Next Generation Aquaculture

Conveners: Dina Zilberg, BGU, and Uri Yogev, National Center for Mariculture (NCM), Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research Institute, Eilat, Israel

Food security, specifically in water scarce regions, is a local and global aim which with climate change and sustainability issues requires innovative solutions.
Many Arid regions including Africa, parts of Asia and the Middle East are presently characterized by rapid population growth and urbanization that goes hand in hand with loss of agricultural land. Hence, suitable production practices should be tailor made for the increased population density, resulting with an increasing demand for agriculture products.
Aquaculture practices have substantial potential to expand and supply the above increasing demand. In addition, aquaculture uses a significant amount of water and produces various types of effluents. When correctly handled, it can be recycled for reuse of water; energy production; and nutrients recovery for sustainable food production. In other words, waste generated in aquaculture can be managed to promote a global circular water economy and advance sustainable management practices. Moreover, production of fish can utilize treated wastewater, as done in the agricultural production. Such practice can expand the potential fish production both geographically, to urban locations, and quantitatively, by utilizing established water reservoirs and a new water source. Currently, there is an enormous need for high quality products grown next to the customer that can be grown sustainably with limited resources (i.e. water, nutrients and energy) and with minimal environmental footprint.
This session is aimed to present sustainable, next generation solutions for aquaculture production, such as (but not limited to) novel production systems, aquafeeds, use of treated wastewater and sustainable aquatic animal health approaches.