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Registration Opens for Catch Welfare Platform Conference 2025 

Catch Welfare Platform’s Third Annual Event Adds Innovation Awards and Crustacean Welfare Workshop 

The Catch Welfare Platform (CWP) has announced its third annual conference, returning as a free, in-person event from 19 to 21 November 2025 at Forteiland in the port of IJmuiden, the Netherlands.  

Set against the backdrop of the world’s largest sea lock and a working fishing port, the location is symbolic of the event’s focus: improving welfare for wild-caught fish in real-world settings. 

This year’s three-day conference will assemble global experts from science, the fishing industry, technology, and policy to exchange knowledge, debate standards, and showcase technical solutions. Delegates can expect keynote sessions, field visits, and two new competitive formats aimed at encouraging practical innovation. 

Manager Michelle Boonstra said: “Our first event in Bergen, Norway, in 2023 successfully brought together people from across marine science and the fishing industry. While last year’s online format enabled global participation, in-person meetings offer far greater scope for meaningful collaboration and direct engagement. They also encourage stronger audience participation, and we look forward to hearing well-reasoned contributions from all involved.” 

If you wish to attend, more information and the registration can be found at  catchwelfareplatform.com

Conference Highlights 

The conference begins with a boat ride to Forteiland on 19 November. The day opens with the Innovation Award ceremony, followed by pitches from the three finalists in the Advancing Catch Welfare Idea Competition. 

Sessions on Day 1 will cover gillnet fishing, cod welfare, flatfish stunning, ropeless gear, and the updates on the innovative FloMo fishing system. The afternoon is themed “What Can AI Do for Fish Welfare?”, featuring demonstrations and a panel discussion with audience participation. 

Day 2 will kick off with a presentation from Professor Wenbin Zhu of Zhejiang Ocean University about Fish Welfare Research in Chinese fisheries. This will be followed by a dive into the world of criteria, indicators and welfare footprints. The attendees are also invited to join the CWP team on a field visit to a demersal fishing vessel which is experimenting with the first flatfish stunner. The field visit also includes what hopes to be an insightful visit to a local fishing company.  

A working lunch hosted by the EU-funded VeriFish project will explore how structured welfare and sustainability indicators could shape seafood communication. VeriFish is offering travel reimbursement for producers, retailers, and seafood associations attending the lunch and feedback session. 

Crustacean Day and Industry Workshop 

Day 3, known as “Crustacean Day”, begins with a series of presentations that will update us with the latest insights of the science on welfare of crab and lobster. Afternoon sessions will address practical handling, and the development of new  universal best-practice standards for crab and lobster welfare. The goal is to better connect science with practical industry needs.  The Crustacean Day is an invite only event. If you are working with crab and lobster, CWP encourages you to attend and contribute to the workshop. Anyone who has not been invited can do so by sending an email to: michelle@catchwelfareplatform.com. 

CWP Offers Opportunity to Showcase Catch Welfare Innovations 

The Catch Welfare Platform is inviting people to submit innovations or early-stage ideas that advance wild-caught fish welfare: 

Catch Welfare Innovation Award 

Entries for the Catch Welfare Innovation Award must demonstrate measurable impact over the past three years and will be judged on originality, welfare outcomes, and benefits to the fishing community. Winners will receive professional recognition, worldwide media coverage, a keynote speaking slot, and a handmade award trophy. The submission deadline is 26 September 2025, with results announced on 17 October 2025. 

Catch Welfare Idea Challenge 

CWP is also seeking proposals for its Catch Welfare Idea Challenge, open to anybody with promising concepts that require support to develop. The top three entries will be pitched live at the conference. The winner, chosen by audience vote, will receive €4,000 in seed funding and will also have the opportunity to be introduced to potential funders. The deadline for idea submissions is 26 September 2025. 

The three chosen entries will be announced on 17 October 2025. 

Full details and application forms of the award and idea challenges are available on the Catch Welfare Platform website.  

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David Bassett

Employed by EATiP since 2017, David is responsible for the day-to-day management and direction of this European wide multi-actor ETP. 

Working in the aquaculture industry since 2005, including a decade as the executive of a UK producer association, he has been active in numerous projects from the sixth Framework Programme. Among other roles, David has served as a director of the Scottish Aquaculture Research Forum and served on the Technical Advisory Group of the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC TAG) alongside being invited as a guest lecturer at the Institute of Aquaculture, University of Stirling (UK).  

In addition to working on multiple Horizon Europe projects David is one of the Technical Experts assisting with the implementation of the EU Aquaculture Assistance Mechanism in addition to chairing the research focus group of the Aquaculture Advisory Council (AAC) and sitting on the Standing Committee on Agricultural Research – Fish Committee (SCAR-Fish). 

For further information on EATiP please see www.eatip.eu 

Paul Bulcock

Paul Bulcock is responsible for developing and maintaining aquaculture information in SFP’s systems (e.g., FishSource, AIP Directory, Metrics). He also supports development and implementation of aquaculture strategy through research and analysis.

