| Project Detail |
Fishing for sustainable aquaculture
Farming finfish, shellfish and aquatic plants is one of the worlds fastest growing food sectors. In Europe, aquaculture accounts for about 20 % of fish production and directly employs some 70 000 people. The EU-funded EATFISH project will address current and future challenges related to competition in the market, sustainability, disease in aquaculture systems and governance. Backed by a multidisciplinary consortium composed of universities, research institutes and private sector partners, the project will train researchers in socio-economic and governance aspects of aquaculture. Specifically, it will focus on the optimisation of the resource economy in European aquaculture so that it contributes to a circular bioeconomy. Moreover, it will ensure animal health and welfare and develop novel aquaculture products targeted at specific market segments.
Aquaculture is the fastest growing food sector since the 1970s and its most important purpose is to provide healthy and safe food adapted to consumer preferences. At the same time there are fundamental concerns about the ways we farm and transport food across the world, which are related to negative environmental impacts. Hence, sustainable aquaculture has been identified as the “greatest and most feasible” way to obtain adequate seafood for human consumption and achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals 2, 4, 13 and 14 on food security, quality education, climate action and use of the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development.
The objective of EATFish is a sustainable and profitable European aquaculture sector to secure healthy seafood for our growing society.
With a truly multidisciplinary consortium composed of universities, research institutes and private sector partners we propose cutting-edge research related to the biology and technical aspects of aquaculture and have a similarly large effort directed towards socio-economic and governance aspects of aquaculture. Through this overarching approach we aim to:
1. Optimise resource economy in European aquaculture, such that it contributes to a circular bioeconomy
2. Ensure animal health and welfare
3. Develop novel aquaculture products targeted to specific market segments
4. Refine aquaculture governance to facilitate sustainable development of the sector
5. Enhance the skills and competences of future aquaculture professionals
By addressing these issues, we intend to aid European aquaculture to address current and future challenges related to competition in the market place, sustainability, disease in aquaculture systems and governance. |
