A seminar looking at ways to ensure greater gender diversity at all levels of the aquaculture sector is scheduled to take place in Berlin on October 9 as part of this year’s Aquaculture Europe (AE2019) conference. The seminar will offer first hand insights into how women can overcome perceived gender-related obstacles and build thriving careers across the aquaculture sector.

“Many promising young researchers and many of the top aquaculture executives from Europe and beyond will be in Berlin for the annual EAS conference and this special session aims to help companies engage with proactive strategies for building diverse workplaces,” explains Alistair Lane, Executive Director of EAS. 

The one-hour event will be co-chaired by Nofima’s Synnøve Helland, who is a board member of EATIP and leader of the Gender Panel of EURASTIP, and Rob Fletcher, senior editor at The Fish Site – which has been responsible for a number of women in aquaculture initiatives over the course of the last year. The event will include a panel discussion featuring prominent figures from academia and the aquaculture industry, who will discuss key issues related to the benefits of diversity in the workforce and ways to ensure that aquaculture organizations pursue recruitment policies that allow talented people, regardless of gender, to succeed.

 “It is vital for the further success of the industry that it can compete successfully for the best talents. This session is a unique possibility for managers from industry and academia to learn what measures are working, so that others can learn how to recruit the competent women as well as men,” says Synnøve.

The seminar will also include a Q&A and an insight into an innovative mentoring program which has been established to help fast-track ambitious and talented women to the top of the sector.

More details of the event will be released in the coming months.