Towards a European Aquaculture Technology Platform

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Towards a European Aquaculture Technology
Platform

• John Stephanis
• Managing Director - Selonda S.A.
• President - FEAP

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European Aquaculture Development

• 1966
• 380,000 tons
• 113,000 tons of fish mainly freshwater
• 265,000 tons of shellfish marine
• 2005
• 2.1 million tons
• 1.3 million tons of fish mainly marine
• 760,000 tons of shellfish marine
• Substantial growth, mainly for fish, with a
  pronounced shift to marine production in the
  last 20 years

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Aquaculture on the European Continent (Source
FAO)
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Some basic facts

• Fastest growing agro-food sector in Europe
• Development based on successful RTDI
• Growth slowed down post-2000
• In EU, aquaculture provides
• 19 of the volume of fisheries
• 30 of the value of fisheries
• gt80,000 jobs in rural and coastal areas
• support to processing sector
• Offsets shift from landings/production to imports
  (now gt60 of supplies)

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Some more facts

• Fish/Seafood consumption 11-90 kg/p.year
• Seafood and Poultry ? 30-40 over 10 years
• farmed fish moved from 5 to 14
• Seafood supplies in the EU food basket
• 10-25 of protein
• 5-35 of fat
• 5-20 of the O6 O3 ratio
• At gt20 of fisheries, aquaculture provides a
  significant proportion of healthy food to the
  consumer

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Role of European Aquaculture

• The basic role of European aquaculture is to
  provide
• healthy,
• safe and
• nutritious food for the European consumer and
• to reduce the chronic imbalance between
  fisheries imports and exports
• The key challenge to the profession is to achieve
  this role within the context
  of sustainability
• Clear need for RTDI that responds to innovation
  challenges to achieve this

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Role of a Technology Platform

• Starts with the definition of research needs
• through stakeholder participation
• through debate, discussion and decision
• establishing a common vision for the future
• defining a Strategic Research Agenda
• Promotes research implementation
• through use of Community instruments
• through private/public investment

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Goals of a Technology Platform

• Enable stakeholders of relevant economic and
  societal interests to identify together the
  innovation challenges for their collective
  interests
• Develop a Strategic Research Agenda that responds
  to these challenges
• Implement the results through effective
  dissemination and technology transfer mechanisms.

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Criteria for creating a Technology Platform

• Bring the stakeholders together
• Industry must play the leading role
• Within an open and transparent process
• To obtain the support of the Commission
• With the development of a Vision document on
• Where European aquaculture will/need to be in
  10-20 years
• Identifying the technologies that need to be
  developed
• The Commission is not obliged to support such
  stakeholder initiatives
• Commitment must come from the stakeholders

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Importance of the process

• Need for commitment and active involvement of all
  stakeholders
• Assure transparency of all actions, progress and
  decisions see www.eatpnet.eu
• Establish a common Vision shared by
  stakeholders - for the future of European
  aquaculture
• Initiate reflections on the Strategic Research
  Agenda

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1st Stakeholders Meeting

• Held in Brussels on March 22, 2007, with nearly
  200 participants
• Debate on challenges for next 25 years
• Discussion on Initiative Areas
• Presentations on potential EATP Structures and
  Processes
• Creation of Interim Working Group to prepare next
  steps

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Ambitions identified

• To provide desirable products of the highest
  quality for the European consumer
• To use aquaculture processes that have minimal
  environmental impact
• High performance feeds and inputs that are safe
  and made from sustainable resources
• The technical, managerial and financial capacity
  to invest in offshore and innovative production
  facilities
• Assurance of livestock welfare, at all life
  stages
• Furnish viable diversification opportunities

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Core priorities

• The assurance of a sustainable industry
• Social, environmental and economic
• Establishing a strong relationship between
  aquaculture and the consumer
• Health, quality, traceability
• Consolidation of the role of aquaculture in
  society
• Knowledge management, skill development,
  communications, networking

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Core priorities (2)

• Each priority supported by anticipated
  developments on more specific subjects
• E.g. animal health, husbandry, nutrition
• Horizontal pillars for improvement of
• Improving technology transfer mechanisms
• Raising skills through effective training
• Communication

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Current progress

• 2nd Stakeholders Meeting planned for Brussels on
  8-9 November 2007
• Geared to
• First draft of EATP vision document prepared
• Presentation and discussion of core issues
• Structure and operations to be discussed
• Suggestions for EATP Structure
• Board of Directors
• Executive Council
• Working Groups on specific topics
• Operating Methodology
• Terms of Reference and Budgets for operation
  being developed

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Anticipated progress

• Formalisation of the EATP
• With agreed internal structures
• With agreed operational plan for 2008
• Need to agree financial requirements of EATP
• Budget
• Financing options
• Finalise Vision Document Terms of Reference
• Initiate Working Groups

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Conclusions

• All stakeholders can see the advantages of an
  operational Technology Platform
• Solid commitment is needed from participants for
  the EATP to move forward
• It isn't where you came from, it's where you're
  going that counts