What is aquaculture?
Aquaculture is about growing fish, shellfish, and even algae in water – whether it’s fresh or marine water or somewhere in between. It’s one of the fastest-growing food sectors, and it’s becoming key to feeding the world and boosting economies.
But that’s not all! Some types of aquaculture can also help preserve and restore aquatic ecosystems and reduce the impact of climate change.
Aquaculture is diverse! It can take place on land using manmade or natural bodies of water, in the ocean or in brackish waters. Freshwater trout is often raised in artificial raceways, while carp grows in ponds.
Marine species like salmon, sea bream, sea bass and meagre are farmed in net pens at sea. Shellfish and seaweed, meanwhile, are attached to rope lines and suspended in the sea to grow in sheltered bays until they are large enough to be harvested.
Benefits of EU aquaculture
Creates jobsSupports local economies and traditions
Reduces importsSource of high-quality fish and seafood
Food produced closer to homeLess impact on the environment
How is the EU making aquaculture more sustainable?
The EU aquaculture guidelines support a vision for a sustainable and competitive aquaculture. These guidelines
- make it easier to access space and water, so EU aquaculture can keep growing
- minimise the impact of aquaculture and promote more environmentally friendly types of aquaculture
- improve animal health and welfare standards
- help aquaculture adapt to and ease the effects of climate change
- promote research, innovation and skills development
- encourage diversification of production to include new promising species such as algae or marine invertebrates (molluscs, sea urchins or sea cucumbers)
Facts about EU aquaculture
In 2022, the EU aquaculture sector had a share of just under 1% of the global production.
In 2022, the value of aquaculture production in the EU was an estimated €4.8 billion.
In 2022,73,000 people worked in aquaculture.
The EU relies on imports, with over 70% of the fish and shellfish we eat coming from outside our borders.
Most aquaculture takes place in four EU countries: Spain (24%), France (18%), Greece (12%) and Italy (10%), which together produce 64 % of the EU’s total output.
The most cultivated species are mussels, trout, oysters, seabream, seabass and carp. Shellfish, especially mussels, oysters and clams, make up more than half of the EU’s total aquaculture production.