The 8th National Symposium on Conventional Freshwater Fish Nutrition and Feed took place in Wuhan from October 15 to 17, 2024. (Credit: IHB) 

From October 15 to 17, 2024, the 8th National Symposium on Conventional Freshwater Fish Nutrition and Feed took place in Wuhan, bringing together over 150 experts, scholars, graduate students, and industry professionals from universities and research institutes across China. The event was hosted by the National Conventional Freshwater Fish Industry Technology System and organized by its Nutrition and Feed Research Office along with the Institute of Hydrobiology (IHB) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. This year’s theme focused on “Green, Safe, and High-Quality Production of Conventional Freshwater Fish.”

Prof. XIE Shouqi from IHB presided over the opening ceremony. Chief Scientist ZHU Jian from the National Conventional Freshwater Fish Industry Technology System highlighted the upcoming “15th Five-Year Plan” as a period for leveraging technological resources to advance breakthroughs in breeding, sustainable aquaculture, efficient feed, disease prevention, facility development, and value-added processing.

Prof. AI Qinghui from Ocean University of China addressed critical challenges in China’s aquatic animal nutrition and feed sector, such as the scarcity of fishmeal, fish oil, and soy, as well as gaps in research on feed development, especially for breeding stock. He called for enhanced interdisciplinary collaboration to integrate academia and industry, ensuring the sustainable development of China’s aquaculture industry and contributing to national food security. YANG Qin from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs emphasized the importance of creating a full-industry chain platform to address key issues and promote high-quality development in the major freshwater fish sector.

Keynote speakers included GR Xianping from the Freshwater Fisheries Research Center at the Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, ZHU Jian, AI Qinghui, XUE Min from the Feed Research Institute at the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, FENG Lin from Sichuan Agricultural University, MIAO Linghong from the Freshwater Fisheries Research Center, WU Chenglong from Huzhou University, WU Pei from Sichuan Agricultural University, LI Xiangfei from Nanjing Agricultural University, JIN Junyan from IHB, and WANG Liansheng from the Heilongjiang Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences.

The symposium covered advanced research on nutritional requirements, feed efficiency, and quality improvement for conventional freshwater fish. A graduate student forum showcased emerging research, with seven students recognized for outstanding presentations. Professor ZHOU Xiaoqiu from Sichuan Agricultural University presented the awards, celebrating their contributions and promoting knowledge exchange.

By combining presentations, discussions, and awards, the symposium strengthened the connection between scientific research and industry, supporting the sustainable development of China’s freshwater fish sector.