EU Recommendations and Good Practices for Sustainable Aquaculture

EU Recommendations and Good Practices for Sustainable Aquaculture

In order to promote sustainable aquaculture in the EU, the European Commission has released three new staff working documents. Three key topics are covered in the documents:

1. Access to space and water for freshwater and land-based aquaculture;
2. Climate-change adaptation in the EU aquaculture sector;
3. Energy transition in the EU aquaculture sector.

The first Staff Working Document (available at Access to space and water for freshwater and land-based aquaculture), which complements the previous Commission publication from April 2024 on planning access to space and water for marine aquaculture, focuses on the challenges facing inland aquaculture, particularly access to space and water.

The purpose of the second Staff Working Document (available at Climate-change adaptation in the EU aquaculture sector) is to support Member States and the aquaculture sector in creating Climate Adaptation Plans for aquaculture, explaining how aquaculture in the EU is being impacted by climate change and providing guidance on developing plans for climate adaptation. The document also includes examples of good practices for several climate adaptation measures.

The third Staff Working Document (available at Energy transition in the EU aquaculture sector) outlines the main energy use in the aquaculture sector along with recommendations for decarbonization. The publication takes a practical approach, listing good practices and highlighting EU-funded projects actively involved in the decarbonisation of aquaculture.