I reckon that CEFAS has received a lot of comment - but not all of them has been sent just to CEFAS. Daniel Tabacaru from a sturgeon farm in Romania has sent the following to all participants in the workshops: Dear CEFAS Colleagues, I read
carefully the draft presented, of curiosity to see if this document have any
reference to the necessity to stimulate applied research, on new clean
technologies. Unfortunately, I cannot believe that such a concern does the interest
of this document...I also
looked for decoding keys concept of innovation and I found that it is a term
with too mainstream interpretation.
Even
gymnasium pupils know from history of the technological era that technological
developments have been the basic premise of economic development. If it were
not so - likely that today mankind would drive cars equipped with steam
engines. Or computers today would have the volume of a house, and would work
with punched cards. Unfortunately,
even an institution such as EATiP, which you mentioned in this document as a
platform for innovation, focuses too little on real innovation. I want
to be very clearly understood: I think
innovation is needed in simplifying administrative procedures and EATip fact
that he mentions in his latest report, or the coordination of spatial planning
or enhancing competitiveness or even promoting conditions of fair competition.
(Similar with your draft!) I think the
space in which innovation ideas were perverted from its primary purpose, to an
interpretation that finds its place more in the reports and documents prepared
today than in the concrete life of the industry. We need innovation in all
areas ... but, we forget the core things! Just that
the term innovation is under Oxford Dictionary - a solution to a technical
problem by technical improvement and rationalization and modernization of
imposed solutions. Without
exaggerating too much, specifically the European aquaculture in the Danube
basin is applying the same technologies to increase aquatic organisms - as in
the 16th century, plus just a set of modern tools at hand. It makes
sense to have questions on the evolution of this industry, in this century when
we have a rate of less than 0.1% of intensive systems and a rate of 99.9% for
extensive systems. (Exaggeration!) The
misfortune is that none of these systems are environmentally friendly. In Europe we
have hundreds of great research topics in biology, bio-chemistry and fish
farming or aquaculture. In fact we
have hundreds of unnecessary reports that are not directly applicable in
everyday life fish farmers. If looking
today for a guide to the fish farmers seriously, and immediately applicable
you'll find guides to promote subsistence aquaculture in third world countries
but not one that is modern, contemporary and accessible. RAS systems
that would allow development of the industry today is in decline, instead of
being motor development. The reasons
for this decline is known, especially in England, France and Germany, not to
speak of my country or of the Central Eastern Europe, because bad design
recirculating farms, made good house with a lack of understanding of species,
the energy requirements for thermophiles species and not least the market
peculiarities and perhaps what is the most serious food safety standards for
consumers. Companies
'reputation' that provides design and implementation of aquaculture farms
should be certified by a body as EATiP, just based on what is new in the field
of technology, or why not the new Water Framework Directive and Marine Strategy,
in such a way that amateurship and dilettantism not be possible to meet in the
future. I also
think that farms should be certified on the basis of understandable, such as
environmental pollution, the quality of the aquatic environment, energy
consumption, security of processing aquatic product, etc... We are the
generation that realizes that we almost destroyed our planet with greed and
indifference. From here on we have no excuse if we pollute indefinitely or
impoverished continent of the resources it has. And water
is one of the most important resources! Hoping with
respect that you will enter a small sub-chapter in the chapter 9 Future &
Emerging Technologies, about real innovation, the technology, who can protect
the environment, which means not only the passive contemplation ridiculous
situation in which is European aquaculture, but one that may be the future of
this industry, thank you for opportunity to be with you in efforts to develop
such a document. Daniel
Tabacaru CEO -
Innovative Farm Caviar Factory www.caviarfactory.ro ROMANIA
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