WERE YOU IN VIENNA?

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Our EATiP booth #39 was a great success with lots of visits from many colleagues from all over.

 

Information was given about our project work including:

    • Providing technical input to The EC Aquaculture Assistance Mechanism
    • The AQUAEXCEL 3.0 project – opening up transnational access to EU research networks
    • OLAMUR – considering marine multi use (aquaculture and wind energy) as part of the EU Mission Ocean Baltic and North Sea Lighthouse

The  EATiP / EC / EAS INNOVATION FORUM was extremely well attended on Wednesday 20 September (Programme), as well as the AQUAEXEL3.0 networking drink following the event.

MORE PICTURES

 

Introducing our new EATiP President!

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We are delighted to report that further to the announcement at the General Assembly that after a remarkable 14 years of service our founding President Gustavo Larrazabal was standing down, the EATiP Board has duly elected Alex Obach, Director of Innovation at Skretting, to be our President for the next year.
EATiP President 2023 – 2024, Alex Obach.

Alex Obach has been the Innovation Director in Skretting since July 2021 and is the head of Skretting Aquaculture Innovation (Skretting AI).

Originally from Barcelona, he is a veterinarian with a Master in Aquaculture from the University of Girona (Spain) and a PhD in fish pathology and immunology from the University of West Brittany (France).

Alex started working at the Skretting Aquaculture Research Centre (ARC) in 1993 as a researcher, initially within fish health then as a nutritionist. From May 2007 to July 2021, he was the Managing Director of Skretting ARC (Aquaculture Research Centre), the global R&D unit of Skretting. He was also engaged as lecturer at the University of Barcelona (1995-1997), and worked as Technical Director in Marine Harvest (2004-2007).

Commenting on his election and the important role that EATiP plays in promoting strategic research and innovation needs for European Aquaculture, Alex notes, “I am convinced that innovation and technological development will be instrumental to secure the sustainable growth of the aquaculture industry and Europe, encouraged through the assistance of EATiP and the identification of strategic research and innovation priorities alongside innovation transfer,  should be a role model to promote innovation at all levels and by all the stakeholders in our industry”.

We are sure that you join with the Board and Secretariat in welcoming Alex to the position of President and we look forward to sharing future developments with you!

Annual General Meeting of the EATiP

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The EATIP AGM was successfully held in Brussels on the 14th & 15th of June 2023 at the Manos Conference Center & Hotel.

Please see below the programme of the event:

Download (PDF, 2.65MB)

The presentations are available for EATiP members on our intranet.

Lorella de la Cruz Iglesias (EC DG MARE), Gustavo Larrazábal (EATIP President), David Bassett (EATIP General Secretary)

Alexandra Neyts (EATIP)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gustavo Larrazábal, was thanked for 14 years of Presidency (2009-2023) and exceptional service to research and innovation in European Aquaculture. CONGRATULATIONS! especially since he received two weeks before the FEAP Award for Excellence in European Aquaculture.

 

Introducing Sarah Joly

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The EATiP Secretariat are delighted to be hosting an intern for the third consecutive year, continuing our tradition of taking a student from the University of Liège who is studying for a Masters in Oceanography.

This year we are delighted to welcome Sarah Joly.

Sarah will be assisting the EATiP team  on a number of project and administrative tasks and we look forward to her getting to know both our diverse projects and membership in more detail.  In a short message that Sarah provided by way of introducing herself to the EATiP Platform, we were struck with her clear understanding of the need to balance the public demand for sustainable industries with the increasingly important role of aquaculture in the provision of Blue Foods to the European market.

“I support the concept of aquaculture, the need to farm fish, shellfish and algae, but also appreciate the consumer perspective of wishing to see “sustainable” industries. In summary, I am in line with the socio-economic vision for the development of the aquaculture sector and the wider blue economy.”

