Jacek Juchniewicz receiving FEAP Award for Excellence 2026 from the new President, Anna Pyć, at the federation's Annual General Meeting held in Limassol, Cyprus.
Photo: FEAP.
This year, the FEAP Award for Excellence in European Aquaculture 2026 has gone to Poland. The Federation of European Aquaculture Producers (FEAP) has awarded its prestigious prize to Jacek Juchniewicz, an industry veteran whom it described as "a visionary leader who modernized Polish fish farming and transformed the European feed supply chain over a 50-year career."
This award represents the federation's recognition of an individual's exceptional contribution to the development of fish farming in Europe. Nominations are submitted by FEAP member associations, and the final decision rests with previous award recipients. In the case of this year's recipient, the nomination was submitted by the Polish Trout Breeders Association (PTBA).
"Jacek Juchniewicz's contribution allowed Polish aquaculture to take a giant leap forward in farming technology," the PTBA stated in its nomination. "His professional work and public involvement have always involved efforts to develop the industry with respect for the people associated with it, the environment, and representing the industry before state bodies."
At the award ceremony, which took place during the FEAP 2026 Annual General Meeting in Limassol, Cyprus, he was recognized for his "exceptional, hands-on contributions," which range from building aquaculture farms from scratch to introducing the first extruded aquafeed to the Polish market, thus propelling Poland's aquaculture straight into the modern era.
Juchniewicz received the award from the newly appointed President of the Federation of European Aquaculture Producers, Anna Pyć, who took over from Lara Barazi-Geroulanou, also during the Annual General Meeting held in Cyprus.
The career of the recipient of the FEAP Award for Excellence 2026 began in 1974 as a water protection major. From his first internships, he knew he preferred practical activities to a scientific career, and so, immediately after graduating, he participated in training programs at fish farms.
By 1980, Jacek Juchniewicz was already independently managing a successful fish farm, and in 1983, he built his first fish farm almost from scratch. However, the turning point in his career came in 1990 when he participated in a training course in Denmark, where he established lasting business and personal relationships. In May 1991, he ordered the first truck of Aller Aqua extruded feed to Poland.
By the end of that year, he had imported eleven more, not only for his own farm but also for colleagues throughout the industry. The following year, in 1992, he imported over 40 truckloads of feed and established Aller Aqua's subsidiary in the Pomerania region. Two years later, in 1994, it became a limited company—the current Aller Aqua Poland. Growing demand justified the construction of an Aller Aqua factory in Poland in 2000, later followed by company units in Ukraine and Armenia.
Meanwhile, Juchniewicz continued to build and modernize his own farms. In 1996, he began construction on another fish farm, which was renewed last year to become one of the most advanced in Poland. Since 2003, he has been a co-owner of the 'Dąbie' hatchery, from which salmonid eggs are shipped worldwide year-round. Just two years ago, in 2024, a new fish farm was opened in Gostkowo.
Furthermore, for more than three decades, Juchniewicz combined his business activities with intensive leadership work in the industry. According to the FEAP statement, he served several terms as Vice President and later President of the Polish Trout Breeders Association, "working tirelessly to improve legislation, strengthen the sector's image, and represent the industry before state bodies."
In February 2025, just before his 70th birthday, and after 33 years of work at Aller Aqua, he retired. Now, the FEAP Award for Excellence 2026 has been the perfect culmination of his fifty-year career.
