Industry Events
18th International Symposium on Fish Nutrition and Feeding (ISFNF) by Professor Simon Davies, Editor, International Aquafeed It was a pleasure as a fish nutrition scientist and editor of IAF to attend the 18th symposium on fish nutrition held in Europe this time returning to the site of the 8th Symposium in 1998 where I also had six of my PhD students from Plymouth University as my large team. However, this time I had the company of a new generation linked to my role at Harper Adams University in Shropshire UK. I left from Birmingham International airport on a Friday to spend a little time to relax prior to registration on the Sunday with a reception in the evening at the excellent Aquarium de Canaria. The main conference started on Monday and ended on the Friday with a conference dinner. The venue of the symposium was the Auditorio Alfredo Kraus de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, a magnificent building situated at the end of the promenade next to some very good surfing beaches It was the most perfect setting for an intensive week but the chance to meet outside with numerous colleagues and friends to view the blue ocean and mostly fine weather. Las Palmas de Gran Canaria is the Capital city of Gran Canaria, one of the Islands of the Canary Archipelago (Spain). It accounts with more than 450,000 inhabitants and a cosmopolitan city with many tourists on vacation, enjoying the cultural life, its gastronomy and the slow pace of the old town, Vegueta. All such meetings need good sponsorship these days and the symposium was fully supported by leading and familiar names such as: DSM Evonik Aker BioMarine, Sparos, Nutria, Phileo, Adisseo Darling ingredients and NexPro, Skretting, and Biooasis Gran Canario. The symposium attracted some 500 delegates and many others from industry and commerce from local government and national legislature. The welcoming cocktail was held at the prestigious Poema del Mar aquarium on the harbour front amongst fantastic exhibits of aquatic life both freshwater and marine. The conference started by key note addresses from Dr Artemis Siolopoulos, founde rand president of the Center for Genetics, Nutrition and Health, a non-profit organisation based in Washington DC. Alex Obach, Managing Director at Skretting Aquaculture Rsearch centre in Norway, presented an overview of the new developments in fish nutrition and feed production from
an industry perspective. Dr George W. Chamberlain from the USA has immense experience in the shrimp farming sector and gave a very interesting key-note speech as a former President of the World Aquaculture Society of the global trends and overview of the contemporary aspects of aquaculture production and relationship to nutrition and feeding. The major themes of fish nutrition and feeding were covered such as nutrition and product quality, fundamental nutrition requirements, feed ingredients and technology, early nutritional interventions, nutrition and health, functional foods in agriculture. As well as the core forum of formal lectures and satellite workshops there was as the usual excellent poster sessions where both experienced academic researchers and young students were able to effectively disseminate their work. It was a pleasure to meet so many from all over the world and a large contingent making their way from Australia. I was joined by several of my previous students and my close colleague and doctoral candidate Kurt Servin from Mexico as well as Dr Alex Wan from the National University of Ireland, Galway. I was able to be associated with four poster presentations in collaboration with partners from Chile, Mexico, Nigeria and Ireland. On the Thursday evening we departed by bus to the far side of the island for the conference gala dinner at the Finca Condal Vega Grande. I returned to Birmingham in the early hours on a Ryan Air flight having made the occasion into a package holiday with hotel included! A good idea for considerable cost savings. There was also time to explore the wonderful seaside cafes, bistros, bars and local interests. The sea was warm and I did manage some early morning and late afternoon swimming sessions. It was a wonderful occasion and with so many in attendance being able to network and learn from each other and mingle with industry representations as well as the central academic mandate of this major scientific event in the fish nutritionist’s calendar. It was announced that my good friend Dr Charles Bai (IAF Editorial panel member) will host the 19th ISFNF meeting in Busan, South Korea in 2020. This will be an exotic event in SE Asia and definitely not to miss. I am booking my package holiday now! See you all there?
52 | July 2018 - International Aquafeed