Sarah Joly – 2nd Year Masters Student at the University of Liège

 

 

Although the intern position is only for one month, it looks like Sarah will be returning to the aquaculture community before too long, going on to tell us, “I was lucky enough to get an internship at EATIP. This gives me an opportunity for concrete consideration of the practical issues relating to aquaculture. This apprenticeship also gives me the opportunity to consider the range of work and opportunities in this field. This is something that I would like to pursue after my university studies have concluded.”

We look forward to working with Sarah and showing the wealth of opportunities there are in aquaculture – as demonstrated across our diverse platform membership and to demonstrate to her trends and priorities in the aquaculture research and innovation network, both in terms of industry priorities but also from the perspectives of policy considerations.   We thank our supporters and members for their welcome to Sarah over the next few weeks – let’s see what opportunities might arise!

EATiP joins the AAC

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Further to today’s special General Meeting, EATiP is delighted to have been officially welcomed as a member of the AAC – the European Aquaculture Advisory Council.  Commenting on the decision, the EATiP President, Gustavo Larrazábal, drew attention to the challenges and opportunities facing European aquaculture, noting: “the cutting edge research and innovation activities for which European aquaculture is justifiably highly regarded will be key in achieving the ambitions for European aquaculture production and realising the targets and objectives that the industry, civil society and regulators aspire to.  EATiP stand ready to lend our support to the AAC in their deliberations and to assist wherever possible through our experience, expertise and membership network, highlighting the role that technology, research and innovation may have to play and bringing strategic research and innovation priorities to the fore in considering further development for a sustainable European aquaculture sector.”

EATiP has been supportive of the establishment of the AAC from the first recommendations for such a Council to be established –  as part of the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy in 2013. For some time, EATiP has been operating as an observer at AAC and further to some internal organisational readjustments in 2021, EATiP is now able to commit sufficient staff time and resources to be able to operate as a full and active member of the AAC.

A key factor in the EATiP Boad agreeing this decision was set in the context of the adoption of the Com(2021) 236 – Communication for Strategic guidelines for a more sustainable and competitive EU aquaculture for the period 2021- 2030 and Com(2021) 240 Communication on a new approach to a sustainable blue economy in the EU transforming the EU’s Blue Economy for a Sustainable Future. Within Annex 1 of the Com(2021) 236 (strategic guidelines) a number of points are referenced to the AAC where we feel EATiP will be in a position to assist and collaborate with the AAC and with the European Commission and we look forward to working proactively and productively on this.

Areas of specific interest for EATiP with regard to the AAC and the EU Strategic Guidelines inlcude:

Section 2.4 – Increasing Knowledge and Innovation

  • Encourage aquaculture producers and other stakeholders to work together with research and innovation institutes and public authorities to find solutions to the challenges of the sustainable development of EU Aquaculture
  • Disseminate information on research and innovation projects and their results among members
  • Promote the uptake by the EU aquaculture industry of existing innovation
  • Promote in the aquaculture sector the regular training of aquaculture professionals in particular on how to incorporate innovation practices.

Section 2.3 – Ensuring social acceptance and information to the Consumer

  • Support and ensure the broad dissemination by members of the coordinated EU-wide campaign on EU aquaculture.
  • Promote the use of digitalisation tools and artificial intelligence for the traceability and transparency of aquaculture products.

    Section 2.2 – Participating in the Green Transition

  • Ensure that EU aquaculture producers are informed about relevant research and innovation to improve the environmental performance of aquaculture operations.
  • Ensure that EU aquaculture producers are informed about relevant research and innovation on animal welfare.
  • Promote the monitoring and reporting by the aquaculture industry of environmental indicators. Section 2.1 – Building Resilience and Competitiveness
  • Ensure that EU aquaculture producers are informed about relevant research and innovation on animal-health and public-health matters.
  • Encourage the use by the aquaculture sector of digital tools for increased traceability and transparency.

