Spreading the fish welfare message: why conferences matter
August, 2024
In today’s digital age of webinars and online events, it's right to question the benefits of traditional conferences given the cost, time, and environmental impact of attending these events. But as FAI’s COO MURILO QUINTILIANO explains, while there’s enormous value in carrying out web-based meetings and training, meeting in person at conferences plays an important role in helping promote fish welfare and sustainability around the world.
FAI's COO Murilo Quintiliano speaking at the Global Tilapia Leaders Conference earlier this year.
As part of our Tilapia and Shrimp Welfare Projects we regularly host or attend online webinars, training events and conferences. These are useful tools as we work to improve the welfare of aquatic species, wherever they’re farmed in the world.
However, we often have team members travelling internationally to attend and deliver presentations at major conferences in the aquaculture sector. Our experience has proven these events to be very rewarding; often acting as a catalyst for significant and lasting change in the industry.
There’s something unique about bringing people together in person to discuss the big issues facing the aquaculture sector today. Conferences provide the opportunity to know individuals better and to discuss in depth what we’re trying to achieve with our aquaculture welfare projects. These direct connections and immediate feedback are necessary to ensure we maintain the correct focus and achieve the best outcomes for our welfare projects.
The recent Global Tilapia Leaders Conference held in El Salvador is a great example.
Gaining insights
The Central American event took place at the end of June and was run by leading tilapia genetics company and FAI partner, Spring Genetics . Across the two-day event, over 100 different nationalities were represented by industry and governmental decision makers. For two days there was intensive knowledge exchange and learning, sharing important insights into the impact of climate change on tilapia production, as well as genetic selection, nutrition, health, and the importance of animal welfare.
It was encouraging to see the animal nutrition companies present at the event now incorporating welfare into their product development. There were also biotechnological pharmaceutical companies, such as HIPRA, providing tilapia vaccines that include important components to promote fish welfare.
Global Peixes - one of the largest fingerling producers in Brazil and partner of FAI on implementing better welfare - was given well-deserved recognition and it was clear leaders in the tilapia hatchery sectors from other countries, such as Honduras and Bangladesh, were inspired by their work.
The Importance of Collaboration: sharing expertise and building partnerships
We’re advocating for change in the way aquatic species are reared on farms to improve their welfare status. But we know change can’t be achieved working in isolation and that’s why events like the Global Tilapia Leaders Conference are so important.
This event provided us with a unique opportunity to engage directly with industry leaders and demonstrate our science-based approach to fish welfare. Not only did we have the chance to provide attendees with a detailed overview of our Tilapia Welfare Project, but we also delivered an in-person presentation on practical applications of our welfare frameworks and Tilapia Welfare App.
Activities like these cultivate a deeper understanding of the benefits of improved fish welfare and demonstrate welfare relates directly to better production, higher product value and better market opportunities.
We need the decision makers within the tilapia supply chain to incorporate welfare into their businesses and action plans, so it’s vital we foster closer professional relationships with CEOs, directors and policy makers – all the people we met at the Global Tilapia Leaders Conference.
The broader impact
The El Salvador event was a timely reminder tilapia has a very important role in sustaining food security in many nations. But to support the sector, knowledge transfer and access to training resources is crucial. Best practice needs to be accessible to all, not just those who can pay for advice.
We’ll continue to leverage the power of conferences to spread the message of improved tilapia welfare and by bringing together diverse groups of stakeholders, we can drive meaningful change and enhance the welfare of farmed fish worldwide.
If you’d like us to be part of your next aquaculture conference, please contact us via: info@faifarms.com