News

Greek Aquaculture: Annual Report

The Hellenic Aquaculture Producers Organization (HAPO) has published the 9th Annual Aquaculture Report, presenting the evolution of the aquaculture sector in the past year.

In 2022, sales of Greek aquaculture fish showed an increase of 1% in volume and 14% in sales value compared to 2021, reaching 137,000 tons of fish, worth 744 million euros. The main species sold were sea bream and sea bass, which accounted for 92% of sales (126,700 tons), while all other species only accounted for 8% (10,300 tons).

In 2022 Greek aquaculture further strengthened the external orientation of the industry. 82% of the production was distributed to the EU and third countries, while the remaining 18% went to the domestic market. Exports showed an increase of nearly 4% in volume and 20% in sales value compared to the previous year, reaching 104,192 tons, valued at 600.6 million euros.

The implementation of co-financed production investments from the Fisheries Operational Program continued intensively, along with actions to enhance the sustainability of the industry.

The main challenges faced by the sector in 2022 include:

– intense inflationary pressures and an additional 10% increase in production costs caused by the revaluation of the raw materials used in fish feed;

-competition from Turkey, due to a significant increase of their production, and the devaluation of the Turkish lira.

The report is available in Greek and English, at the link below:

HAPO_AR23_WEB-NEW.pdf (fishfromgreece.com)

Eurofish Magazine

The Eurofish Magazine issue for September/October 2023, featuring the aquaculture sector in Türkiye and an Ukrainian aquaponics farm, has been published.

The magazine is available online at: https://eurofish.dk/magazine-issues/em-5-2023/

Revised State Aid Rules

The European Commission has adopted an amendment of the so-called ‘de minimis’ regulation for the fishery and aquaculture sector (‘Fishery de minimis Regulation‘), which includes the following changes:

• The increase in the maximum limit of state aid that a company can receive over three years, from €30,000 to €40,000;
• Only the primary production of fishery and aquaculture products will remain covered by the Fishery de minimis Regulation, whereas the processing and marketing of such products will be covered by the General de minimis Regulation;
• The recalculation of the maximum cumulative amounts of de minimis aid that can be allocated per Member State;
• Certain operations excluded from the scope of the Fishery de minimis Regulation will exceptionally be allowed for the EU’s outermost regions, in order to facilitate the modernisation of small vessels and address, among other things, safety concerns in these regions;
• The extension of the validity of the revised Fishery de minimis Regulation until 31 December 2029.

More information at: State aid (europa.eu)

EUMOFA – Online Shop Retail Prices

The European Market Observatory for Fisheries and Aquaculture Products (EUMOFA) EUMOFA team has added Romania to the online shops retail prices tool, available at the following address: https://www.eumofa.eu/ro/online-shop-retail-prices

EUMOFA collects retail prices of fish products from online shops that are representative of the national markets being monitored. In order to ensure comparability, special attention was given to selecting products that are as much as possible common across Member States. Prices are collected daily and aggregated on a weekly basis.

Hybrid Workshop on Algae Harvesting and Cultivation in Europe

The Horizon Europe CIRCALGAE project partners are organizing a hybrid workshop, focused on macroalgae production (harvesting and cultivation) in Europe.

The event will take place on 26 Oct 2023, during 14:00 – 17:00 CEST, face-to-face in Lille, France as well as online.

Registration for the workshop is available at: https://www.eventbrite.fr/e/hybrid-workshop-on-algae-harvesting-and-cultivation-in-europe-tickets-668728513987?aff=oddtdtcreator

2nd International Symposium on Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences “SOFAS 2023”

During 24 – 26 Oct 2023, in Trabzon, Türkiye, the 2nd International Symposium on Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, “SOFAS 2023” will take place.

The event is organized by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, General Directorate of Agricultural Research and Policies (TAGEM), Central Fisheries Research Institute (SUMAE) in collaboration with GFCM-General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean and FAO – Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and it will focus on aquaculture, fisheries biology and management, fish physiology, biotechnology, genetics, fish nutrition, fish health and welfare, fish pathology, seafood processing technology and other aquatic science related areas.

The previous edition of the event, which aimed to promote aquaculture techniques and practices on a larger scale in order to further the development of the sector in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea was organized in October 2022 and it gathered nearly 200 experts, scientists and academics from 23 countries.

For registration and more information regarding the event, please access the link below:

https://www.sofas.gov.tr/

Good Practice: Azerbaijan Fish Farm LLC

Azerbaijan Fish Farm LLC is the pioneer of sustainable and progressive fish breeding and caviar production in Azerbaijan.

FARMED AQUATIC FOOD FOR ALL TASTES – The journey of twelve Mediterranean and Black Sea species from farms to your plates

Farmed aquatic food for all tastes: the journey of twelve Mediterranean and Black Sea species from farms to your plates is the first publication of its kind from the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). 

The publication features twelve species, chosen for their popularity, history, importance and potential in the region: Common carp (Cyprinus carpio), Mediterranean mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis), Gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata), Flathead grey mullet (Mugil cephalus), Stony sea urchin (Paracentrotus lividus), Seaweed (Gracilaria spp. and Ulva spp.), Tilapia (Oreochromis spp.), Turbot (Scophthalmus maximus), European seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax), Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), Pacific oyster (Magallana gigas), Beluga sturgeon (Huso huso).

Through the success stories presented, the GFCM highlights the valuable contributions of small-scale farmers to building sustainable food systems and promoting food security. 

The publication is available at the following link:

 https://www.fao.org/3/cc5140en/cc5140en.pdf

EU Algae Awareness Summit

The first ever EU Algae Awareness Summit, co-organised by the European Commission, the French Government and the Global Seaweed Coalition (UN Global Compact) with the support of the Oceanographic Institute, Prince Albert I of Monaco Foundation, will be held during 5-7 October 2023 at the Maison de l’Océan in Paris.

The event aims to promote and raise awareness among EU Member States’ administrations and the general public on the benefits algae cultivation may bring to national and regional economies, to people, and to the regeneration of our Ocean.

The summit will feature high-level panel conversations, participatory group discussions, and an exhibition area with algae products and a virtual reality experience. Participants will have the opportunity to learn about algae sector developments across the world and in Europe.

Participation on 5 and 6 October will be by invitation only, but on 7th October the Maison de l’Ocean will be open to the public.

Find out more about the event at: https://maritime-forum.ec.europa.eu/node/10524#:~:text=The%20first%20ever%20EU%20Algae%20Awareness%20Summit%20will%20be%20held,de%20l’Oc%C3%A9an%20in%20Paris

Good Practice: TransparentSea, Los Angeles, USA