The European Inland Fisheries Advisory Commission organized on 29-30 May 1980 a symposium on new developments in the utilization of heated effluents and of recirculation systems for intensive aquaculture, in Stavanger, Norway. There were six consecutive technical sessions during which the various topics were introduced and discussed. These topics referred to water quality, engineering/technology of equipment facilities, biology of cultured organisms, management/economics of rearing systems and socio-economics. A series of recommendations were made, six of them being later endorsed by the Commission at its Eleventh Session. These include (i) the establishment of a working party to analyze the problems related to fish farms effluents (ii) the activation of a correspondence group to propose terminology, format and units of measurement related to flow-through systems and to recirculation systems (iii) the preparation of a code of practice on the introduction of non-indigenous species.

The session reviewed EIFAC activities since 1988 in the fields of fishery biology and management, fish culture and diseases and water pollution control. EIFAC decided its future programme of work, and in particular the activities which should be carried out until the session scheduled to take place in Switzerland in 1992.

EIFAC reviewed in depth the status and future direction of the inland fisheries and aquaculture sectors of Europe. The session reviewed EIFAC's activities since 1992 in the fields of fishery biology and management, fish culture and diseases and water pollution control.