Offshore Mariculture chair announced

Mr Sims will bring with him a wealth of knowledge and experience as, over the past two decades, he has led teams that have accomplished a number of breakthrough developments in pearl oyster culture, offshore aquaculture legislation and regulation, marine fish hatchery technology, open ocean mariculture systems, and most recently, untethered open ocean ‘drifter pens’: the Velella project.

Mr Sims also co-founded Kona Blue Water Farms in 2001, applying cutting-edge hatchery technologies to ‘difficult-to-rear’ marine fish larvae: snappers, groupers, and yellowtail/jacks.

The 4^th Offshore Mariculture Conference will be held in Izmir, Turkey on 17-19 October 2012 and will bring industry professionals together to network, discuss topical issues and exchange information and ideas on the business of offshore fish farming. Following two days of technical presentations and discussion, delegates will also have the opportunity to visit an offshore fish farm.

The specific focus on Turkey is expected to attract government officials from farming nations looking to learn how they can adapt Turkey’s successful spatial planning policy into their own Ministries of Fisheries/Environment and Tourism. In addition international farming companies and suppliers looking to enter and/or invest in the Turkish market are expected to attend. The conference is supported by the Republic of Turkey Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock, the Central Union of Turkish Aquaculture Producers as well as the European Aquaculture Society, the European Technology and Innovation Platform and the Federation of European Aquaculture Producers.

The soon to be released programme will include sessions on:

• Environmental impacts: measuring, modelling and policy implications for offshore mariculture
• Innovative technologies
• Management and husbandry
• Doing business offshore
• Overview of the latest developments in aquaculture: Growing the wealth of aquaculture - perspectives and potential