa�on of aqua�c foods and food systems towards fulfilling food and nutri�on security, enhance supply chains, ensure equitable access for women and youth, and improve economy and livelihoods of actors in the aqua�c food systems framework. She says: “We want to change the narra�ve from ‘feeding’ to ‘nourishing’. It’s not just about quan�ty, but about quality and quan�ty.” She also emphasises that increasing the supply of food for a growing popula�on does not only mean increasing produc�on, but also reducing waste – as much as a third of perishable food produced is wasted during produc�on, storage and transporta�on. Dr Thilsted has been working with polyculture systems in countries such as Bangladesh, Nepal and Cambodia, as well as projects in Africa, par�cularly looking at ways to improve the produc�vity and nutri�onal quality of small
Above left: Dr Shakuntala Thilsted Left: Pedro Encarnação Top right: Panoramic view over Funchal, Madeira Island, Portugal
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13/09/2021 17:58:40
