Aquaculture Common Issues Group

The ACIG provides a safe meeting space to discuss the key challenges facing the industry to deliver responsibly farmed finfish and shellfish. People take part to keep-up-to-date with the latest developments, to be part of a cross-industry discussion and listen to the issues raised by other parts of the industry. They can also raise their own issues, network with other people or make new contacts.

The group is led by our industry and we take responsibility for running the ACIG. The Group has met twice a year since 2009. The ACIG brings together people who represent the retail, producers, food service and restaurant industry. Other people who attend are not-for-profit environmental voluntary groups, consumer groups, government, scientists and industry bodies.

There are generally two meetings a year. The presentations and minutes from the most recent meetings are below. Presentations and minutes from previous meetings are available from Karen Green.

We are running a mix of in person meetings and shorter online bite-size ACIG sessions at the moment.

Next meeting

The next ACIG meeting will be in person on 8 May 2024 in London. Our topic is: Aquaculture innovation and supply chain resilience. For further information please contact Karen Green

Previous two bite-size meetings

ACIG bite-size online session. Government and policy initiatives to support UK aquaculture (23 November 2023). This meeting looked at how Government policy is aiming to support the growth of the finfish, shellfish and seaweed farming sectors, as well as the wider aquaculture supply chain in the UK. See the presentations:

• New Scottish Government Aquaculture strategy. Julien Lake, Head of Aquaculture Vision, Scottish Government.
• Aquaculture policy in England. Ruth Allin and Antony Ovens, Defra.
• Northern Ireland aquaculture working group. Rod Cappell, Northern Ireland Aquaculture Representative Group.
• EMFF impact evaluation and priorities for future aquaculture funding. Rod Cappell, Poseidon.

ACIG bite-size online session. The growth of RAS projects in the UK (12 September 2023). In July 2023 it was announced that a significant portion of the £40.1 million in grants awarded in the second round of the UK's £100m Seafood Fund Infrastructure Scheme, will be supporting RAS projects in the UK. This meeting looked into this growing sector in the UK in more detail. See the presentations:

• RAS overview in the UK and globally. Mike Berthet, Aquasea Limited.
• Regulatory, economic and technical challenges for RAS development in England. Keith Jeffery, Cefas.

ACIG meeting notes 

Notes and minutes from recent ACIG bite-size meetings can be viewed by following the links below.

• Funding innovation in UK aquaculture. 30 June 2022 
• Digitalisation in aquaculture. 24 March 2022
• Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS) in the UK. 26 January 2022
• Aquaculture responses to the climate change crisis. 8 September 2021
• Climate change impacts for aquaculture. 27 May 2021
• Feed resilience and novel aquafeed ingredients. 17 March 2021
• Supporting aquaculture growth through innovation. 13 January 2021
• Future strategies for UK aquaculture production. 21 October 2020
• Telling the story of responsibly farmed seafood. 5 August 2020

ACIG monthly newsletter

We send monthly emails with a round up of stories, research and projects in the seafood industry. Subscribe to receive our monthly update and meeting details.

Terms of Reference and archive

• We have archived presentations from previous ACIG bite-size meetings. These are available from Karen Green.
• View the Aquaculture Common Issues Group Terms of Reference (March 2019)

Contacts

For further information please contact Karen Green