The 8th international shellfish conference, held on January 18 and 19, 2024 at Delta Park NeeltjeJans, The Netherlands, attracted a lot of interest from home and abroad. The conference dinnerwas quickly oversubscribed and had more than 140 attendees. This time the innovation prize waswon by Superfood Zeeland for thier Seabased Food products such as the mussel bites. The jury ledby Bram Bierens assessed 3 nominations, and Jo-Annes de Bat presented the certificate to Remvan den Bosch. The fair was well attended with 32 participating companies and institutions. TheNew Year's reception of the Producers Organization of the Dutch Mussel Culture on Thursdayafternoon was an extra festive and well-attended part of the conference. More than 20 speakersdiscussed the conference theme with the conclusion that there are plenty of opportunities, but it isimportant to join forces to realize them.
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The program
The program of the 8th International Shellfish Conference is available, see www.shellfishconference.com.

The theme of this conference concerns conditions for a future-proof shellfish culture. There are several dilemmas involved. Shellfish are a promising source of sustainably farmed proteins and healthy fatty acids. Shellfish can play an essential role in the transition to less or responsibly produced meat. However, most consumers mainly associate shellfish with conviviality and summer atmospheres. How can shellfish contribute more to the sustainable protein supply? In addition to putting shellfish on the agenda as a future-proof food, there has been a decline in mussel production for years, mainly due to a lack of sufficient breeding space. Trials are being conducted for cultivation at sea, but it is still uncertain whether this is technically and economically feasible. A greater role for shellfish in a sustainable diet requires more production, so where can this be achieved? And, last but not least, where do you get good employees?
The problems outlined above will be discussed in four sessions, about consumers and market, innovations, mussel mortality as a threat, but also about opportunities for cultivation in nature. The fourth session is about the people in the sector. There will be a total of eighteen plenary presentations, including five on developments abroad. There are also short pitches on current topics. At the end, Martin Scholten, advisor at WUR and IMAGRO, will give his vision on a sustainable future for Dutch shellfish culture.

The tradeshoe
The number of stands at the tradeshow is higher than ever. There are 22 exhibitors who together represent 32 companies from 9 countries. New techniques in the field of cultivation, processing, shipbuilding, hatcheries, materials, quality assurance, etc. are discussed. Newcomers at the fair are: RKT (Rombouts Kunststof Techniek) with plastic pipes, among other things, Finn Pro with paint from Tikkurila (Finland) for use on metal, among other things, SEAPA with oyster baskets and Marinove with oyster spawn. There are also loyal participants in the fair, so there is plenty of opportunity to meet old acquaintances. See the page tradeshow for the complete overview.

Posters
There will be poster presentations of, among other things, research into mussel & seaweed farming in the (offshore) North Sea. The Zeeland photographer Rem van den Bosch will present a photo selection. Other posters can also be visited. The program is still in preparation.

New Year's reception
On Thursday, January 18, the Producers' Organization of Dutch Mussel Culture will hold the New Year's reception from 4:30 PM. This has been combined with the conference for the first time. During the reception, the 2022/2023 innovation prize will be presented by Jo-Annes de Bat, member of the Provincial Executive of the Province of Zeeland and Bram Bierens, jury chairman.

Conference dinner
The traditional conference dinner is on Thursday evening. You can register via the website.

Register
You can register for the conference via the website. The site also contains information about the route to Neeltje Jans, the program and poster updates and the participating companies in the fair.For questions and comments, email us at: info@schelpdierconferentie.com

Jacob Capelle, Jaap Holstein, Jasper van Houcke & Aad Smaal, organizers.‍

The program of the 8th international shellfish conference, January 18 and 19, 2024 at Delta Park Neeltje Jans, is taking shape. You can register from September 1 on the website https://www.schelpdierconferentie.com/en/home.

Some highlights to address the conference theme of this edition: What is needed for a future-proof shellfish culture?
‍On Thursday morning the focus is on the consumer, how to reach them? How do you market the mussel, what is the magic of the oyster? As part of the program, Jeroen Willemsen from Food for Impact, also known as the protein commissioner of the Netherlands, outlines the possibilities that shellfish offer for a sustainable protein future. The results of recent market research into the appreciation of the mussel by consumers will also be discussed.
In the afternoon, practical lessons learned from new innovations will be discussed, including shellfish culture trials in the Voordelta and Waterdunen, the development of harvesting machines at sea, and innovations in ship propulsion.
The 2022/2023 sustainability awards will be presented during the PO Mossel New Year's reception that starts at 4:30 PM, and - for the first time - now combined with the shellfish conference.
The problem of unexpected mussel mortality that is prevalent in Europe will be reported on Friday morning based on the results of the international workshop organized a few days earlier in Yerseke.
On Friday afternoon it's all about the people in the industry. Jos van Damme will share his experiences as a mussel farmer with us. A youth forum discusses what drives them to work in the shellfish sector and what bottlenecks there are. Martin Scholten, advisor at WUR and IMAGRO, will discuss the theme of the conference in the closing keynote presentation. 

Follow the details of the program and the participating companies in the fair at https://www.schelpdierconferentie.com/en/home.
‍For questions and comments, email us at: info@schelpdierconferentie.com 

Looking forward to your participation, the organisors:
JacobCapelle, Jaap Holstein, Jasper van Houcke & Aad Smaal‍

On 18and 19 January 2024, the 8th international shellfish conference will be held atDeltapark Neeltje Jans in Zeeland. This time the conference focuses on the question: What is needed for a future-proof shellfish culture?

In this newsletter we inform you about some highlights. Prior to the conference, an international workshop on the problem of unexplained mussel mortality will be held on Wednesday 17 January. Scientists from France, Ireland, Spain and Sweden, among others, are examining this common problem with their Dutch colleagues and will report on the state of affairs at the conference.

On Thursday18 January, the morning session will be devoted to the role of shellfish in a nutritious and sustainable diet, how are other products doing, how can more attention be paid to shellfish and how is this happening elsewhere in Europe? In the afternoon there are practical lessons based on new forms of shellfish farming, including in the Voordelta and Waterdunen.
The annual New Year's reception of the PO Mussel culture and the United Fish Auctions starts at half past five, now linked to the conference and the fair for the first time. The sustainability awards 2022/2023 will be presented during the reception. The conference dinner is on Thursday evening.

On Friday, January 19, it will be about opportunities and threats for shellfish farming. What are the backgrounds to the mussel mortality and what can be done about it, which other species are promising and what can we learn from the practice of mussel farming for strengthening natural values.
In the afternoon ,the grower him/herself is central. How do you become a shellfish farmer or processor, what is required in terms of knowledge and training and where do you get that knowledge from?

More participants have already registered for a stand at the fair than at previous conferences. Among other things, stands of hatcheries from the Netherlands and abroad, suppliers of material and equipment, and consultancy firms. Posters will also be presented on new and ongoing research.

Follow the details op the program on www.schelpdierconferentie.com
Subscriptions opens at September 2023.‍