The Aquaculture Advisory Council (AAC), which is partially funded by the European Union, has released its second recommendations on how to bolster sustainable aquaculture in the E.U.
The recommendations come as the European Commission is planning to draft new guidelines for sustainable aquaculture development in 2020. That new draft is in the wake of multiple other reports that showcased the lack of growth in E.U. aquaculture.
A 2009 report by the E.U. found that the region’s aquaculture sector hadn’t grown since 2002. Then, another report, in 2018, reached similar conclusions and identified that European aquaculture is “stagnating,” according to a release by the AAC.
“The past efforts have de facto not had the desired impact,” the AAC release states. “The Aquaculture Advisory Council (AAC) has found that the main reasons have been the failure by public authorities to address specific key challenges and insufficient implementation by those of the guidelines.”
In light of the AAC’s findings, the council has released six main recommendations to the E.U. and its member states, with each recommendation including a number of additional bullet points.
Those recommendations are as follows:
- Securing sustainable growth in aquaculture through optimizing the licensing procedures.
- Enhancing the competitiveness of E.U. aquaculture.
- Establishing a level playing field.
- Improving the social acceptability and its products.
- Improving the integration of aquaculture into the environment.
- Studying the specificities of shellfish farming.
Each category goes into much greater detail. For example, under “securing sustainable growth,” the AAC recommends that coordinated special planning for waters and land be put in place, along with the adequate allocation of resources and space for sustainable aquaculture growth. The category also includes suggestions on the collection of adequate information on institutions involved, licenses granted, and more.
“This recommendation lists specific actions that have been agreed by consensus in the AAC,” the council states. “The AAC recommends that these actions be included by the European Commission in its next Strategic Guidelines document for the sustainable development of European aquaculture and that the Member states take the recommended actions on board.”
Photo by Leo Kirchmaier, courtesy of the Aquaculture Advisory Council
