Dear President, Ministers,

First, let me thank all Member States that have actively contributed to the preparation of the communication campaign on aquaculture with the motto: “EU aquaculture: we work for you with passion”. Special thanks to those Member States that were members of the dedicated task force together with the Aquaculture Advisory Council.

The growth and competitiveness of EU aquaculture rely largely on social acceptance and recognition of the benefits and value of aquaculture activities and products.

Communicating about EU aquaculture is therefore crucially important, and this campaign is one of the key actions to ensure the effective implementation of the strategic guidelines on aquaculture adopted by the Commission in 2021.

While EU citizens regularly consume aquaculture products, a negative perception of aquaculture activities by stakeholders, especially at the local level, often poses a barrier to the licensing and establishment of new aquaculture facilities.

This is why it is so important to raise awareness among EU citizens about the benefits of aquaculture, such as:

• providing local, low-carbon, and healthy food, complementing the supply by fisheries;
• creating jobs in coastal and rural areas, including the most remote ones; and,
• in the case of certain types of aquaculture, such as extensive fish farming in ponds and the farming of shellfish and algae, providing environmental benefits and helping mitigate climate change impacts.

It is also important to inform EU citizens about the strict regulations governing aquaculture activities in the Member States. This may help dispel misconceptions about aquacultures impact on the environment, food safety, and animal health and welfare.

The campaign focuses on the “human aspect”, showcasing dedicated EU aquaculture producers and how they contribute to providing healthy and local food, as well as creating jobs, maintaining traditions, and introducing innovation in the communities where they work.

Let me stress that the real success of this campaign depends on its dissemination at the national level. This will ensure that we reach as many citizens as possible.

I therefore count on your support to make this campaign a national one too.

The Commission will launch the campaign at an event that I will host tomorrow morning. I am looking forward to welcoming some of you to this event, which will also see participation from representatives of other EU institutions, aquaculture producers, retailers, and other interest groups. The event will be web-streamed, so I encourage all of you to publicize it as widely as possible.

I take this opportunity to thank the Member States that have already contacted us to prepare the dissemination of the campaign at the national level. I strongly encourage others to do the same.

My team and my services are at your disposal to assist you in this regard. Aquaculture producers work for us with passion. I count on all of you to share our commitment and passion to make this campaign a success.

Thank you.