EIFAAC symposium, Killarney, Ireland, 20-21 June 2022

EIFAAC International Symposium: Advances in Technology, Stock Assessment and Citizen Science in an Era of Climate Change

EIFAAC is the European Inland Fisheries and Aquaculture Advisory Commission, which organizes its session and symposium every 2 years. The upcoming Symposium will be hosted by Inland Fisheries Ireland and the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications.

The Symposium will have five themes relating to inland fish stock assessment, developments in freshwater fish monitoring technologies, assessing the impacts of climate change on freshwater fish and their habitats and the role of citizen science. The fifth theme will focus on the pros and cons of traditional vs recirculation aquaculture systems.

Theme 2 on “Developments in freshwater fish monitoring technologies with an emphasis on nondestructive methods” could be of particular interest to some of the WGFTFB members or their colleagues. The theme is described as follows: “ Monitoring fish populations is an essential tool for quantifying population abundance and composition and assessing impacts of anthropogenic pressures. Conventional sampling such as electrofishing and netting surveys (fykes, gill nets, seine nets) and associated equipment can be expensive, difficult to transport and surveys are often limited to those waterbodies with road access or boat slips. Many conventional methods also require handling fish, which can cause stress, injury and sometimes mortality. Relatively new non-destructive sampling methods/technology, such as remote sensing (e.g. hydroacoustics, telemetry), visual observation (e.g. underwater

camera, snorkel surveys) and eDNA are becoming increasingly popular. Could these techniques be adopted for routine monitoring programmes, e.g. for Water Framework Directive or Habitats Directive monitoring.

The symposium will be well attended. We estimate about 130 scientists will join. So far 55 abstracts have been received, but there is still scope for sending in more abstracts and particularly posters. The Irish host is organizing beautiful field visits to the national park nearby the symposium venue and in the evenings a BBQ, pub tour and symposium dinner will be organized.

For more information about the symposium, please visit: https://www.fisheriesireland.ie/news/events/eifaac-symposium-2022

Tourism information about the symposium venue can be found at: https://www.discoverireland.ie/Killarney

For further information please contact EIFAACsymposium@fisheriesireland.ie or the FAO secretariat to EIFAAC EIFAAC-Secretariat@fao.org

Information about EIFAAC can be found at: https://www.fao.org/fishery/en/organization/22050/en