Health has suffered due to seafood drop, delegates told

THERE is a direct link between the decrease of seafood in the diet and the rise in mental ill health and heart disease, according to keynote speaker Dr Michael Crawford, a leading expert on human nutrition. Dr Crawford told delegates that marine lipids played a key role in brain development in evolution terms. He said the brain still depends on the same marine nutrients today for growth and development, adding that the marine food chain is by far the richest source of these.

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Consumers must come first

IT is time for the aquaculture industry to make the consumer its top priority.

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Industry must fight back, conference hears

THE aquaculture industry continues to be plagued by often ill-informed criticism despite huge advances in environmental and welfare issues, conference delegates heard today.

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Crown Estate reiterates commitment to aquaculture industry

THE Crown Estate has reiterated its commitment to Scotland’s fish farming industry. In a keynote speech to fish farmers at Aquaculture Today, The Crown Estate’s Chairman and Scottish Commissioner Ian Grant also highlighted the huge role that the industry plays in Scotland.

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Norwegian company launches salmon futures clearing

FISH Pool ASA has announced the launch of the world’s first cleared futures contracts for fresh salmon. The announcement was made by Birgitte Sorheim of FISH POOL at this week's conference. The announcement marks a new step in the fast growing seafood derivatives market.

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Donal Maguire: Offshore explained

Donal Maguire's presentation will briefly review past and current initiatives in Offshore Aquaculture Development. In the course of doing this he will draw some conclusions from those experiences and use them as examples of what has been a fruitful approach and what has not, in terms of moving the overall process along.

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Speaker Titles announced

Is our programme relevant to your business? YES! The titles of our speakers’ presentations say much about the range, importance and relevance of the issues up for discussion at Aquaculture Today. They are:

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Summary of Speaker Sessions

Reaching the Consumer

Our speakers explore the best way to court the Shellfish consumer, tackle the debate surrounding extending social license to aquaculture and air the all important focus on seafood: the brand, our industry's PR, our health message and the attitudes of consumers today.

Market Developments

An essential update on seafood markets, a world tour of salmon, a forecast of salmon prices for the coming 12 months and the effect of market developments on environmental policy making, such as the introduction on non-native species.

Fish Welfare and Environmental Issues

The latest on the Seventh Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development (FP7), the latest in fish welfare research and development, an outline of the economic, environmental and animal health benefits of fish vaccinations and a look at the adoption of environmental management systems in Scottish aquaculture.

International Initiatives

Our speakers report on the deployment of next generation ultraviolet water disinfection systems, we hear about the latest from Chile, get an update on Ireland's exciting offshore projects and hear about the positive impact that international research and development can have on alleviation of global poverty.

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Alan Stewart, Landcatch

The latest from Landcatch Chile

Alan Stewart, Business Development Director of Landcatch will deliver a presentation as part of the International Initiatives session on Thursday April 19. Mr Stewart is expected to report on developments with Landcatch Chile, the latest from the Chilean market and overseas opportunities in general.

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Donal Maguire admires tenacity of industry

International Initiatives speaker Donal Maguire has been nominated for an Aquaculture Today Fit for the Future award for his contribution to aquaculture:

“I am delighted to have been shortlisted and honoured to be in such august company as the others on the list. I look forward to hearing the announcement on the night.”

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Adoption of environmental management systems in Scottish aquaculture

A quiet step change?

Mark Taylor is an independent environmental consultant with Thistle Environmental. He has worked with many producers throughout Scotland, helping them implement environmental management systems (EMS) in accordance with the international standard ISO 14001. In the Fish Welfare and Environmental Issues Session on Thursday April 19, Mr Taylor will talk about how the industry has brought in EMS and how this has changed operational practices and business management over recent years.

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R200 DL

Environmentally safe water disinfection

Aran Lavi, Product Manager at Atlantium, an innovator in environmentally safe water disinfection systems, based in Israel, will introduce delegates to a new way of thinking about water systems, technologies and products.

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Working through the debate: extending social licence to aquaculture

Conflicting information regarding the environmental sustainability of aquaculture operations in Canada, and the safety and health benefits of aquaculture products has challenged public and consumer confidence. Fisheries and Oceans Canada has worked to improve public understanding of aquaculture and its governance, thereby contributing to the responsible development of this dynamic sector. Mark Burgham will explore the lessons learned from working at the centre of a very polarized debate.

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Karol Rzepkowski of Johnsons on Reaching the Consumer

Karol Rzepkowski is the Managing Director of Johnson Sustainable Seafoods (JSS), the Shetland-based company that produces the world’s first sustainable organic, farmed cod. Karol will address delegates in April as part of our "Reaching the Consumer" session and we look forward to hearing Karol's views on how we can engage the public with positive messages about farmed seafood.

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Salmon - The World Tour

Martin Jaffa of Callander McDowell has been somewhat outspoken on the subject of minimum import prices and is not afraid to raise what some might consider contentious issues surrounding salmon markets.

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Global Salmon Proposition

Delegates attending our conference next April will have the opportunity to hear from Birgitte Sorheim of Fish Pool, Norway, on the subject of financial salmon contracts. Ms Sorheim will touch on issues of risk management, flexibility and predictability in light of world markets and prices.

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After-dinner entertainment

John Htet Khin is a unique and highly entertaining after-dinner speaker, so we are thrilled that he has agreed to speak at the Fish Farmer Gala Awards Dinner, a highlight of the Aquaculture Today social programme. A considerable asset to what is sure to be a very enjoyable evening.

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Seafish: Markets Perspective

At last year's conference, Karen Galloway's overview of world markets was exceptionally well-received and so we are delighted to announce that Karen will again address delegates at Aquaculture Today 2007. Karen, whose impressive career in marketing for various food manufacturers spans over a decade, will offer the latest market developments from a Seafish perspective. With the recent refocusing of Seafish to concentrate on maximising returns from the industry, Karen's talk is sure to be a big draw.

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