GENE EDITING

/in , , /by

The webinar recordings and report are now available.

CRISPR-Cas9 is a specific gene editing methodology that allows genetic material to be altered at particular locations of the genome. This technology is fast, cheap, accurate and efficient, and provides a potential supplement to traditional breeding methods. Genome editing gained interest by the aquaculture community as it can contribute to increasing the sustainability of the sector through the production of more robust and/or sterile fish. So what exactly are the opportunities gene editing creates for aquaculture, are there any ethical concerns, and is the legislation on the verge of being more liberal when it comes to using this technique in the cultivation of food from the oceans?

EATiP Forum /  Breeders Talk Blue event,  was jointly organized EATiP and EFFAB-FABRE TP, on the potential and opportunities of Gene Editing in Aquaculture.

Various presentations from the European Commission, different scientists from renowned Institutes and private sector experts exchanged and discussed around the following topics:

  • The use of gene editing technique (like CRISPRR-Cas9) to improve the breeders toolbox linked to specific applications, such as sterility, disease resistance..
  • The link to exploring opportunities to adapt legislation
  • Search for evidence and research gaps that help understand the safety of the technique
  • Exploring the expectations of the sector and stakeholders, including concerns related to Animal Welfare

Find the report here

Watch the video

26 APRIL 2022

Agenda  (10:00 – 12:00)

Welcoming address:

  • David Bassett | EATiP and Ana Granados | EFFAB / FABRE TP 

Opening talks

  • Gene editing in Europe – a policy status, by Frank Swartenbroux | EC DG SANTE Biotechnology unit
  • Gene editing – what is it about?, by Diego Robledo | Roslin Institute

Presentations

  • Targeting sterility in fish, by Anna Wargelius | Institute of Marine Research
  • Disease resistance, by Ross Houston | Benchmark Genetics
  • Salmon lice resistance, by Tone-Kari Knutsdatter Østbye | Nofima
  • Gene editing approaches, by Alan Tinch | Center for Aquaculture Technologies

Mentimeter results

Webinar conclusions

 

AQUAEXCEL 3.0 – First E-Newsletter

/in , /by

The AQUAEXCEL3.0 project has just published its first e-newsletter containing news and highlights from the first 12 months of the project. The e-newsletter also contains information on the Transnational Access Program which is now open for applications and will remain open for the duration of the project!

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE PROJECT

 

 

AQUAEXCEL3.0 TNA calls now open

/in , , /by

The AQUAEXCEL3.0 Transnational Access (TNA) calls are now open.

Are you an Aquaculture Researcher?
Do you want to gain open, inclusive, streamlined and free access to the best Aquaculture Research Infrastructures in Europe?
The AQUAEXCEL3.0 project invites proposals from European researchers for scientific research that utilises the installations of selected participating Aquaculture Research Infrastructures. These installations are made available to the research community for Transnational Access (TNA) with the support of the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Programme.

You can apply now through the project website.

Read more.

Inaugural ‘On The Horizon’ online webinar

/in , , , , /by

 

This event was the first in a series aiming to disseminate specific aquaculture project outputs from the EU Horizon Framework programmes and demonstrating support for key objectives including the Strategic Guidelines for competitive and sustainable aquaculture in the EU, the Blue Economy, the European Green Deal and Farm 2 Fork Strategies.

The forum was organised online on the 29th of September 2021 with the support of the Federation of European Aquaculture Producers.

WATCH THE VIDEOS

Watch recording

If you are interested in taking part in a future “On the Horizon” project dissemination event then please contact the EATiP secretariat giving your name, organisation and a link to your project*.

Please find below all the presentations in pdf or watch the recordings.


