A new E.U.-wide marketing campaign, "EU aquaculture: We work for you with passion," has the potential to both demystify fish farming in the bloc and give the sector a more positive perception among the region’s consumers, according to the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (DG MARE).
The campaign, in part, responds to a recent Eurobarometer survey which found that Europeans are not consuming recommended quantities of seafood, with just one-third of the E.U. population now eating fish once a week.
The same analysis also determined that only 8 percent of Europeans currently favor fish from aquaculture, while 36 percent of its respondents state a preference for wild-caught; 31 percent expressed indifference. A further finding was that 78 percent have noticed an increase in seafood prices, with 49 percent tending to switch to other meats or proteins when prices increase.
Speaking at the campaign’s unveiling on 25 March, DG MARE Director for Maritime Policy and Blue Economy Delilah Al Khudhairy said the campaign aims to show the vital role aquaculture plays in Europeans’ daily lives and in the future of the region, particularly in the context of food security.
“It is much more than public communication. It’s also an opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to a sector that holds immense potential for our economy, our livelihoods, our coastal and rural communities across the E.U., our sustainable food systems and food security, and also our environment and the climate,” she said. “We are recognizing the dedication of our aquaculture producers, who, very importantly, every day, bring consistently sustainable, high-quality, safe food to our tables. Aquaculture is about much more than food production. It is about food sovereignty, it is about reducing our reliance on imports, it is about tradition and innovation, it is about strengthening our local economies and supporting our coastal and rural communities, and it is also about ensuring future generations have access to healthy, nutritious food, and quality jobs in their communities. These are not abstract goals. These are tangible benefits that impact all of us all the time.”
Though Al Khudhairy said there’s a “running thread of optimism and passion” coursing through the industry, she explained the industry faces many challenges to scaling production.
“While progress is being made, we must be candid. We are still far away from where we need to be. E.U. aquaculture is lagging behind global trends, and the gap between domestic production and consumer demand remains far too wide. This is where communication becomes a very powerful tool in our hands,” Al Khudhairy said. “The campaign we are launching is not just about raising awareness; it's about changing perceptions, it is about inspiring confidence, it's about building momentum for the sector, and it's about giving a voice to our esteemed aquaculture producers, whose work exemplifies sustainability, innovation, and excellence.”
Besides the marketing campaign, she insisted the industry will be better supported through bloc-wide efforts such as the E.U. Strategic Guidelines for Aquaculture, which should provide “a clear roadmap” to support aquaculture growth in the E.U. and enhance sustainability, competitiveness, and reliance on and resilience of the sector across member states.
Some of these bloc-wide efforts look to reduce administrative burdens that producers face, while other endeavors look to foster investment and encourage good practices.
DG MARE Director-General Charlina Vitcheva said that although the strategic guidelines were issued by the European Commission in 2021, there has not been much growth in the sector, making the marketing campaign more essential now than ever.
“Against the background of galloping development of aquaculture globally, unfortunately in the European Union, we’ve witnessed a kind of stagnation,” Vitcheva said. “We have aquaculture production amounting to 1.2 million tons, with a value of EUR 4.8 billion [USD 5.2 billion]. In terms of value, it has been increasing, but in terms of volume, unfortunately not. If we frame our aquaculture sector against the global [production], it is less than 1 percent of the [total] so we have grounds to increase. In terms of value, it is a bit higher but still only around 1 percent.”
Meanwhile, the bloc is importing 70 percent of the aquatic food it consumes, she said, adding that E.U. aquaculture is a reliable, efficient way to increase domestic volume.
DG MARE further said that making the high standards of safety and the healthy status of the food that the Union produces publicly clear will help boost the profile of its aquaculture producers.
“We have to not only be transparent with the qualities our own foods have but also be demanding on the import side so that there’s a level playing field for our producers. [Alongside this] transparency, we have to explain all the time the benefits of our aquaculture,” Vitcheva said. “We have this 8 percent [consumer preference for aquaculture products] that we have to tackle – it's really quite low. This price indicator [analysis] is a bit frightening. By popularizing the quality of the food that comes from aquaculture, we can change minds whereby consumers are considering not just the price but also the origin – coming from inside Europe – and the guarantees given for its safety.”
