International Artemia Aquaculture Consortium

The technical proceedings of two historical brine shrimp symposiums (Corpus Christi USA, 1979 and Antwerp Belgium, 1987) have been digitised by the Flanders Marine Institute, and are available for free download. The proceedings are:

1. The brine shrimp Artemia: Proceedings of the International Symposium on the brine shrimp Artemia salina, Corpus Christi, Texas, USA, August 20-23, 1979, and 2. Artemia research and its applications: Proceedings of the Second International Symposium on the brine shrimp Artemia, Antwerp, Belgium, 1987.

An article by Leia Larsen and Levi Bridges for the Great Salt Lake Collaborative describes the role that brine shrimp play in supporting global food networks. The Great Salt Lake remains the world's larges single source of brine shrimp cysts, but water levels are at an historic low.

An article by Emma Penrod for the Great Salt Lake Collaborative, describes the world-class conservation and management of the Great Salt Lake and its Artemia populations, and its role as a case study for successful management of aquatic ecosystems.

Artemia is a critical food resource for the hatchery production of larval fish and crustaceans, underpinning around 10 million tonnes of aquaculture produce per year. The Great Salt Lake, Utah, provides around 40-45% of world Artemia cyst supplies. A video report by KSL TV5 discusses the conservation and management of the Great Salt Lake and its role in global food security.

From 11-13 July 2023, the first "Sustainable Development and Utilisation of Artemia Resources" training course was successfully held in Tianjin, China. The training course was organised by the Asian Regional Artemia Reference Center (ARARC), with the support of the Artemia Association of the China Aquatic Products Processing and Marketing Alliance.

The course contains theoretical, practical, and operational training on Artemia cyst processing and quality control, effective utilisation of Artemia as live food in hatcheries, and Artemia pond culture techniques, aiming to promote the sustainable exploration of Artemia resources and their application in larviculture. Nearly one hundred trainees from over thirty enterprises, institutes, and universities across the country participated in the training. The comprehensive coverage of the training course was well recognised by the trainees.

The first conference of the International Artemia Aquaculture Consortium will be organized on September 9, 2024 in Ostend, Belgium. The 8th International Fish & Shellfish Larviculture Symposium - Larvi ’24 - will be organised at the same venue in Ostend from 9-12 September 2024.

A more detailed first announcement with call for presentations will be mailed in the first week of October 2023. A preliminary website has been opened where you can register your interest to participate in this event.

Presentation by Simon Wilkinson, Network of Aquaculture Centres in Asia-Pacific, at the Seminar on Artemia Research and Production, 28 July 2023, Putrajaya, Malaysia.

Presentation by Prof. Naser Agh, Artemia and Aquaculture Research Institute, Urmia University, at the Seminar on Artemia Research and Production, 28 July 2023, Putrajaya, Malaysia.

Presentation by Prof. Annelies Declercq, Laboratory of Aquaculture & Artemia Reference Centre, Ghent University, at the Seminar on Artemia Research and Production, 28 July 2023, Putrajaya, Malaysia.

Presentation by Prof. Sui Liying, Asian Regional Artemia Reference Centre, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, China, at the Seminar on Artemia Research and Production, 28 July 2023, Putrajaya, Malaysia.

SALT LAKE CITY, May 15, 2023 – Utah’s Great Salt Lake brine shrimp fishery has officially achieved the Marine Stewardship Council's (MSC) sustainable wild fishery certification, making it the first inland fishery in the United States to earn this prestigious certification.

Brine shrimp (Artemia franciscana) are a small, shrimp-like crustacean that live in hypersaline lake environments and are a vital part of the lake's ecosystem, serving as a food source for numerous bird species and providing an important source of income for local fishermen.

The MSC certification process is rigorous and requires fisheries to meet strict standards for sustainable fishing practices, environmental impact, and management. The Great Salt Lake brine shrimp fishery underwent a thorough 8-month assessment by an independent, third-party certifier and was found to meet MSC's criteria for environmentally sustainability fishing practices.

Presentation by Prof. Patrick Sorgeloos, Ghent University, at the SDG-aligned Artemia Aquaculture Workshop, 22 September 2021.

Presentation by Thomas Bosteels, Great Salt Lake Brine Shrimp Cooperative, at the SDG-aligned Artemia Aquaculture Workshop held 22 September 2021.

Presentation by Gonzalo Gajardo, Los Lagos University, Chile, at the SDG-aligned Artemia Aquaculture Workshop, 22 September 2021.

With the expansion of hatchery production, the demand for Artemia cysts has continued to increase. Annual consumption is now estimated at 3,500 – 4,000 tonnes, underpinning the production of over 900 billion crustacean post larvae and fish fry by a hatchery industry valued at more than USD 2 billion and the final production of over 10 million tonnes of high-value aquaculture species. With approximately 90 percent of the current Artemia production harvested from inland salt lakes, the future of the hatchery industry could be at risk and requires urgent attention. The workshop explored needs and opportunities for a new international initiative to guarantee a more sustainable provision of Artemia, both from farmed and natural sources.

Presentation by Gilbert Van Stappen, Ghent University, at the SDG-aligned Artemia Aquaculture Workshop, 22 September 2021.

To launch the new International Artemia Aquaculture Consortium, led by Patrick Sorgeloos, this conference series brings together professionals working on Artemia from all around the world. This event was a presentation on the world of Artemia for Saxon Bosworth, who was researching Artemia for an article for National Geographic. A video recording of the presentations is enclosed.