29 September 2021

Agenda (10:00 – 12:00)

Welcome by the EATIP General Secretary, Mr. David Bassett

Introduction by the FEAP President, Mrs. Lara Barazi

 

Virtual Aquaculture Laboratory for optimizing experiments with fish and water treatment setups.
Finn Olav Bjørnson | SINTEF Ocean

 

Dietary effects on growth, survival and behavioural responses in lumpfish (Cyclopterus lumpus L.) larvae.
Ibon García Gallego | ULPGC

 

Potential of novel and circular based economy raw materials as main ingredients in salmon diets.
Katerina Kousoulaki | NOFIMA

 

Improving resource efficiency and disease resistance of farmed fish by selective breeding.
Antti Kause | Luke – Natural Resources Institute Finland

 

Genetic breeding approach to increase efficiency, reduction, and sustainability.
Julianna Kobolak | Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences (MATE)

 

Parasite management using data.
Björgólfur Hávarðsson | The Seafood Innovation Cluster Norway

 

Mentimeter results

Webinar conclusions

 

*As we develop the service, priority will be given to EATiP members and organisations linked to our Mirror Platforms (MIPs) and associates but we welcome expressions of interest from all within the aquaculture value chain.

Discover now the new video produced by the EU project NEWTECHAQUA

/in , /by

Europeans consume about 13 million tonnes of seafood each year. But less than 30 percent comes from the EU – the rest is imported.

Expansion and diversification of Europe’s aquaculture is therefore vital for our food security. NewTechAqua pursues a comprehensive approach to increase production while reducing the pressure on the environment.

The main outcomes of the NewTechAqua project will be pitched during our inaugural ‘On The Horizon‘ webinar, to be held on the 29th of September 2021 (10:00 – 12:00 CEST). Register now !

 

AQUAEXCEL 3.0 – EATiP role : disseminating Knowledge Outputs

/in , , /by

The second IRAP (Industry & Research Advisory Panel) meeting was successfully held on the 29th June 2021 where industry relevant projects’ outputs were further discussed by our experts.

AQUAEXCEL3.0 is a research infrastructure project funded under the European Union’s Framework Programme for Research and Innovation, Horizon 2020, grant agreement number 871108. AQUAEXCEL3.0 aims to further boost the European aquaculture sector by, among other methods, expanding the Transnational Access programme to support even more external research teams collaborating with its high-quality facilities, providing free training courses on the latest topics and engaging closely with industry to ensure that research is aligned with industry needs.

Similar to the previous AQUAEXCEL (FP7, 2011-2015) and AQUAEXCEL2020 (H2020, 2015-2020) projects, one of the key aspects of AQUAEXCEL3.0 is to provide subsidised access to its top-class aquaculture facilities as well as numerous highly pertinent services for researchers from academia and industry. AQUAEXCEL3.0 will also provide training for transnational access users, aquaculture researchers, technical staff and industry stakeholders.

EATiP is managing the AQUAEXCEL3.0 Industry & Research Advisory Panel (IRAP), an interactive advisory body that contributes both to upstream guidance (e.g. industry need recommendations) as well as to downstream impact/dissemination as it aims at maximizing the possibilities for new knowledge to be translated into innovation, and so substantially increases the possibilities for success.

The AQUAEXCEL3.0 IRAP acts as a pro-active interface for the project involving the research community and the aquaculture industry. This strengthens industry-research relations and develops research that meets industry needs for innovation.

The first Knowledge Outputs will be disseminated on the 29 September 2021. Save the date!

Read more about the project here.

Developing sustainable aquaculture in the south Atlantic

/in , , , , , /by
All Atlantic Conference Side Event – 03 June 2021 – “Developing Sustainable Aquaculture in the south Atlantic”

EATiP, with the support of Innovation Norway and BluEcoNet, has been selected to undertake a Joint Action (JA) within the EU Horizon 2020 funded AANChOR(All Atlantic Cooperation for Ocean Research) Coordination and Support Action, considering the establishment and viability of a multi stakeholder platform for aquaculture.  The JA will use Brazil as a case study, but with the clear intention for  application to other south Atlantic nations, including South Africa.  This JA has been selected in part to complement European Union objectives with regard to Belém Statement partners and additional accords with Argentina and Cape Verde.   The JA seeks to scope the potential for self-sustaining Atlantic aquaculture multi stakeholder platform(s) in the development of national or regional Strategic Research & Innovation agenda for sustainable industry development.

By way of introducing and launching the Joint Action, EATiP is collaborating in a side event at the forthcoming All Atlantic Conference with two other Horizon 2020 aquaculture projects focusing on Atlantic aquaculture: ASTRAL and AquaVitae.

EATiP, collaborating with ASTRAL & AquaVitae to address sustainable aquaculture in the south Atlantic

ASTRAL focuses on integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA) farming, aiming to define, support, and promote this type of sustainable aquaculture production across the Atlantic area.

