European Aquaculture Advisory Council launched

The new European Aquaculture Advisory Council was officially launched last week.

The first meeting of the new European Aquaculture Advisory Council (AAC) took place on 13 July. EAA was present with observer status. The AAC has been established in the framework of the reformed Common Fisheries Policy and its main objective is to provide advice to the European Institutions and to the Member States on the sustainable development of aquaculture in Europe. 

The AAC general assembly and executive committee allocate 60% of the seats to representatives of the industry and 40% to other stakeholder, including NGOs as is the rule for all 11 Advisory Councils (ACs). EAA is a member of four of these ACs, and will apply for membership of the aquaculture AC as well. The next AAC general assembly is scheduled in October. 

A high priority for EAA is to push for sustainable fish farming in the EU and Europe. Escapes from pens, as well as sea lice, threaten wild salmon. As part of the latest reform of the EU’s Common Fisheries Policy, fish farming production will be boosted in coming years, which could cause an increase in escapes and more sea lice problems.

Norway is the biggest salmon farming country in Europe. EU can learn from Norway about problems, what not to do, and what can and should be done to achieve sustainable fish farming. EAA can bring this knowledge into the AAC.

EAA’s position on wild salmon and salmon aquaculture:
www.eaa-europe.org/positions/wild-salmon-and-aquaculture-2013.html

EAA has observer status to NASCO, the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organization: www.nasco.int

EAA’s Norwegian member is a very active campaigner against unsustainable salmon farming in Norway. Most recently (12 July) they published a press release about their compliant to the Norwegian Ombudsman, that the fisheries minister Per Sandberg now allows increased salmon density in the pens. This goes against the parliament’s opinion about “predictable and environmental sustainable growth in Norwegian salmon and trout farming”. This will increase the lice problem, it is claimed: www.njff.no/nyheter/Sider/Klager-Sandberg-inn-for-Sivilombudsmannen.aspx 

EAA push for closed fish farming systems. The industry wants the same, if financially viable:

5 July 2016 – Bloomberg

www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-07-04/biggest-salmon-producer-wants-to-farm-fish-inside-cargo-ship

“Biggest Salmon Producer Wants to Farm Fish Inside Cargo Ship”

– Norway’s aquaculture industry spent 5 billion kroner (1/2 billion Euro) last year trying to eradicate sea lice.

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