FAQ

Yes, it is feasible, but technical, engineering and cost challenges remain. The future development of offshore or exposed ocean aquaculture will depend on the technology that is implemented to overcome the extreme conditions of the oceanic climate, the logistical problems to bring feed and other inputs to the farm, the development of offshore working platforms and the remote control of the platforms based in the internet of things (IoT) to communicate and to manage the platforms with optimisation systems based on artificial intelligence.

Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA) is a type of aquaculture where several aquatic species from different trophic levels (eg. fish, seaweed, shellfish or other invertebrates) are farmed in close proximity in the same production system to improve efficiency, reduce waste and provide ecosystem services, such as bioremediation.

The ‘Strategic guidelines for a more sustainable and competitive EU aquaculture for the period 2021 to 2030’ promote IMTA, among other types of aquacultures that are most beneficial for the environment and the climate.

IMTA can cover many different types of aquaculture systems, such as land-based aquaculture systems (e.g. ponds) and net pens systems (e.g. combination of fish farming with off-bottom and on-bottom systems for bivalve molluscs and seaweed production). However, the aim is always to increase environmental sustainability, economic stability and social acceptability, within holistic and circular economy approaches.

IMTA systems enhance aquaculture sustainability by mimicking natural nutrient cycles. In these systems, the organic matter that is not used by one species, such as fish, becomes a resource for others, like seaweed and molluscs, which use the nutrients to grow. The effectiveness of the system depends on environmental factors, such as nutrient levels in the area, food availability and hydrodynamics.

Several challenges remain in the adoption of IMTA. For example, according with the EU legislation, aquaculture animals cannot be feed on waste, which means that the legal framework in force invalidate models where fish are combined with certain filter feeders and detritivores species (low trophic species as bivalve molluscs and sea cucumbers) which recycle the nutrients from fish uneaten feed and faeces. To assess and help address these challenges the EU is funding several projects on IMTA such as Astral (https://www.astral-project.eu/ ) and AquaVitae (https://aquavitaeproject.eu/).

In 2020, EU aquaculture production reached a total of 1,2 million tonnes, with a value of EUR 3,9 billion. At that time, the main aquaculture species produced were sea mussels (19% of total EU production), rainbow trout (17%), blue mussels (11%), Pacific cupped oysters (9%), gilthead seabream (8%), Mediterranean mussels (7%), European seabass (7%), common carp (7%) and Atlantic bluefin tuna (3%). These nine species account for 87% of the total EU aquaculture production in weight (STECF 22-17-EU).

EU aquaculture products are produced according to high quality and sustainability standards because there is a large body of EU legislation in place covering different issues which aquaculture producers have to comply with (e.g. legislation on animal health, animal welfare, food safety, feed safety, veterinary treatments, water quality, legislation on the introduction of non-native or locally absent species, etc).

Research is ongoing on this subject. For example, the EU-funded project “Diversify” has identified as species most important for increasing the productive diversification of European aquaculture Meagre (Argyrosomus regius), Greater amberjack (Seriola dumerilii), pikeperch (Sander lucioperca), Atlantic halibut (Hippoglossus hippoglossus), Wreckfish (Polyprion americanus), Grey mullet (Mugil cephalus). Other EU-funded projects are also looking into the potential for further diversification of species, including low-trophic species (see AquaVitae (https://aquavitaeproject.eu/). Diversification must be undertaken in acknowledgement of market demand and international trade in aquatic food products.

Algae offer a large potential, but production in Europe is currently still low. The Commission adopted in 2022 the Communication ‘Towards a strong and sustainable EU algae sector', so-called EU Algae Initiative(https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_22_6899) which aims at unlocking the potential of algae in the European Union. The Communication proposes 23 actions to create opportunities for the industry to help it grow into a robust, sustainable and regenerative sector capable of meeting the growing EU demand. The European algae stakeholder platform, EU4Algae (https://maritime-forum.ec.europa.eu/en/frontpage/1727) aims to accelerate the development of a European algae industry and promote algae for nutrition and other uses among consumers and businesses in the EU.

Aquaculture products account for 27% of the consumption of aquatic food products (aquaculture and fishing) in the EU. EU aquaculture products account for 26% of those produced by the aquatic foods sector (extractive fishing and aquaculture). The percentage of aquaculture products consumed in the EU that come from EU aquaculture is 37,5% (supply balance sheet, EUMOFA 2022, https://www.eumofa.eu/supply-balance).

Total organic aquaculture production at the EU level in 2020 is estimated at 74.032 tonnes, accounting for 6,4% of the total EU aquaculture production (Organic aquaculture in the EU, (EUMOFA 2022, https://www.eumofa.eu/documents/20178/432372/Organic+aquaculture+in+the…).

In EU 27 the most important countries are Spain, France, Greece, Italy, and Poland with 70% of aquaculture production.

The countries that contribute the most to European production (EEA39) are Norway (approximately 46 % of total European production), followed by Spain, Turkey, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, and Greece. These seven countries account for 90 % of all aquaculture production in Europe. (FAO 2022).

When compared to aquaculture growth at world level, EU production has been almost stagnant.

The growth rate of fish aquaculture in EU-27 since 2000 has been exceptionally low, with fish aquaculture growing at 1,1% per year (annual average growth) and molluscs species at 2,8%. If Norway and Turkey are included, the total amount increases to 4%. At the global level, fish aquaculture annual average growth is at 4,3%. (FAO, 2022, https://www.fao.org/fishery/en/topic/166235).

Precision aquaculture is a technologically sophisticated approach in the aquaculture sector aimed at incorporating advanced tools and methodologies to boost the autonomy of monitoring both biotic and abiotic variables in the facilities, fostering a more efficient farm management. The objective is to elevate the standards of animal welfare, mitigate environmental impacts and enhance the economic viability of aquaculture facilities. Precision aquaculture aims to empower producers to monitor more efficiently and document biological processes inherent to their facilities and is characterized by the integration of cutting-edge sensor technologies, statistical analysis methodologies, and sophisticated artificial intelligence (AI) technologies.