The Aquaculture Europe 2003 international conference, to be held in Trondheim, Norway, from August 8-12 and organised by the European Aquaculture Society (EAS) in co-operation with the Nor-Fishing Foundation, will address key questions for future aquaculture development.

The industry at present is largely based on the ‘one species, one site’ principle and this has provided a platform for considerable production growth. However, consumers in some countries are not necessarily aware of the efforts of producers to control fully the quality of their finished product and limit any potential environmental impact.

The conference theme, “Beyond Monoculture”, will focus on the current research status and industrial applications of various ‘integrated’ or ‘multispecies’ aquaculture technologies, in both seawater and freshwater environments and in intensive or extensive land-based, coastal and offshore systems. One example of this is the critical role played by algae in absorbing excess nutrients from finfish culture and providing a valuable ‘by-product’ for direct marketing or for use in the production of other species. But there are many others.
Furthermore the conference will address new research and updated knowledge on general aquaculture topics.

The conference will be followed by a one-day workshop "Mussel Farming Technologies and Development" (August 12) focussing on the present status of mussel farming technologies, in particular related to the development of the industry in Norway.

Much more information on the key questions to be addressed, as well as more practical details concerning the meeting may be found at www.easonline.org – please then click on the conference logo. Contributions of research in the areas to be addressed are welcomed, as well as those on ‘monoculture’ aquaculture. The relevant forms can be downloaded from the above link.

Aquaculture Europe 2003 will be held just prior to the Aqua Nor exhibition – the largest aquaculture exhibition in the world – and at the same time as the second session of the FAO COFI sub-committee on aquaculture.

More at www.easonline.org or ae2003@aquaculture.cc or by fax to +32 59 32 10 05.