NEW AQUACULTURE CONFERENCE AT ICEFISH 2026

New aquaculture conference at IceFish 2026 on course to make a real impact

Aquaculture – Driving Sustainable Growth will offer solutions and connections

Since its launch in 1984, the Icelandic Fisheries & Aquaculture Exhibition & Conference (IceFish) has become a key meeting place for exhibitors and visitors focused on seafood processing, commercial fishing technology, value-added production and aquaculture. The 15th edition takes place in Kópavogur, just outside Reykjavík, from 22–24 September 2026.

A new conference added to the opening day agenda at the already high-profile IceFish 2026 event is showing the potential to make a seismic contribution to the rapidly evolving international aquaculture sector.

The one-day Aquaculture – Driving Sustainable Growth conference, will take place adjacent to, and at the same time as IceFish.

Taking place on 22nd September, it will highlight the island’s unique strengths as a global hub for aquaculture, while exploring the technologies, sustainable production practices, and strategies to enable responsible growth and profitability.

Focused on delivering tangible value for attendees via keynote presentations, panel discussions and interactive sessions, delegates will also have access to key industry stakeholders and new connections.

Among the international contingent is Stewart Graham, the owner and CEO of Gael Force Group, a turnkey aquaculture supplier founded in the Hebrides in Scotland 43 years ago. He has been part of many sector development initiatives, sits on the board of Salmon Scotland, and is also the owner and founder of SeaQureFarming Group, which is installing the first SeaQureWell™ at one of their sites this year.

Stewart is passionate about the power of aquaculture to deliver healthy nutritious seafood to the world while benefitting host communities and the global environment. He said: “IceFish 2026 is a great place to have an honest conversation about scaling aquaculture responsibly.

“At Aquaculture – Driving Sustainable Growth, I’ll share our perspective on why semi-closed containment plays a key part in our sector’s quest for an ever more economic, efficient, sustainable, and environmentally friendly way to farm fish.”

Also among the speakers at the must-attend Icelandic gathering is Jan Eric Haagensen, Senior Director of Scandinavia, Moleaer Bio, who will highlight significant improvements in real world aquaculture technology.

Jan Eric said: “I’m looking forward to discussing how Moleaer’s data‑backed nanobubble oxygenation technology is helping operators improve dissolved oxygen control, reduce energy use, and support higher welfare standards across aquaculture operations.”

Maintaining optimal dissolved oxygen levels during well-boat transportation has emerged as one of the most critical welfare challenges, where compromised water quality can lead to significant stress and mortality.

As Jan Eric will point out, the technology’s key advantages – no moving parts, low maintenance, inline and submersible options, compatibility with saltwater and freshwater, and seamless integration – has seen industry leaders including Mowi, SalMar, Salmon Evolution, AquaFarm Equipment and Gigante Salmon chose Moleaer as their gas injection solution provider.

The opportunity to harness AI to deliver real-time control of water and production conditions will be highlighted by Paw Petersen, CEO of OxyGuard International, who has spent more than 25 years in the development of technologies that support more sustainable, data-driven aquaculture production.

The specialist company takes part in selected research-based development projects in close collaboration with research institutions and industry partners, and Paw will outline one such partnership with DTU, the Technical University of Denmark, which examined if acoustic monitoring with AI could help better understand fish feeding

Paw said: “I’m really looking forward to IceFish and the opportunity to share how we at OxyGuard are working with data in practice. For me, it’s not about technology for the sake of it, but about making everyday operations easier and more reliable.

“When we move from monitoring to actually using data for decisions, we give farmers better control, less uncertainty and a stronger foundation for both performance and sustainability.”

A further contribution on the nutrition front will come from Dr. Christian Lückstädt, ADDCON Green Chemistry’s Technical Director for the business unit ‘Feed’. He is the sole editor of the books Acidifiers in Animal Nutrition and Standards for acids – Principles for the use of organic acids in animal nutrition, and has published numerous articles in that field, including book chapter and review papers on the use of organic acids in aquaculture.

In what is clearly a packed day, the Conference will also be hearing from Nils Rabe, the Global Sales Director Fish at BAADER. With a strong background in processing and project management, he plays a key role in advancing innovation and efficiency within the global seafood industry by helping partners optimize the use of BAADER’s cutting-edge equipment and solutions.

He was previously CEO of BAADER North America, where he successfully led the regional business and strengthened its market presence.

Meanwhile, Dr. Bogdan Vornicu is a highly accomplished Senior Biologist with over 12 years of experience in water quality, environmental monitoring, and regulatory affairs within the aquaculture sector.

He combines deep scientific expertise with a proven track record of operational leadership. Throughout his career, notably as Water Quality Manager at MOWI Canada West where his oversight of water quality risk factors and biomass production optimization led to savings in operational costs, Bogdan has been at the forefront of driving sustainable growth.

His work directly aligns with the themes of the IceFish 2026 Conferences, particularly in developing R&D methodologies for life support technologies and implementing real-time environmental risk reviews.

This year’s 15th edition of IceFish will include the dedicated one-day Aquaculture –Driving Sustainable Growth Conference on 22 September, followed by two full days of 100% Fish for Profit, 23-24 September, alongside the three-day IceFish Exhibition 2026.

Main Images © Icefish

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