De Raedemaecker, F.

Nevejan, N.

Open Marine Archive

New Flemish Aquaculture Platform will develop a long term vision fo r 
aquaculture in Flanders
De Raedemaecker Fien1 and Nancy Nevejan2
1 Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ)
InnovOcean site, Wandelaarkaai 7, B-8400 Oostende, Belgium 
E-mail: fien.deraedemaecker@vliz.be
2 Laboratory fo r Aquaculture & Artem ia Reference Center, Department o f Animal Production,
Ghent University (UGent), Rozier 44, B-9000 Gent, Belgium
In Flanders, Belgium, aquaculture production is very lim ited. However, far beyond its borders 
Flanders is recognized fo r its scientific research and expertise in aquaculture. An aquaculture 
platform  was set up in 2009 as an informal network initiative o f Ghent University (UGent) w ith all 
key stakeholders in Flanders, e.g. researchers, policy makers, farmers as well as retailers of 
aquaculture products such as fish, algae and feeds. In September 2012, structural support was 
received from  the Flemish government when Minister-President Kris Peeters o ffic ia lly  launched the 
Flemish Aquaculture p la tfo rm 1 The platform  consists o f three entities: the previously established 
network, the strategic steering group aquaculture (SSAQ) w ith representatives o f the sector and the 
inform ation desk.
This p latform  is a convenient forum  fo r inform ation and knowledge exchange between the many 
actors involved: a yearly symposium is organised to  enhance the intra-industry contacts, to inform  
the public about the latest developments in the aquaculture sector, to stimulate the interaction 
between the sector and the public authorities and to encourage entrepreneurship. Two successful 
symposia have been organised to  date which reached more than hundred people. The p la tfo rm ’s 
inform ation desk w ill give advice to potential sponsors and producers, and m onitor national and 
international trends and developments which w ill be communicated through the website o f the 
platform  amongst others. The SSAQ has, up to  now, established four working groups whose task it 
is, respectively, (i) to design a long term  vision fo r aquaculture in Flanders w ith very clear priorities, 
(ii) to  identify research activities necessary to support the sector, (iii) to  organise an efficient 
inform ation desk and (iv) to p inpoint legal regulations that impede the inflow  o f new young 
entrepreneurs interested to  start a new aquaculture business in Flanders.
The long term  goals o f th is p latform  are to stimulate the aquaculture sector in Flanders and as a 
possible result to  become less reliant on imports o f less sustainable aquaculture products.
References
' www.aauacultuurvlaanderen.be
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New Flemish Aquaculture Platform will develop a long term vision for aquaculture in Flanders

 - 33 -  
New Flemish Aquaculture Platform will develop a long-term vision for 
aquaculture in Flanders 
De Raedemaecker Fien
1
 and Nancy Nevejan
2
 
1 
Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ), InnovOcean site, Wandelaarkaai 7, 8400 Oostende, Belgium 
E-mail: fien.deraedemaecker@vliz.be 
2
 Laboratory for Aquaculture & Artemia Reference Center, Department of Animal Production, Ghent 
University (UGent), Rozier 44, 9000 Gent 
E-mail: nancy.nevejan@UGent.be 
 
In Flanders (Belgium) aquaculture production is very limited. However, far beyond its borders 
Flanders is recognized for its scientific research and expertise in aquaculture. An aquaculture 
platform was set up in 2009 as an informal network initiative of Ghent University (UGent) with all 
key stakeholders in Flanders, e.g. researchers, policy makers, farmers as well as retailers of 
aquaculture products such as fish, algae and feeds. In September 2012, structural support was 
received from the Flemish government when Minister-President Kris Peeters officially launched the 
Flemish Aquaculture platform
1
. The platform consists of three entities: the previously established 
network, the strategic steering group aquaculture (SSAQ) with representatives of the sector and the 
information desk.  
 
This platform is a convenient forum for information and knowledge exchange between the many 
actors involved: a yearly symposium is organised to enhance the intra-industry contacts, to inform 
the public about the latest developments in the aquaculture sector, to stimulate the interaction 
between the sector and the public authorities and to encourage entrepreneurship. A first 
symposium was organised in December 2012 and was a great success: more than hundred people 
joined the symposium. The platform’s information desk will give advice to potential sponsors and 
producers, and monitor national and international trends and developments which will be 
communicated through the website of the platform amongst others. The SSAQ has, up to now, 
established four working groups whose task it is, respectively, (i) to design a long-term vision for 
aquaculture in Flanders with very clear priorities, (ii) to identify research activities necessary to 
support the sector, (iii) to organise an efficient information desk and (iv) to pinpoint legal 
regulations that impede the inflow of new young entrepreneurs interested to start a new 
aquaculture business in Flanders.  
 
The long term goals of this platform are to stimulate the aquaculture sector in Flanders and as a 
possible result to become less reliant on imports of less sustainable aquaculture products. 
 
 
References
1
 www.aquacultuurvlaanderen.be   
 
                                                   
 
 
 
 


New Flemish Aquaculture Platform will develop a long-term vision for aquaculture in Flanders

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