On Tuesday 25 March, the European Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans, Costas Kadis, launched an EU-wide campaign about aquaculture in the EU.
This campaign, developed in collaboration with the Member States and the Aquaculture Advisory Council, focuses on raising awareness, understanding and support for the development of aquaculture (fish, shellfish and algae in the European Union.
Under the unifying title ‘EU Aquaculture. We work for you with passion’, this campaign will showcase, over the next three months, the dedication and commitment of EU producers to sustainable aquaculture and to providing high-quality products. By increasing production within the EU, “we can reduce our dependence on imports for food and boost local economies”, says the Commission.
The campaign features nine different species (mussels, trout, clams, sea bream, oysters, carp, salmon, meagre and seaweed) and numerous aquaculture producers. Videos will allow for a better understanding of how the sector works.
The strategic guidelines for aquaculture are a clear roadmap to go even further and adopt best practices and innovations to boost sustainability and resilience, said Mr Kadis. “We are assessing the implementation of the EU strategic guidelines for aquaculture, four years after their adoption”, he said in his speech (https://aeur.eu/f/g3i ).
At the Fisheries Council on Monday 24 March, thirteen EU countries (including Spain, Portugal, Greece, Italy, Germany, Ireland and Belgium) backed the launch of this European campaign, which they considered “fundamental”. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)