Vietnamese university prepares to host 2027 aquaculture conference
The Asian Pacific Chapter of the World Aquaculture Society (WAS-APC) and Vietnam’s Nha Trang University have begun preparing to host Asian-Pacific Aquaculture 2027 (APA 2027) in September next year after signing a cooperation agreement earlier this month.
An official signing ceremony was accompanied by the first APA 2027 Steering Committee meeting, bringing together representatives from academia, industry, government, and international organisations.
The conference runs from September 7-10 next year and is expected to attract approximately 1,000 participants and feature more than 130 international exhibition booths.
The selection of Nha Trang University as host reflects its strong reputation in fisheries, aquaculture, and marine sciences, as well as Vietnam’s growing importance as a global aquaculture leader. Nha Trang is a coastal resort city in southern Vietnam known for its beaches, diving sites, and offshore islands.
Earlier this month Asia hosted World Aquaculture Singapore at the Singapore EXPO Convention and Exhibition Centre. The event, from June 2-5, welcomed over 2,000 participants from all over the world, including researchers, industry leaders, policymakers, producers, students, exhibitors, and development organisations.
The accompanying international trade exhibition featured over 100 booths, and the scientific and technical program was highly comprehensive, featuring 550 submitted abstracts, including 381 oral presentations, 169 e-poster presentations, and 40 technical sessions.
Market dynamics
Richard Barry, director of programmes at the United States’ National Fisheries Institute, gave a keynote presentation on US seafood market dynamics, focusing on sourcing trends and consumer behaviour in a changing trade environment.
Sessions throughout the conference – which was themed Advancing High-Yield Production Through Nutrition, Health, Genetics, and Resources - highlighted key themes including climate resilience, global production trends, aquatic animal health, genetics, and sustainable aquaculture innovation.
The technical programme covered a wide range of topics including aquaculture nutrition, alternative feed ingredients, disease diagnostics, epidemiology, and shrimp and prawn production systems. Special sessions hosted by the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) and tropical aquaculture research initiative AquaPolis highlighted Singapore’s aquaculture ecosystem and ongoing innovation efforts.
