International Artemia Aquaculture Consortium

Profile

The European Commission (EC) Directorate-General for International Partnerships (DG INTPA) oversees initiatives aimed at reducing poverty, promoting sustainable growth, and addressing global challenges such as climate change and food security. The EC funds research and innovation in agriculture through programmes like DeSIRA (Development Smart Innovation through Research in Agriculture), which supports science-based solutions for resilient and sustainable food systems.

Through DeSIRA, the EU allocated approximately €2.5 million to the Artemia4Bangladesh project implemented by WorldFish, aiming to introduce integrated salt and Artemia production systems in Bangladesh and improve marine aquaculture productivity in Cox’s Bazar. 

The Artemia4Bangladesh initiative ran from 2020 to 2023, focusing on climate-smart aquaculture by developing Artemia pond culture. It demonstrated the feasibility of producing Artemia biomass and cysts on artisanal salt farms - producing hundreds of kilograms of biomass, supplying hatcheries, and empowering families through homestead-level aquaculture diversification.