Deakin will join forces with Aquaculture without Frontiers (AwF) to bring sustainable aquaculture farming to developing areas.

Deakin School of Life and Environmental Sciences associate head Giovanni Turchini said the collaboration would involve research projects between the university’s aquaculture and marine science experts and AwF. 

It will also give students hands-on learning while they contributed to communities by helping introduce sustainable aquaculture practices.

There are also plans to launch training or short-course workshops at Warrnambool using the new networks.

“We are keenly anticipating the opportunities this will provide for Deakin students to undertake student placements and research projects with the support of AwF centres around the world,” Associate Professor Turchini said.

He said AwF supports responsible and sustainable aquaculture to alleviate poverty and malnutrition and to enhance food security for disadvantaged people.

AwF Australia chair Katherine Hawes said the organisation’s partnership with Deakin was one of the first actions of the newly-established Australian arm of the global organisation. 

“We aim to be a catalyst for change as a means to improve the nutrition and health of people and to foster social and economic development through supporting responsible and sustainable aquaculture,” she said.

“In the decades to come, aquaculture is likely to underpin the future health of all humans by providing the essential nutrients and vitamins currently missing from many diets, and at an affordable price.”

Associate Professor Turchini said Deakin’s main aquaculture activities in Warrnambool were close to the birthplace of aquaculture, by indigenous Australians thousands of years ago. 

“We aim to kick off the partnership with an indigenous symposium in the first semester of 2015,” he said.