Paul has extensive program support and aquaculture research experience (particularly in Southeast Asia), having worked for the Network of Aquaculture Centers in Asia-Pacific (NACA) and DFID’s Aquaculture and Fish Genetics Research Programme (AFGRP) at the Institute of Aquaculture, in Stirling, UK. He has an MSc in aquaculture from the University of Stirling and a BSc in marine and fisheries zoology from the University of Aberdeen.

Paul is based in the UK, in Glasgow, Scotland.

Fabio Grati

A fishery biologist presently employed at the National Research Council, Institute for Marine Biological Resources and Biotechnology (Ancona, Italy), he brings to the table more than thirty years of expertise in marine environmental conservation and sustainable resource management. Over the course of his career, he has overseen and participated in numerous international projects focused on understanding and mitigating anthropic impacts on marine ecosystems. Since 2019, he holds a membership in the Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF) under the European Commission. Within this role, he has chaired two STECF Expert Working Groups (EWG 22-12 and EWG 23-18), where he led efforts to establish scientifically robust yet accessible criteria and indicators for assessing the sustainability of fisheries products.

Andrea Fabris

Andrea Fabris born 11.08.1968, Italian, has a Veterinary Medicine full graduation achieved at the University of Parma. He has also a Specialization in “Farming, Hygiene, Pathology of Aquatic Species and Control of Derivative Products ” achieved at Udine University and a Specialization in “Animal Feeding” obtained at Bologna University.

Actually (from May 2016) he is Director of Associazione Piscicoltori Italiani (API – Italian Fish Farmers Association). At National level behalf of API he is member of some working groups at the General Direction for Fisheries and Aquaculture of Italian Ministry of Agriculture and Italian Ministry of Health regarding aquaculture EU rules and their implementation at national and regional level, and member of Exotic Species Aquaculture Committee – Italian Ministry of Agriculture. Lecturer on in training /courses organized by Ministry of Health, Universities and Local Veterinary Authorities; member of Board of Directors of SIPI (Italian Society of Fish Pathology).

He is also involved at international level with the Federation of European Aquaculture Producers (FEAP) as Chairman of FEAP Fish Health and Welfare Commission. Andrea is part of the FVE (Federation of Veterinarians Europe) Aquaculture Working Group, and of FishMedPlus Coalition, and from the beginning member of Aquaculture Advisory Council (AAC) where is actually Chair of WG1 – Finfish.

He published as an author or co-author about 30 articles on international and national scientific journals concerning Fish pathology and Aquaculture and more than 60 issues on divulgative (fishermen and aquaculture producers associations) publications

Anne Marie Cooper

Anne shapes global sustainable fisheries and aquaculture policies through her work at the science-policy interface. Driven by a commitment to improving human lives and aquatic ecosystems, she serves as the Professional Officer for Fisheries and Aquaculture Advice at the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) in Copenhagen, Denmark. Anne leads ICES’ efforts in developing and applying methods to provide scientific advice on data-limited fish and shellfish stocks in the Northeast Atlantic, covering over 60% of ICES stocks. She also heads the development of ICES’
advisory framework for sustainable aquaculture. Before joining ICES, Anne advised on national fisheries, aquaculture, climate, and marine science policy in the US Senate, House of Representatives, and NOAA. She holds a Ph.D. in Conservation Biology and Development Studies and Social Change Theory and an M.Sc. in Fisheries Science from the University of Minnesota.

Pedro Reis Santos

Pedro Reis Santos is Secretary General of the Market Advisory Council (MAC), a stakeholder-led advisory body to the European Commission and to the Member States on matters relevant for the EU market of fishery and aquaculture products, as foreseen by the Common Fisheries Policy Regulation.

Before his appointment, in July 2019, as Secretary General, Mr Reis Santos worked as a consultant for a Brussels-based business intelligence service monitoring EU developments on fisheries, agriculture, food, animal welfare, alcohol and tobacco policy. Prior to that, he was a trainee at the Fisheries Unit of the Council of the European Union and a trainee at the Control Unit of the Portuguese Fisheries Authority.

Mr Reis Santos holds a Bachelor’s degree in Law and a Master’s degree in International Law and International Relations from the University of Lisbon with a thesis titled “Marine Protected Areas beyond National Jurisdiction”. Besides his first language, Portuguese, he speaks English and Spanish

Irene Kranendonk

Irene Kranendonk is the Impact Manager at Fish Tales and a board member of the Fish Tales Foundation. Her work focuses on developing and guiding Fish Tales’ sourcing criteria including management of the environmental and social certification schemes. With the Fish Tales Foundation and local partner organizations, she drives social and environmental improvements in small scale fisheries. Irene holds a master’s degree from Wageningen University in Aquaculture and Marine Resource Management and is specialized in the field of fisheries ecology. In a previous role, Irene was sustainable seafood assessor for the Dutch seafood rating scheme the VISwijzer.