EU urged to give seafood a bigger place in its food policy

The European Bureau for Conservation and Development (EBCD) and the EU Seafood Alliance have called on the European Commission to create a dedicated EU Action Plan on Blue Foods, aimed at strengthening support for fisheries and aquaculture across Europe.

At a meeting with the cabinet of Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms Raffaele Fitto on 20 October, representatives from EBCD, the European Association of Fish Producers’ Organisations (EAPO), Europêche, the Federation of European Aquaculture Producers (FEAP) and Seafood Europe stressed that seafood plays a vital role in providing healthy, low-carbon and nutritious food. They argued that fisheries and aquaculture deserve to be treated as key parts of Europe’s food system, alongside agriculture.

“The Commission linked agriculture and food in its Vision for Food and Agriculture 2040; the same ambition must now be applied to fisheries and aquaculture through a Blue Food Action Plan embedded in the Vision for Fisheries and Aquaculture 2040,” the group said, via a press release.

A clear EU strategy, the organisations argue, could make it easier for seafood businesses to compete by cutting red tape and ensuring fair rules across the Union. The group also say more investment is needed to attract young people, modernise the sector and support innovation, and argue that the proposed Blue Foods Action Plan could drive progress in research, investment and decarbonisation, helping the EU become a global leader in sustainable food systems. They also suggest that better coordination between different EU policies on food, environment and the blue economy would help create a stronger and more sustainable seafood value chain.

EBCD and the EU Seafood Alliance previously presented their proposal at the European Parliament in September, with the EU Parliament Fisheries Committee Chair, Carmen Crespo Diaz, arguing for "a timely and science-based roadmap", where "Blue foods must be at the core of the EU’s Ocean Pact and its sustainable food strategy."

The EU Seafood Alliance brings together key European seafood industry bodies including EAPO, Europêche, FEAP and Seafood Europe (AIPCE.CEP), representing producers, fishers, farmers, processors and traders across the seafood value chain. The group collectively represents thousands of enterprises and workers across Europe’s fisheries and aquaculture sectors. EBCD, based in Brussels, is a non-governmental organisation specialising in maritime affairs, fisheries, aquaculture and ocean governance.