The International Symposium on Small Pelagic Fish 2022

EFFOP participated in the International Symposium: “Small Pelagic Fish: New Frontiers in Science for Sustainable Management”.

Manuel Barange, Director of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Division at FAO, gave an opening talk at the Small Pelagic Fish symposium in Lisbon. Important challenges addressed  were, among others, food security, climate impact, social sustainability.

The Symposium was well organized and gave a good overview of the science state of the art in sustainable management of small pelagic fish. A total of 287 participants from 38 countries were registered to the Symposium – see here.

Small pelagic fish (SPF) are a type of ocean fish that are typically found in the open waters of the sea. These fish are small in size and tend to live in schools or large groups. Examples of small pelagic fish include anchovies, sardines, blue whiting and herring. They are an important food source for larger marine animals, as well as for humans. Because they are found in the open ocean, small pelagic fish are often caught using large pelagic trawls or by purse seining, a method in which a large net is used to encircle a school of fish and then the bottom of the net is closed like a purse to capture the fish. SPF are commonly used as a source of fishmeal and fish oil. Fishmeal is a high-protein animal feed that is made from grinding up whole fish, including the bones and organs. Fish oil is made from the fatty tissues of fish and is used as a source of omega-3 fatty acids, which are important for human health. Both fishmeal and fish oil are commonly used in the production of farmed fish and livestock, as well as in other products such as pet food.

Read all about the Symposium here.

Download and read the Book of Abstracts here