Why a national conference on aquaculture?
"This is an important reoccurring venue for Swedish aquaculture and a great opportunity to gain knowledge on what is going on, discuss new ideas and network," says Hanna Carlberg, researcher at the Department of Applied Animal Science and Welfare at SLU.
"I think the conference's greatest strength is its triple helix effect. It becomes clear that many people want to move in the same direction but are working in very different ways to achieve the development goals for Swedish aquaculture. The conference is an important forum for creating consensus between stakeholders in the industry, academia and the public sector and stimulating new collaborations," says Henrik Jeuthe, CEO and research director of Vattenbrukscentrum Norr AB and external resource at the Department of Animal Biosciences at SLU.
"The National Aquaculture Conference is an important forum for understanding the current events in Swedish aquaculture from the perspective of stakeholders such as research institutions, businesses, and funding agencies. Since the various stakeholders affect and depend on one another either directly or indirectly, it is beneficial to be aware of each other’s goals and objectives and also build a working relationship which facilitates future collaborations," says Ashwath Gaudhaman, PhD student at the Department of Applied Animal Science and Welfare at SLU.
What did you appreciate most about the conference?
"The variation in the program, the wonderful food provided by the farmers, and to meet old and new friends and colleagues," says Hanna Carlberg.
"I especially appreciate the opportunity to meet and talk with old friends and colleagues as well as new acquaintances in the Swedish aquaculture industry," says Henrik Jeuthe.
"The format of the conference was good. A session in which several persons, in short, presented their work within aquaculture, and lots of opportunities to mingle and discuss them later," says Ashwath Gaudhaman.
Any take-home messages?
"I think many of us felt encouraged by the presentation regarding the investigation on regulations that have been made. This is a topic that has been discussed within Swedish aquaculture for a long time. It is nice to see that things are moving within this area," says Hanna Carlberg.
"It is inspiring to see the drive of the producers who work hard, often in an undeservingly strong headwind, to provide us Swedish consumers with first-class seafood. Partly linked to this, it also looks like the work on regulatory simplifications for the authorisation process can (actually) produce results - very positive," Henrik concludes.
"While discussing my work with some fish farmers, I realised that they also felt its importance. I also gained some useful insights on what farmers and businessmen think of salmonid feeds," says Ashwath Gaudhaman.
Read a summary of the conference and access the presentations (in Swedish).
