PRESS RELEASE

FEAP Award for Excellence in European Aquaculture

Following the annual tradition of the FEAP, its Award for Excellence in Aquaculture, which is sponsored by Schering Plough Aquaculture, was made at the Annual General Meeting of the Federation that was held in Rome on 26th May 2007 and was accorded to Professor Constantin Vamvakas of the European Commission.

Constantin Vamvakas was born in Athens, Greece. He has a B.Sc in natural sciences and a PhD in marine ecology from the University of Athens and a DEA and a Doctorate in biological oceanography from the University of Marseille, France. He has also obtained a number of Certificates of post-graduate studies from different European and American Universities in marine ecology and marine biology.

Before joining the European Commission in 1983, he worked from 1974 to 1978 as a senior researcher and lecturer in the Department of Zoology of the University of Athens, teaching under-graduate and post-graduate students and supervising scientific research in marine zoology and ecology. From 1978 to 1982 he was the Director General of the Hellenic Centre of Marine Research (formally Institute of Oceanographic and Fisheries Research of the Ministry of Co-ordination) in Greece. He was among the pioneers, who believed in the future of the aquaculture sector and paid particular attention to the research and development of the field concerned in Greece since 1971.

He is currently the Adviser to the Director General in the Directorate General for Fisheries and Maritime Affairs of the European Commission and his work concerns, primarily, the fisheries policy in the Mediterranean Sea.

In the course of his duties in the European Commission he served the last sixteen years as Head of Unit and was in charge of the "Aquaculture Unit” for some 10 years. In this position, he was responsible for the management and co-ordination of the structural policy for aquaculture in the European Union and for the negotiations of the multiannual guidance programmes on aquaculture with the member States. He headed the preparation, co-ordination and negotiations among the European Institutions and the stakeholders for the establishment of “A Strategy for the sustainable development of European Aquaculture” in 2002 and, after its adoption by the European Institutions, for the co-ordination of its implementation.

He was also Head of Unit in the Structures Directorate of DG Fisheries and Maritime Affairs, responsible for the follow up of the Financial Instrument for Fisheries Guidance (FIFG) in a number of countries and was actively involved in the preparation of the European Fisheries Fund, particularly on the chapters concerning aquaculture, processing and marketing.

Constantin Vamvakas acquired wide experience in negotiations within a range of international fora, and headed, as a Commission official, negotiations on technical, scientific, economic and political matters. This meant participation in a large number of international meetings concerning the Mediterranean Sea, the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans and Antarctica, several times as the head of the European Community delegation. In addition, he has represented Greece as a National Representative in different international teams and has been an expert and consultant to many international organizations (for example, the FAO and the Council of Europe) as well as being a member of the Governing Councils of different national and international scientific Committees and Associations.

In his capacity as a Professor of the University of Ghent, Belgium, he lectures on aquaculture to post-graduate students of an international Master of Science in Aquaculture; his course title is "Management in the Aquaculture Industry".
This long and varied career, covering a diverse range of representative positions within science, administration and policy forming, has one common theme – the development of European aquaculture. It was therefore with great pleasure that the presentation was made by the President of the FEAP, John Stephanis, and Robin Wardle, Director of Global Marketing and Technical Services for Schering Plough Aquaculture.

John Stephanis noted that the curriculum of Constantin did not really indicate the measure of commitment that he has provided to the European aquaculture sector over the years and that several important actions of the FEAP had been initiated through his support, always providing valuable advice and encouragement – independent of whether the issue was difficult or impossible to resolve.

Robin Wardle stressed the importance of good consultation between the administrative and professional sides of aquaculture so as to be able to establish the supportive environment that European aquaculture needs to develop and stressed the commitment of Schering Plough Aquaculture to supporting such development attitudes.

Constantin Vamvakas has strong personal interests in art and literature and was accompanied in Rome by his wife, Marina, who is an accomplished artist and author. In a short acceptance speech, Constantin underlined the personal pleasure that he has experienced throughout his historical and continuing dedication to assisting the development European aquaculture.

ENDS

For further information please contact:

Mr. Courtney Hough
General Secretary
FEAP
Phone: +32 4 3382995
E-mail: secretariat [at ]feap.info
www.feap.info

Notes for Editors:
The Federation of European Aquaculture Producers (FEAP) represents 28 Aquaculture Associations from 23 European countries, representing over 1.3 million tons of finfish production.
Founded in 1968 as the European Federation of Salmoniculture, it became the FEAP in 1994.
The FEAP is a member of the Advisory Committee on Fisheries and Aquaculture of the European Commission and is active in many European and international actions relating to the fish farming sector.
See www.feap.info