PROFET - 2004

Co-ordinator: Federation of European Aquaculture Producers (FEAP)
Start: January 2003
Duration: 18 months
Funding: DG Fisheries
Partners: AquaTT and EAS (European Aquaculture Society)

The project finished in 2004

Project Concept:

The Federation of European Aquaculture Producers (FEAP) organised 5 regional PROFET workshops which formed a Europe-wide forum for debate on the RTD issues affecting professional aquaculture in Europe. Individual Workshops were organised by Member Associations of the FEAP, with the assistance of the European Aquaculture Society and AquaTT. PROFET was supported by DG FISH of the European Commission as an Accompanying Measure to the Common Fisheries Policy.

With the advent of the 6th Framework RTD Programme, the European Commission's Strategy for Aquaculture and the Reform of the Common Fisheries Policy, PROFET was devised as a means to identify a clear focus on the RTD requirements of the European fish farming sector. The workshops were free entry so as to allow the whole aquaculture sector to have its say - representatives of the production sector (owners, managers, technicians) as well as the academic research sector, thematic network operators and public administrators.

Participants could give their opinion on a range of topics that affect European aquaculture, such as the Common Fisheries Policy, Sustainability, Food Safety, Fish Health
To identify the research needs on rearing technology, nutrition, diseases, new species, management, socio-economics, environment
To understand better what the existing European networks are providing: e.g. the Aquaflow Thematic Network for the dissemination of EU research results (www.aquaflow.org ) and AquaTNet (a Socrates Network) for technology transfer ( www.aquatt.ie ).

Workshop Topics, Dates and Locations

Freshwater Aquaculture and the Use of Water (Billund, Denmark) - 26th and 27th April 2003
Warm Water Marine Aquaculture (Athens, Greece) - 30th and 31st May 2003
Hatchery Technologies (Bordeaux, France) - 16th and 17th January 2004
Inland Fisheries and Freshwater Aquaculture (Budapest, Hungary) - 20th -21st February 2004
Coldwater Marine Aquaculture (Dublin, Ireland) - 16th and 17th April 2004

Workshop Targets:

To be producer-oriented, identifying research and technology needs for species, topics or geographic regions
To provide guidelines, from the European professional aquaculture sector, as to the desired direction of European RTD policy and promote the opportunities for sustainable networking.
To familiarise the producers with the activities of the networks, EU RTD policies and trends and RTD support mechanisms (particularly those concerning SMEs (Small and Medium-size Enterprises)
To contribute to the creation of new inter-professional contacts

All of the workshops will be trans-national and will promote pan-European cooperation, not only at the professional level but also through the existing European networks of Aquaflow and AquaTNet, where the network representatives will demonstrate their activities and results and strengthen their international contacts.

The final summary workshop for presentation of the conclusions and recommendations of the PROFET Workshop initiative took place in the Commission in Brussels on 24th June 2004. A publication of the recommendations and outcomes of the series of events is currently available (contact details below).

Further Information:

Contact details for further information:
Federation of European Aquaculture Producers
Rue Nicolas Fossoul 54
B-4100 Boncelles
Belgium
Tel: +32 4 338 2995
Fax +32 4 337 9846
Email secretariat@feap.info