Inauguration of the Aquaponics Training Facility at the University of Montpellier

[Press Release] - Published on July 3, 2023 in Press Room

On Wednesday, July 5, 2023, starting at 11 a.m., the University of Montpellier will inaugurate its brand-new aquaponics training facility at the Mediterranean Coastal Environment Station in Sète, in the presence of Philippe Augé, President of the University of Montpellier; Éric Servat, Director of the Montpellier Environmental Research Observatory (OSU OREME); Laurence Weil, Director of the Continuing Education Department (SFC UM), and François Pierrot, Deputy Director of the Strategic and Structural Investments Committee. 

Aquaculture is a sector growing at a rate of 5 to 10% annually worldwide, with an annual production of approximately 125 million tons. In recent years, aquaculture production has surpassed that of wild-caught fisheries. This rapidly expanding sector aims to reach 200 million tons per year by 2030 and currently employs 70 million people.

To provide training and help professionals in this sector develop their skills, the University of Montpellier is launching an aquaponics training program.

Meeting market needs

The professional training program in aquaculture offered by the University of Montpellier’s Continuing Education Department (SFC-UM), based at the Mediterranean Coastal Environment Station (SMEL) in Sète, covers planning, operations, and development activities related to aquatic living resources and the management of their environment (aquaculture, aquaponics, recreation and culture, public aquariums, etc.).

The foundation of this training program is to meet market needs, leverage research-based knowledge, draw on the expertise of researchers and our transnational professional network, and provide multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary skills that are applied throughout the training courses. This comprehensive approach was designed within the regional ecosystem, which brings together research and higher education institutions specializing in Mediterranean and tropical agricultural development (IFREMER, IRD, CIRAD, CNRS, IRSTEA, INRAE, etc.). 

Keywords: Agriculture, Training, Innovation