FEAP NextGen aims to connect and support young fish farming professionals in Europe.
Photo: FEAP.
The Federation of European Aquaculture Producers (FEAP) held its first NextGen Academy training on March 25–26 in Brussels, bringing together 15 young fish farming professionals from 14 countries for a two-day “Deep Dive into EU institutions.”
The training, supported by AquaSoja (Soja de Portugal), aimed to connect early-career professionals in aquaculture with European institutions and stakeholders involved in fisheries and aquaculture policymaking.
The "deep dive" forms part of a broader FEAP initiative to encourage youth engagement and generational renewal within the European aquaculture sector, FEAP said. The Federation developed the NextGen programme following discussions with groups such as the Network of Women in Aquaculture (NOWA), the Young Aquaculture Society (YAS), and YoungFish Norway.
"When we started a few months ago developing this idea, we were never expecting to drive so much interest and so many applicants for this first edition," the organisation stated in a press release.
More than 100 applications were received, with 15 participants selected to take part in this first training opportunity. During the two days in Brussels, they met with representatives from organizations including the Aquaculture Advisory Council (AAC), Market Advisory Council (MAC), European Aquaculture Technology and Innovation Platform (EATIP), European Feed Manufacturers' Federation (FEFAC), as well as officials from the European Commission's DG MARE and DG Research, and Members of the European Parliament.
"All enjoyed connecting and interacting with various EU stakeholders, and many brought to the table very practical questions and challenges which they wanted to address first hand with the European stakeholders involved in the training. After this first training, we feel the future of aquaculture will be bright!" FEAP stated.
FEAP has announced plans to continue the NextGen Academy and further develop youth-focused initiatives within the sector. More information about the programme is available on the FEAP website.
The issues of youth engagement and generational renewal in aquaculture were also discussed at the launch event for the EU Aquaculture awareness-raising campaign last week.
The campaign, titled "EU aquaculture. We work for you with passion," was developed in collaboration with EU Member States and the Aquaculture Advisory Council, and unveiled by Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans, Costas Kadis on 25 March. The initiative seeks to highlight the benefits of aquaculture for food security, local economies, and environmental sustainability.
