The 7th Offshore Mariculture Conference 2017 took place in Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico from March 6-10. The highly technical conference drew international leaders, innovators and academics within the field of aquaculture. As per industry professionals, the key takeaways from the conference were: the future lies in offshore; food production to meet the global demand; accessibility on any scale; minimal environmental impact; and sustainability. Shifting aquaculture offshore ticks all the right boxes in terms of efficiency and environment – but there are still barriers.

“Aquaculture must still up its game,” commented the Director General of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Department of the FAO, Árni Mathiesen, speaking via a video link to participants in Ensenada at the opening session on recent developments in the industry. “This is a modern industry and there\'s still much to learn. Sub-Saharan Africa needs more fish. Investment and capacity are needed.

The State Governor for Baja California, Francisco Vega de Lamadrid opened the conference thanking the local ministries INAPESCA, CONAPESCA, SEPESCA as well as the World Aquaculture Society for their support, and expressed the honour that Mexico feels to be the first host outside of Europe. The Governor was most excited to hear the presentations from farms in the local area who have experienced great success in the aquaculture industry, which is particularly lucrative in Ensenada.

Learn more about the Offshore Mariculture Conference Mexico