As the World Aquaculture Adelaide 2014 (WAA14) conference enters its final day, one clear theme has emerged: the global aquaculture industry is very well-placed to grow in a sustainable and socially responsible way, and will play an increasingly important role in supporting global food security and nutrition.
Incoming President of the World Aquaculture Society Graham Mair said the global aquaculture industry has been growing in an environment of much greater social and environmental awareness compared to some of the other primary industries.
“As a result, social responsibility and sustainability are primary issues that are shaping this rapidly developing global industry,” he said.
“The conference opened with delegates being told that the world has to produce more food by the end of this century than what has been produced in total in the last 10,000 years. In fact one of our two plenary speakers, Charlie Arnot from the US-based Center for Food Integrity, told us that to meet the challenge, the industry has to embrace new models of public engagement that build and maintain the public trust and social licence to operate.”
“The fact that at least a quarter of the 80 sessions at the conference relate quite directly to sustainability and social responsibility, indicates the importance of these values across the whole industry, and that we are taking these issues seriously.”
Sessions at WAA14 that focused on these issues included: Women in Aquaculture; Biosecurity; Sustainable Development; and Aquaculture Standards and Certification.
The conference winds up tomorrow (Wednesday) following three days of intense exchanges of ideas and networking. Important sessions being featured on the last day includes:
• Salmonids, covering key issues in Australia’s largest aquaculture industry
• Development, Welfare and Poverty Alleviation - an Aquaculture without Frontiers (AwF) session sponsored by World Aquaculture Society sponsor Tyson Animal Nutrition Group
• Effective engagement in policy development
• Aquaculture in Korea, with a special group of delegates invited from Korea, under a grant for the Australia-Korea Foundation.
Associated conference activities however continue for the rest of the week. On Thursday about 50 delegates from around Australia and overseas are staying on in South Australia to travel to the Eyre Peninsula to visit oyster, abalone, Yellowtail Kingfish and Tuna aquaculture operations at Port Lincoln, Boston Bay, Arno Bay, Kellidie Bay and Coffin Bay.
The conference is the largest gathering of international aquaculture professionals to have occurred in 2014, and around 2,000 delegates have attended the event.
The Aquaculturists
This blog is maintained by The Aquaculturists staff and is supported by the magazine International Aquafeed which is published by Perendale Publishers Ltd.
No comments:
Post a Comment