Sustainability and Environment

The effects of climate change on inland water resources, sustainable feed sources (alternative proteins), and the application of circular economy principles to aquaculture enterprises are the main focal points.

In aquaculture, sustainability is not a communications theme but a question of whether production continues. For an inland operation, deteriorating water quality is a direct loss of output; in sea cages, sediment accumulation lowers carrying capacity.

Carrying capacity. The volume of production a body of water can support is finite. Exceeding it may look like higher yield in the short term but returns as oxygen depletion, disease pressure and slower growth. Capacity calculation is also the basis of licensing.

Feed sourcing. Feed based on fishmeal and fish oil is the sector's most contested link. Alternative proteins — insect meal, single-cell protein, plant formulations — are on the agenda for both cost and environmental footprint. Any transition has to be assessed alongside growth performance and flesh quality.

Climate change and inland waters. Rising summer temperatures in reservoirs such as Keban and Karakaya affect water temperature and the oxygen balance directly. Rebuilding the production calendar around this is becoming unavoidable for some operations.

A circular approach. Valorising processing waste (fish oil, meal, collagen), water recovery and energy efficiency pay off on both the cost and the certification side.

At the summit. This session brings academia and the field together, and the discussion runs on practices that are applicable and measurable.