We identify many areas where EATiP will be able to support and assist these ambitions – not only through dissemination and communication with out membership and Mirror Platform Network, but also through inclusion of AAC activities and membership in our online thematic forum events and “On the Horizon” project dissemination service.

The mutual assistance that may be provided between two multi stakeholder organisations such as the AAC and EATiP towards the promotion of a sustainable European aquaculture is clear – and we look forward to a long and fruitful working relationship together!

EATiP Internship – 2022

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We are delighted to inform Platform members and EATiP supporters that following on from our successful trial last year, we will be hosting another intern at the EATiP office – this time during the first half of February with a second two week block scheduled for the early summer.

Estelle Bertimes is a 22 year old Belgian student, who is currently studying in her second year of a Masters in Oceanography at the University of Liège, Belgium.

Estelle Bertimes, our 2nd EATiP intern.

As part of the Master programme, students have to experience a one-month internship in an organisation linked to the broad field of oceanography. For this internship, Estelle expressed a wish to work with the EATIP to experience a different point of view with regard to oceanography and to learn how aquaculture is included in ocean science.

It is Estelle’s view that “aquaculture is the future for marine organism production and I feel it is important to learn more about it.”   A further attraction is the wide range of conferences and events with which EATiP engage (although sadly most are still online at the moment…) with Estelle adding that she is “interested in learning everything especially when it comes to biology, environment or general science topics“.

Certain tasks have been identified by the Secretariat that Estelle will be able to work on independently whilst helping us, including analysis of our EATiP Forum events and also liaison work with our EATiP Mirror Platforms.  We thank members and supporters in advance for your support and willingness to engage with Estelle’s work to help the EATiP platform.

Bienvenue à bord Estelle!

New Year: New Members!

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The EATiP Platform extend to all readers our best wishes for 2022!  We look forward to a successful year full of innovation and development for our sector and stakeholders.

We begin this New Year in a very positive way by welcoming two new members to our network!  Indicative of our multi-stakeholder nature, one member comes from the aquaculture industry, the other from aquaculture academia.

Ace Aquatec is an award-winning aquaculture technology company specialising in in-water electric stunners; automated waterjet bleeding; gentle contactless pumping; predator deterrents, biomass cameras and Sea Lice removal systems.

Ace Aquatec – one of two new members joining EATiP in January 2022

Ace Aquatec help their customers businesses to thrive by making their operations efficient, ethical and sustainable.  With the high importance attached to aquatic animal health and welfare within European aquaculture, EATiP will certainly benefit from the knowledge and experience this company can bring.  With a head office in Dundee (Scotland, UK) Ace Aquatec were co-founded in 1999 by inventor John Ace Hopkins and investor Annette Pyne-Carter after they saw the potential technological innovation could have in accelerating the adoption of responsible fish farming practices. The company project manages global R&D projects, manufacturing at two UK factories, and co-ordinate installers and engineers worldwide. The company also has a Canadian office and distribution partners in key markets.

Ace Aquatec has grown from a family run business into a global supplier of aquaculture solutions retaining a key focus on local partnerships and personal customised solutions and we are delighted to welcome them to our network – sure in the knowledge we will value their experience and knowledge.

 

From the academic side, The University of Stavanger (Norway) represents another type of Technology Platform membership category, bringing an additional wealth of expertise to our scientific and academic membership.  The Department of Aquaculture offers a number of areas of specific knowledge and expertise, where the University is keen to collaborate with EATiP members and engage in both project and other activities. Specifically, the University seeks to engage in the areas of:

  • Offshore Fish Cage Design, Environmental Load Modelling, Recirculating Aquaculture System (RAS), Artificial Reef, Contaminant Transport, Digital Twin Modelling, Fluid Mechanics and Dynamics, Turbulence Modelling
  • Aquatic diseases, Emerging infectious diseases, Pathogen molecular biology and sequencing
  • Innovation, Seafood markets, Competitiveness and resilience in Aquaculture
  • Fish health, fish welfare, Environmental impact, Risk assessment