European Commission promotes EU aquaculture at Edinburgh conference
Fish farmed in the European Union is among the best in the world: a tasty, high-quality dish produced according to the world’s strictest health and environmental standards. European aquaculture is also a sector with vast growth potential: today, 57% of the farmed fish consumed in the EU is imported.
To promote sustainable European aquaculture further, the European Commission set up shop at the Aquaculture Europe 2016 conference in Edinburgh this week. The conference, organised by the European Aquaculture Society, brought together 1700 attendees, including researchers, national authorities, aquaculture producers and technology developers, many of whom stopped by the Commission stand to learn more about the EU’s activities in this field.
The Commission used the opportunity to promote its Farmed in the EU campaign, which aims to raise awareness of the quality and sustainability of European aquaculture among European consumers, in particular schoolchildren.
The Commission also informed visitors about funding opportunities available for sustainable aquaculture projects under EU funding instruments like the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) and Horizon 2020.
Finally, the Commission presented initiatives to help Member States cut red tape for fish farmers, who can face long application processing times and high costs.
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Infographic Aquaculture in the EU
Source: DG MARE