AquaVitae aims to increase aquaculture production in and around the Atlantic Ocean by developing new species, processes and products, focusing on low trophic species.

During this side event we will be considering what are the challenges and opportunities in trans-Atlantic research collaboration and the development of a sustainable Atlantic aquaculture industry.  AquaVitae and Astral will share experiences and best practices based on their research toward more sustainable aquaculture activities in the Belém Statement areas. Both projects will offer examples and opportunities of innovation, stakeholder participation, social awareness, and capacity building.
The event aims to bring together representatives from research institutions, industry as well as policymakers to respond to the challenges of the Mission Starfish 2030, EU Blue growth strategy and UN’s SDGs and to complement the other themes under consideration at the All Atlantic Conference.

To register for the side event, please click on this link.

Practical Details:

  • 03 June 2021
  • 13:30 – 15:30 CET
  • Registration Required – see link above.

New Year New Roles

/in , , /by

We are delighted to announce that further to a reorganisation of our resources during the autumn, David Bassett has joined the EATiP team in the capacity as Senior Adviser.

Familiar to many EATiP members through our General Assembly meetings, since 2017 David has been working with EATiP as the project manager for the EU Horizon 2020 funded EURASTiP international support action (www.eurastip.eu) working on the development of multi stakeholder platforms for the aquaculture sector in south east Asia and their scope for increased interaction with European stakeholders.  With this project now entering the final stages of reporting, it is an excellent opportunity for David to take on leading other initiatives on behalf of EATiP, including strategy and policy work.

David has worked in the aquaculture sector since 2005, spending a decade as the Chief Executive of a UK aquaculture producers association.  It is through this role that he first became active in European aquaculture, working closely with FEAP (www.feap.info)  where he followed a number of EU FP6 & FP7 projects as an industry representative in addition to participating in meetings of the European Commission ACFA Working Group 2.

David Bassett: looking forward to driving the aquaculture innovation agenda forward with EATiP.

Through this collaboration with FEAP, David was also engaged in the early stages of the planning and development of both EATiP and the Aquainnova project.

For 9 years David acted as a director of the Scottish Aquaculture Research Forum (which has now been replaced by Scottish Aquaculture & Innovation Centre (www.scottishaquaculture.com) , an EATiP Mirror Platform) and also acted as the Company Secretary of an industry owned and managed quality certification scheme.  He worked on the steering committee of the WWF Aquaculture Dialogues (Rainbow Trout), sat on the Technical Advisory Group of the ASC during the transition stage of the dialogues to Standards and has served as an industry representative on the management committee of the Institute of Aquaculture, University of Stirling (UK).

David is currently based in Edinburgh (UK) but has travelled extensively on project work addressing  both European and south east Asian aquaculture production.  He has a personal interest in history and international relations having studied in those fields and looks forward to a time when, in addition to working online, we are able to travel, network and learn in person again!

BIOGEARS PROJECT

/in /by

Dear Aquaculture stakeholders,

BIOGEARS project kindly asks for your input and views for the potential implementation of biobased ropes in the European aquaculture sector.

BIOGEARS is an EASME EMFF funded project, under the Call Topic: EMFF-01-2018 Blue Labs: innovative solutions for maritime challenges. BIOGEARS aims to provide the European aquaculture sector with biobased, biodegradable ropes that are durable, marketable and fit-for-purpose, and hence have a highly reduced carbon footprint along the whole value chain.

As a stakeholder, you are invited to contribute to the consultation and by doing so you are having your say on the implementation and opportunities for eco-friendly alternatives to conventional (non-biodegradable) aquaculture gears to be used in the aquaculture sector. This consultation should take no more than 10 minutes.

To answer the consultation in English, click here

To answer the consultation in Spanish, click here

For more information on the project, please visit: www.biogears.com, find us on Twitter or LinkedIn and subscribe to news

Or contact BIOGEARS: Project Coordinator Leire Arantzamendi (larantzamendi@azti.es) or Communication Contact Jane Maher (jane@intrigo.eu).

Please note all data provided in the consultation will be handled in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) (EU 2016/679). The results of the consultation will be presented anonymously.

Thanks in advance for your contribution to the BIOGEARS project!