The conference is organized by ICEA – Institute for Ethical and Environmental Certification

The conference will take place in Cattolica (Rimini) a nice town in the Ariatic Coast, 180 km far from Modena.

The program will enable participants to attend the conference, as well as meetings, a workshops exhibition and several other events.

Shuttles from/to Modena will be organized at the beginning and at the end of the organic aquaculture conference.

Program

Promoting Research & Sustainability is the motto characterizing the Organic Aquaculture Conference.

The IFOAM Principles of Organic Agriculture say: Agriculture is one of humankind’s most basic activities because all people need to nourish themselves daily. History, culture and community values are embedded in agriculture. The Principles ... concern the way people interact with living landscapes, relate to one another and shape the legacy of future generations. We consider organic aquaculture as one of these basic activities whose history, culture and values inspired the Principles and contributed to improving Organic Agriculture in general.

Our aim is therefore to facilitate the process of developing common positions of the organic aquaculture sector.

We consider it very important to develop specific organic aquaculture rules, which will maintain consumer trust in organic-labeled products. For this reason, we believe that it is of crucial importance to impart the most advanced scientific support to the organic standards.

Themes of the Conference

The themes of the conference are the following:

• Fish welfare

Husbandry practices, selective breeding programs, health maintenance and disease resistance, predator protection, feeding protocols, harvesting, transport, slaughtering, physical conditions, ethical considerations.

• Organic fish feeds

Nutritional requirements, sources, sustainability, local versus imported origin, alternative feeds.

• Environmental sustainability

Sustainability indicators and metrics, life-cycle analysis, footprint minimization, facility siting, wild/farm interactions, monitoring, documentation and traceability, alternative grow out schemes, energy conservation.

Program overview

Scientific Committee

1. Deborah J. Brister, IFOAM Aquaculture Group Coordinator. Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences, University of Minnesota, USA.
   
   
2. Stefano Cataudella, Professor of Applied Ecology, Biology Department of the University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy.
   
   
3. Matthias Halwart, Fishery Resources Officer (Aquaculture), FAO - Fisheries and Aquaculture Department, Food and Agriculture Organization, Rome, Italy.
   
   
4. Giuseppe Lembo, COISPA, Experimental Station for the Study of Resources of the Sea, Bari, Italy.
   
   
5. Robert Scott McKinley, Canada Research Chair, Aquaculture & the Environment, NSERC/Industrial Research Chair – Biotelemetry. Faculty of Land and Food Systems, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.

Submission of contributions extension

The deadline for submitting papers is extended to March 31^st; their acceptance will be communicated on April 8^th at the latest.

For further information, please contact: lembo@coispa.it

Through a peer review process, a selection of contributions will be published in toto in an International Scientific Journal.

The exhibition will take place from June 18^th to 20^th, 2008. The BIOLFISH exhibition will put most emphasis on the following objectives:

1. To create a framework that would include agriculture, fisheries and aquaculture, with the purpose of promoting sustainable fishing activities and to diffuse organic agriculture and breeding methods.
2. To promote the territorial productions, using the strong symbolic value of the olive tree and the coastal populations’ particular familiarity with the agricultural/seafood productions. This is a way to improve knowledge of the territory and sustainable seafood productions.

The participants of the exhibition are the general public, scientists, organic farmers, producers, consumers, traders and stakeholders.

The BIOLFISH exhibition will lead the participants through a self-discovery course and will get them involved in exchange of experiences and knowledge. In this context, the representatives of agricultural/seafood producers will not be simple exhibitors, but rather protagonists who illustrate their territory, their products and their positive actions towards the environment and quality.

BIOLFISH workshops and meetings

The meetings constitute a topical moment for monitoring and organizing the information on organic production at the international level, promoting exchange of information on production methods, on quality and quantity, on market aspects and on obstacles to production.

On Wednesday the 18^th, from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm, some time slots will be reserved for meetings of producers, associations, IFOAM groups, etc. They will be organized upon request.

Two workshops are planned on Friday, June 20^th, aimed at focusing the discussion on the interactions between the coastal communities, the natural environment and the promotion of the local productions (land-based and sea-based products). The role of a quality and certification system will be discussed in order to progress towards a sustainable development of human and natural resources.

NGOs, public institutions, Mediterranean and world-renowned experts, producers and other stakeholders will participate in the workshops.

Whoever is willing to contribute to the above-mentioned workshops, to present movies or to book an exhibition stand, is warmly invited to contact the organization at lembo@coispa.it.

Conference coordinator: Pino Lembo

Pino Lembo is a senior researcher at COISPA - Stazione Sperimentale per lo Studio delle Risorse del Mare (Experimental Station for the Study of Resources of the Sea) and coordinator of the “Sustainable Fishery and Organic Aquaculture” division at ICEA - Institute for Ethical and Environmental Certification. He is the author of more than 40 scientific publications in the field of fishery and aquaculture.

Contact and info:
Pino Lembo
ICEA
29, Strada Maggiore, 40125 Bologna (Italy)
Tel. +39 051 272986 - Fax. +39 051 232011
COISPA
18, Via Dei Trulli, 70126 Bari (Italy)
Tel. +39 080 5433596 - Fax. +39 080 5433586
E-mail: lembo@coispa.it