Norway – The lead institution and investigator is Professor Helgi Thor Thorarensen, the Norwegian College of Fishery Science, Arctic University of Norway (UiT) in Tromsø, who will be joined by scientists from Hólar University and the University Centre of the Westfjords, Iceland, and the University of New England in Maine, USA.
The main objective of the project is to promote the sustainable development of aquaculture in the Arctic regions by generating and providing knowledge in relevant fields. The team will focus on three interrelated areas thatare very relevant for the future development of aquaculture in the Arctic:
Land-based aquaculture of salmonid fishes in the Arctic
The environmental challenges of net pen aquaculture in the Arctic
Information and disinformation in the discourse on aquaculture in the Arctic
The project group will also include the UArctic Thematic Network on Ocean Food Systems (OFS) which is already actively working in this field. The contact persons in the UArctic Thematic Network are: Chair: Professor Barry Costa-Pierce (University of New England) and Vice-Chair: Program Director Catherine Chambers (University Centre of the Westfjords).
The project group will:
Establish trans-disciplinary research networks
Generate and disseminate sound information in the public discourse on aquaculture in the Arctic
Increase the competence in the Arctic communities through access to the best available education in the field of aquaculture by i) Collaborating in developing and delivering on-line courses, ii) Facilitating exchange of students among the participating institutions, iii) Offering students direct access to research through the education.
Facilitate informed discourse and decision making on future growth of aquaculture in the Arctic by i) Making relevant scientific information accessible to the public, ii) Running workshops for community leaders and government officials on aquaculture issues.
More information about the project is available here.
Source: The University of the Arctic (UArctic)
