Jeddah, 21 May 2026 — The Regional Organization for the Conservation of the Environment of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden (PERSGA) successfully completed a three-day regional training workshop on Environmentally Sensitive Aquaculture, held virtually from 19 to 21 May 2026. The workshop, organized under the SFISH project, the workshop brought together more than 40 participants representing all PERSGA member states, including national authorities, research institutions, and aquaculture specialists from all over the region. The training was led by Dr. Francis Murray, Consultant and Honorary Lecturer at the Institute of Aquaculture, University of Stirling, United Kingdom, with the active support of PERSGA’s technical team.

Workshop Background and Objectives

The workshop was designed to build regional capacity in environmentally responsible aquaculture governance, in line with Article 10 of PERSGA’s Regional Protocol, which provides the framework for environmentally sensitive aquaculture development across the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. The training aimed to equip participants with the knowledge and tools necessary to promote sustainable aquaculture while protecting the region’s unique and ecologically sensitive marine habitats, including coral reefs, seagrass beds, and mangroves.

The five main learning objectives of the workshop were:
• Understanding the provisions and requirements of PERSGA’s Regional Protocol Article 10 on aquaculture;
• Building foundational knowledge of aquaculture production systems and their environmental implications;
• Reviewing global and regional seafood supply and demand trends and their relevance to the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden;
• Examining regional commercial aquaculture case studies and lessons learned;
• Mastering environmental planning and regulatory frameworks for sustainable aquaculture siting and management.