AE2015 Plenary speakers

Day 1. Wednesday 21st: 09.30 to 10.15am

“Demonstrating our sustainability credentials” – Chris Ninnes, Aquaculture Stewardship Council.

Aquaculture producers have several tools available to them to demonstrate their economic, environmental and social responsibility. This plenary will focus on how aquaculture practices can provide that demonstration with an insight into the stakeholder process to develop standards and the environmental, animal welfare, social and ethical elements of these.

Chris Ninnes was appointed CEO of the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) in October 2011. Before joining the ASC, Chris was Deputy CEO and Director of Operations at the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) from 2006 to 2011, where he led the expansion of the MSC’s technical and commercial work. From 2003 to 2006 Chris was Vice President of MRAG Americas, which followed his appointment as Technical Director for MRAG Ltd from 1996 until 2002. Chris worked for the UK Department for International Development from 1983 to 2002 where he advised on seafood industry development issues in Africa and the Caribbean. He has also been a professional inshore fisherman.

Day 2. Thursday 22nd: 09.00 to 09.45 am

“Adapting to consumer preferences” – Huw Thomas, Wm Morrison Supermarkets Plc.

Consumers want healthy, tasty and sustainably produced seafood at a fair price. This plenary will provide a retailer perspective on how (European) seafood is a source of superior value to consumers by exploring product image, consumer perception and sourcing strategies that are in line with customer expectations.

Huw is Fisheries & Aquaculture Manager at Morrisons where he is responsible for developing and implementing the seafood sourcing policy across all own brand categories. He is vice chair of the GlobalG.A.P aquaculture committee, sits on the Oversight board of the Seafish Responsible Fishing Scheme and works closely with the ASC, IFFO and SFP improving the marine ingredients fisheries in South East Asia. His interest in addressing SE Asian fisheries comes from the knowledge gained over 7 years whilst operating a prawn processing operation in Vietnam and running the Lyons Seafood Technical & Commercial function in the same region.

Day 3. Friday 23rd: 09.00 to 09.45am

“New approaches to production” – Louise Fresco, Wageningen UR.

Innovation is at the core of sustainable aquaculture development, but so is the contribution of aquaculture to maintain and enhance our natural capital. This plenary session will highlight the most recent developments in the way we produce our European seafood – balancing the ‘precision farming’ concept with the provision of eco-services and being a key element of conservation in local areas.

Professor Louise O. Fresco was appointed as President of the Executive Board of Wageningen UR in July 2014. Her career has involved decades of fieldwork in tropical countries, travels to over 80 countries, a PhD cum laude in tropical agronomy (Wageningen), chairs and lectureships at prestigious universities such as Wageningen, Uppsala, Louvain and Stanford and the membership of four scientific academies. She also held several leading positions within FAO.

The permanent theme of her life is a strong commitment to international development, agriculture and food. She has also published eight books (of which three acclaimed novels) and over one hundred scientific articles. Science Magazine recently published her editorial The GMO Stalemate in Europe. As a University Professor in Amsterdam, she writes a syndicated newspaper column, is an advisor to the Dutch government on socio-economic policy, science and sustainability, including sea level rise.

Since 2011 she is a member of the advisory council of The Hague Institute for Global Justice. She serves as a non-executive director of Unilever and on the supervisory board of Rabobank. She is a member of the Trilateral Commission. She was ranked 19th in the (Dutch) Volkskrant newspaper’s Top 200 2012 list of the most influential people in the Netherlands and 12th in the (Dutch) Trouw newspaper’s ‘Sustainable 100’. In October 2012 she published her book “Hamburgers in Paradise, food in times of scarcity and abundance”. She is involved in a large number of cultural and social activities. She appears regularly in the media and talked at TED 2009