Eighteenth September EPFC kicked of EAS congress in Vienna with an interesting workshop presenting us new projects, new facts and tools for our percid fish producers. Arround 50 people gathered for this fresh injection of knowledge.
Professor Dr. Pascal Fontaine of the University of Lorraine explained us how plants in an aquaponic system can have a beneficial effect on fish health, growth and stress resistance. It all comes to biomolecules coming from the plants having a positive effect on the fish production. We are looking forward seeing more from this (hopefully approved) future interreg project.
Fabiola Mustafaj from ASC organisation came with the wonderful news that our Pikeperch production can be ASC certified in 2024. Most probably fish farmers will be able to apply for the ASC label beginning 2024. This could be a great boost for the sales of pikeperch and hopefully it pushes selling price of pikeperch in the right direction, this as getting an ASC label with your farm will come with a cost.
After the break we got to know two new Swiss companies.
First, we had Cristina Anghel Mills, Sales representative and business development of Biononous. Biononous brings on the marked the AquaSorter, a device that automatically can sort fish eggs. This AquaSorter can screen, sort and dispense eggs between 0.5 and 2mm. Today this is used in Danio Rerio production. For small commercial farmers this machine is still too expensive but for the larger players or the near future it could be economically feasible.
Second company was the company AKYmed, presented by David Nusbaumer. This company can help farmers with optimisation of fertility, the management of male's gametes (for example cryopreservation), and the promotion and safeguarding of genetic diversity in fish culture. Today they guide several aquaculture productions.
At the end Stefan Teerlinck from Inagro presented the project proposal to develop a SNP low-density panel for identifying the genetic diversity among Sander lucioperca. Though today we know this project will not be financed within the Flemish EMFAF so new opportunities need to be found.
Later that week in Vienna on 20 September we had the EPFC Core Group diner. Like each year 15 people inscribe for the dinner and during the conference the table got longer. This year we went to eat with 35 people all linked with our percid community. Perfect occasion to network and get involved in projects and other “fishy” activities 😊.
Hope you all enjoyed EAS conference and see you all back next year in Copenhagen for EAS2024.
Stefan
