The Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans of the European Union (EU), Costas Kadis, launched recently an EU-wide campaign about aquaculture in the continent: its name, “EU aquaculture. We work for you with passion”. The campaign, developed in collaboration with Member States and the Aquaculture Advisory Council, focuses on raising awareness, understanding and support for the development of aquaculture -the farming of fish, shellfish and algae- in the EU.
Under the rallying title “EU aquaculture. We work for you with passion”, the campaign will, over the next three months, showcase the dedication and commitment of European producers to sustainable aquaculture and to providing high-quality products. It will also show the benefits of developing this activity in the EU. “By increasing production within the EU, we can reduce our dependence on imports for food and boost local economies,” they said.
The campaign features nine different species (mussels, trout, clams, sea bream, oysters, carp, salmon, meagre, and seaweed) and many aquaculture producers. The objective, through videos, educational content, and a road trip around EU aquaculture sites, is to give the public will gain a better understanding of how the sector works, its benefits, and live an immersive experience “from farm to plate”.
At the launch event in Brussels, Commissioner Kadis joined by Maria Panayiotou, Minister of Agriculture, Rural development and Environment, Cyprus; Jacek Czerniak, State Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Poland; Paulo Do Nascimento Cabral, Member of the PECH Committee in the European Parliament, Piotr Całbecki, Chair of the NAT Commission, European Committee of the Regions; Piroska Kállay, President of the Permanent Group on Sustainable Food Systems, European Economic and Social Committee, several aquaculture producers from across the EU and a Belgian retailer.
Agriculture and Fisheries Council
Before the public presentation, Costas Kadis spoke about the communication campaign at a public session of the Agriculture and Fisheries Council (AGRIFISH), where he recalled that the aquaculture sector and its competitiveness depend to a large extent on public acceptance and thus on the recognition of the value of its activities and products.
European citizens very often consume aquaculture products, the Commissioner pointed out, but their opinion of the activity is often negative, which makes it difficult – especially in areas with aquaculture potential – for new aquaculture establishments to be set up’; and this is an important reason for raising EU citizens’ awareness of its benefits.
The goal of this campaign is to help raise awareness, understanding, and support for the development of aquaculture in the EU by showcasing the people behind the sector – aquaculture producers – and their role in sustainable food production and in the communities where they live and work.
In his speech, Commissioner said that ‘the real success’ of this campaign depends on its dissemination at national level, ‘which would ensure that we reach as many citizens as possible’, hence his call for Member States to work at national level with this campaign.
No Growth in the European Union since 2018
We are talking about an activity that provides local, healthy and nutritious food with reduced impact on the environment and in some cases even contributes to mitigating the impact of climate change. It is also an activity that creates jobs in local coastal communities and allows the areas where they are established to move forward, he added.
While aquaculture production is on the rise worldwide, in the EU it has not grown since 2018. Among the main obstacles for the growth of aquaculture in the EU are the lack of social acceptance for new aquaculture sites and insufficient awareness of the importance and benefits of this activity for EU citizens.
