Lewis Macdonald, the minister responsible for aquaculture in Scotland, is set to give a keynote address at the first Aquaculture Today conference in Edinburgh.

The minister is sure to have some interesting news for the audience of global aquaculture industry professionals, as he will be responsible for steering expected new legislation on fish farming in Scotland through the Scottish parliament in the coming months.

The minister responsible for the bulk of the UK’s aquaculture industry has been announced as the keynote speaker at Aquaculture Today, the premier aqua-farming conference.

MSP Lewis Macdonald, the Deputy Minister for Environment and Rural Development in Scotland, will give the keynote address at the opening session of the two day conference in Edinburgh on 13th April 2005.

Mr Macdonald will address the 180 plus delegates at a crucial time for the UK aquaculture industry. He will be responsible for piloting new legislation on the rapidly-developing industry through the Scottish Parliament.

In less than two decades, the amount of farmed seafood produced throughout the world will exceed production from wild caught fisheries for the first time as wild stocks decline.

The minister said: “This conference will bring together aquaculture professionals from across Scotland and beyond. Scottish Ministers recognise the importance of the fish farming and shellfish cultivation industry, especially in our most remote rural areas. The industry is worth about £500 million a year to the economy, employing up to 10,000 people either directly or in support services.

Despite the many challenges facing our aquaculture industry, at home and abroad, we remain committed to raising our competitiveness and securing the sustainable development of an industry that is vital to our rural and remoter areas. I am delighted to be participating in a conference, which takes these issues seriously”.

The 2005 conference will bring together fish farming experts from across Europe to chart a course towards a bright future for the industry.

Topics on the conference agenda include:

· Aquaculture markets

· Aquatic animal health including breeding disease resistant fish

· Ecological effects of sealice medicines

· Shellfish toxin management

· Shellfish and fin fish industry codes of practice

The conference will be chaired by Dr Malcolm Dickson, the aquaculture editor for leading professional magazines Fish Farmer and Fish Farming Today. Dr Dickson said: “Having the support of such a leading figure in Scottish rural affairs as Lewis MacDonald is a coup for Aquaculture Today, which will be the UK’s leading aquaculture conference. All our delegates will be very interested to hear of his thoughts on the future of their industry.”

The Aquaculture Today Conference takes place on 13 and 14 April 2005 at The Marriott Hotel in Edinburgh. Further information about the conference can be found at www.aquaculturetoday.co.uk or by calling 0845 241 3444.

Ends

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Notes to the Editor

Aquaculture Today is being organised by Marine Division, part of Special Publications which produces the leading trade magazines for the seafood industry.

· Production of Scottish aquaculture products is worth more than £500m a year, according to Scottish Executive figures, and now accounts for around half of all Scottish food exports.

· Aquaculture supports just under 2,000 jobs directly in Scotland, with another 4-5000 jobs partly reliant on the industry.

· 1500 jobs in the Scottish Highlands are entirely dependent on fish, shellfish and seaweed farming, with another 3,750 positions supported by the industry.

· According to estimates from the Food and Agriculture Organisation, environmental concerns surrounding marine populations in the wild means that aquaculture will become the prime source of seafood for the world’s consumers by 2020.

For more information on Mr Macdonald, please check the Scottish Executive's website at The Scottish Executive.

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Related links

• www.fishupdate.com
• Fish Farmer