Event: Offshore Mariculture: FAO confirm keynote speaker

Alessandro Lovatelli, Aquaculture Officer, Aquaculture Management and Conservation Service (FIRA), Fisheries and Aquaculture Department, FAO of the UN will give a keynote speech entitled ‘Moving further offshore: FAO’s perspective on technical, environmental and policy implications’ at the forthcoming  Offshore Mariculture Conference in Izmir, Turkey. 

The Conference will be chaired by Neil Sims, Kampachi Farms, and the full conference programme is now available to view online at www.offshoremariculture.com.  The Conference will bring fish farmers, research organisations, suppliers and industry associations together to network, discuss topical issues and exchange information and ideas on the business of offshore fish farming.

Papers at the conference will include:

• Sustainable planning and development of cage farming and shellfish farming

• Development and integration of new species

• Feed for high energy cages

• Development and integration of: wind energy projects, mariculture of seaweeds, open ocean   culture of macroalgae

• Latest developments in cages and netting

• Turkish offshore aquaculture: planning, execution and success stories

The specific focus on Turkey is expected to attract Government officials from farming nations looking to learn how they can adapt Turkey’s successful spatial planning policy into their own Ministries of Fisheries/Environment and Tourism. In addition international farming companies and suppliers looking to enter and/or invest in the Turkish market are expected to attend. The Conference is supported by the Republic of Turkey Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock, the Central Union of Turkish Aquaculture Producers as well as the European Aquaculture Society, the European Technology and Innovation Platform, the Global Aquaculture Alliance and the Federation of European Aquaculture Producers.

The 4th Offshore Mariculture Conference will be held in Izmir, Turkey on 17-19 October 2012 and following two days of technical presentations and discussion, delegates will also have the opportunity to visit an offshore fish farm.  The early bird delegate rate is available until 30 July 2012 and delegate places can either be booked online or by calling +44 (0) 1329 825335.