Consensus - Sustainable Aquaculture

EU - A unique European meeting for sustainable aquaculture development that confirmed the health benefits of seafood consumption.

More than 100 stakeholders met between 21st and 23rd November 2005 in a special European Workshop dedicated to sustainable aquaculture development, including consumer groups, sectoral representatives of European aquaculture, scientists and institutional interests.

Held in Ostend (Belgium), within the work programme of the “Consensus” project, this landmark event was organised to meet the strategic objective of this European project, which is to provide consumers with, and demonstrate the benefits of high quality, safe and nutritious farmed fish.

It allowed stakeholders from 16 countries to present and discuss their views on seafood consumption and sustainable aquaculture development – a first for any European food production sector.

“Consensus” is a European project, funded under the Food Quality and Safety Action of the 6th Framework Programme, which has created a multi-stakeholder platform for sustainable aquaculture development in Europe.

This platform involves representatives of the aquaculture production and feed supply sectors, scientific expertise and consumer and environmental interest groups and whose common goal is to promote excellence in aquaculture for the benefit of the European consumer.

Courtney Hough, General Secretary of the Federation of European Aquaculture Producers (FEAP) noted that “The production of EU aquaculture continues to rise steadily, representing more than 1.3 million tons of fish and shellfish, worth more than €3 billion in 2004.

When one adds the production of neighbouring European countries, such as Norway and Iceland, the production figure exceeds 2 million tons, where over 1.3 million is food fish. The contribution of aquaculture to the European consumer, in the face of declining fisheries landings, is increasingly important and it also provides a valuable contribution to rural and coastal economies throughout Europe.

The European Commission set out a Strategy for the Sustainable Development of European Aquaculture in 2002 and, as a complement to this, the Consensus project has, as one of its key goals, to define clearly the indices for sustainable aquaculture in Europe.”

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Source: innovations-report

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